I'm looking at travelling from Avignon to Nice and the SNCF website is showing a TER first from Avignon center to the Avignon TVG station, and from then a TVG to Nice.
However there's only 9 minutes to spare making the connection.
So my question is - if the TER is 10 minutes late, and thus I muss the TVG to Nice, as TVGs require a seat reservation and are for a specific train, then if I miss the booked one, I can't just jump on the next can I? So the money paid for the ticket would be lost?
IF you missing the train was TER fault by being late, take you ticket to a ticket office and they will issue a new ticket.
Go early from Avignon Centre if you are concerned. Trains leave every 30 minutes. It is only a 6 minute trip from Centre to TVG. Also, 9 minutes is a lot more time than you think unless you have mobility issues or a lot of luggage.
If you book it as one ticket and the TER is late, you can get a new ticket with seat reservation at the station. The TER originates in Carpentras, only 30 minutes away, so it would only be late in extenuating circumstances, like a track blockage.
You could also travel exclusively by TER by going to Marseille St Charles and changing there. It only takes an hour longer. The TGV is traveling on regular tracks to Nice, so is not all that faster than a TER, but you have 45 minutes in Marseille to change trains, which largely accounts for the extra time.
