We'll be traveling from Nice to Arles near the end of April. We can either change from TGV to TER in Avignon or Marseilles-St Charles. Travel times are about the same, layovers are from 40 minutes to a bit over an hour. Is there any reason we should favor one over the other? Scenery, navigating the station, station amenities? This would be on a Saturday morning.
Posted by
Wengen
2809 posts
I would take the 9:59, with a change in Marseilles, as that is the fastest connection, with a (still to long) transfer of 18 minutes.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
743 posts
Your connection options to Marseille are probably better, due to the separation of the TGV station at Avignon. The TER will typically stop only in Avignon Central and then you have to take a spur line to the Avignon TGV (saving no time due to the extra stop as it will stop in Marseilles and the speed of the TGV will be limited to the TER levels after that point). Note there is a new operator of the TER line from Nice to Marseilles starting from June 29th (meaning you may or may not experience the brand new, improved trains they new operator has bought and an increase in service).
Posted by
OP
25 posts
A follow-on to this: I'm struggling to understand how to use my Eurail pass to get a ticket on a TER train between Marseilles-Saint Charles and Arles using my pass. I'm traveling from Nice to Arles, and RailEurope.com made me split the tickets. So I made my reservation on the Nice-Marseilles leg, but when I try to get a ticket on the Marseilles-Saint Charles-Arles leg, the website shows me all the trains, but when I select one the page keeps showing "No tickets selected". If I don't enter my pass I can select the ticket but it's full price. I was hoping to get all my tickets lined up before I leave the US, but is this something I'll just have to do at the Marseilles station on my travel day?
Posted by
Green Bay
21883 posts
I don't believe you need a ticket on a TER with a Eurail Pass, you just show your pass to the conductor when he/she comes by. A TER is a regional train with no seat reservations. For that matter, you do not need a TGV from Nice to Marseille, as TER trains also cover that route and do not need seat reservations. They are not all that slower. They go the same speed, just make more stops.