Paris to Avignon

Provence is certainly easier from Paris.

The Dordogne valley is tricky enough to get to that I'd say if you only have 2 days to save that destination for another trip.

For both regions, it is helpful to have a car, but there is more served by rail and bus in Provence.

I'd stay in a smaller town than Avignon. Reserve your car in advance for the best rate, and shop around a little.

You can buy train tickets at any train station in Paris, or from TGV.com. Don't go through Rail Europe; they charge a markup.

Do buy a few good guidebooks (today!), they will help you do as much last-minute planning as you can stand, and your trip will be the better for it.

For another trip maybe: A good strategy for visiting the Perigord, which includes the Dordogne Valley, is to fly in or out of Toulouse or Bordeaux rather than Paris.

Bon voyage!

I know about Avignon.

The TGV is very fast and easy and take you to the station on the outskirts of Avignon. You can actually go online to SCNF and buy your tickets. You print them out and must show a passport to use them, as they are only available to people outside of France. Train takes about 2.5 to 3 hours from CDG.

At the TGV there is a car rental location, which makes it easy. I rent through AutoEurope on their website and have been very happy. At Avignon the AutoEurope rentals are available through the National office.

Avignon is so central. It is near the Cotes Du Rhone wine trail, lots of beautiful countryside. Avignon itself has the palace of the popes, and lots of great places to visit. It is also about an hour north of Arles, etc. Check out Rick's Provence book for lots of details.

Have fun!

There is frequent TGV service between Paris and Avignon. One correction to Sue's post: While most direct TGVs go to Avignon TGV, a couple go to Avignon Centre. If you depart from central Paris, the station in either case is Gare de Lyon.

Another correction: Prem's (discount tickets that you print yourself) are for anyone, not just for people from outside of France. You have to show ID when you board the train because the tickets have your name printed on them and are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.

No need to catch your trains from CDG. In fact, I would avoid it b/c it will add a lot of time to your trip. Montparnasse and Gard du Nord are both very large train stations in Paris that will likely have trains going to Avignon. This depends on whether you are buying your tickets online ahead of time or from an office in Paris (both can be done, just make sure you dont have to retrieve your ticket from an automated machine in the train station b/c you can't unless you have a French credit card). You can book at sncf.com or you can book at an sncf office in paris.

If you're in Avingnon with a car, check out Ilse sur la Sorgue (great markets) and Foutaine de Vaucluse (features a spring of unknown depths explored by Jacques Cousteau).

vidya,

As I said in my previous post, TGVs from Paris to Avignon depart from Gare de Lyon. Most stop at Avignon TGV which is outside of the city. A couple stop at Avignon Centre.

From the area around the Eiffel Tower you can take the RER C from Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel to Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand and Metro line 14 from there to Gare de Lyon. Or you can take Metro line 6 from Bir-Hakeim to Bercy and Metro line 14 from there to Gare de Lyon. For a zoomable map of the Metro and RER system, go here.

Like Sue, I recommend Auto Europe. It's a broker and finds you the best deal from among the companies with which it has contracts. Either book online or over the phone. They have a US toll-free number. Booking now will be cheaper than doing it when you get to France--and you're more likely to get the car you want.