We will be in Avignon for 1 week in June and will have a car- how long of a drive is it to Nice to pick up the Pine Train? Could we get to Nice do the Pine Train and get back to Nice all in the same day? Thanks!
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
If you're talking about the steam train, that doesn't run all the way from Nice but leaves from and returns to a place called Puget-Thenniers. If you're coming from Avignon check on a map and see if it would be quicker to just drive from Avignon to Puget-Thenniers and return. The train leaves from Puget-Thenniers at 1030 am: full details at http://gecp.asso.fr/ (limited info in English). You will need to book in advance by phone.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
According to viamichelin.com, if you stick to the autoroute (freeway), you can drive from Avignon to Nice in around 3 hours. I assume you're talking about the modern train which runs all the way from Nice to Digne-les-Bains. It leaves Nice at 06:25, 08:50, 12:55, and 17:15. The ride takes 3 1/2 hours. The train leaves Digne-les-Bains at 07:29, 10:55, 14:25, and 17:30. The fare is €20.30 each way. If you leave Nice at 12:55, you'll arrive in Digne-les-Bains at 16:20. Leave Digne-les-Bains at 17:30 and be back in Nice at 20:57. Be aware that the train leaves from the small Gare de Nice CP which is a little more than 1 km north of Nice Ville (the main SNCF station). The address of the station is 4 Bis Rue Alfred Binet.