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Paris to Avignon by Train and car to surrounding areas

Posted by (Clarkston, MI ) on

Two of us will be in Paris for 5 days and then plan to take the train to Avignon, staying in Avignon for 3 nights, but doing day trips from there. Then spending 2 nights in Nice before probably flying back to Paris and staying near the airport to return home.

1). Is the fast train leaving from Gare de Lyon in Paris to Avignon TGV at all scenic? I was told some of then are more scenic and the fastest ones aren't. Or should I just take the fast one and not worry about it? Right now the price of two tickets is $168 euros. ( basic is $150 euros)
2). We were looking at staying three nights in Avignon and using it as our base. If we rent a car the second day we are in Avignon and park it in one of the free lots in Avignon at night does that make sense?
3) Thinking of driving to our hotel in Old Nice ( 2 nights) I have not checked out parking there.

I tried researching some of this, but the comments were from 2018.
Your help with any of my questions is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Posted by
42 posts

Fast trains follow the same tracks as the slow trains so no difference in scenery.

The route to Avignon is nice and scenic especially about 1/2 way as you go through a long stretch with hilly terrain alternating between forest and small farms and pastures. You see small villages and beautiful farmhouses that are probably quite old.

Posted by
6044 posts

We were looking at staying three nights in Avignon and using it as our base. If we rent a car the second day we are in Avignon and park it in one of the free lots in Avignon at night does that make sense?

There are two train stations for Avignon. Avignon TGV is on the outskirts of town. The TGV will arrive there and then you switch to a local train to continue to Avignon Central. There are a number of car rental places at the Avignon TGV station. You might consider getting a car as soon as you arrive at the TGV station and staying in a smaller town outside of Avignon.

I spent 5 nights in Avignon in 2023. The main reason that I stayed in Avignon was that I did not have a car and it is a good transportation hub. However, there are nicer places to stay in this region. If I were driving, I would have stayed elsewhere.

Posted by
1892 posts

Re Avignon, what Ruth said. There are a number of charming towns nearby to stay since you will have a car. St. Remy de Provence is only 25 km from Avignon. I would choose that over Avignon in a heartbeat. Stay there and make your day trips from St. Remy. You may find lodging that includes parking more easily than in Avignon.
You could drive to Nice from there in about 3-4 hours easily. Return the car and use the local trains to see towns along the coast, if you even have time to get outside of Nice, which has lots to see in itself. Sometimes you can find a flight to the US from Nice, but if not direct, you could still get a flight that connects in CDG, saving you a day's travel back to Paris.

Posted by
1892 posts

Sorry, what Laura said, not Ruth. With a car, don't stay in Avignon.

Posted by
1399 posts

I would rent and return at the Avignon TGV station and train to Nice. I have driven in Nice in off season and that took some courage so I cannot imagine it in during the summer. Parking is terrible everywhere and double parking is common adding to traffic headaches. Driving in the city of Nice is a very different experience than rural Provence.

Saint Remy is a lovely little town and I preferred Arles to Avignon but when we are going back we're spending more time in Avignon because it better connected to everything. Les Baux is outside S. Remy as is Van Gogh's asylum and the Gaulic/Greek/Roman ruins of Glanum depending on what interests you. A car is basically necessary/best for all these things. Catch a market day in one of the Provincial towns if you can as it really is an experience worth having.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

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