We are going to visit Provence for 6 nights in early October, and then take the train to Barcelona. We are renting a car in Nice and plan to drop the car at either the train station in Avignon or Nimes. I am trying to decide whether to spend all 6 nights in L'Isle Sur le Sorgue and then drop the car in Avignon to take the TGV train from Avignon to Barcelona. OR to spend 4 nights in L'Isle Sur le Sorgue and 2 nights in Arles and then drop the car in Nimes and take the TGV train from Nimes to Barcelona.
The TGV train from Avignon to Barcelona leaves at 8:30 am and there is not another until after 1:00 pm. The TGV train from Nimes leaves at 9:00 am and another at 10:00 am. I do not understand why there are two TGV trains possible in the morning from Nimes and not from Avignon, but that appears to be the schedule. However, if I drop the car in Nimes I will have to pay a 65 Euros fee for leaving it there. There is no added fee for leaving the car in Avignon. Thus it is cheaper to drop the car in Avignon, but we would have to leave there earlier. Also, I would like to know if the drive from Arles to Nimes is faster/easier than the drive from L'Isle Sur le Sorgue to Avignon.
Please send any information you have on if it would be better to plan to drive at 7:30 am from L'Isle Sur le Sorgue to leave from Avignon OR better to drive at 8:30 from Arles to Nimes to catch the train there. Thank you.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
To plan driving time and routes, try www.viamichelin.com. None of those cities is very far apart. However, any driving, refueling, and checking-in of car before your morning train could be stressful. Advance-discount tickets are no good if you miss the scheduled train. How about dropping the car in Nimes the night before and sleeping at least one night there, instead of Arles?
Posted by
OP
120 posts
Thank you Laura; I thought your idea of turning in the car in Nimes the night before our train to Barcelona was excellent, and have made arrangements to do so, staying in a Rick Steves recommended hotel there too. Thank you.