We are taking the TGV from Paris to Avignon in June- when is the soonest we can buy our tickets online here in the US - is this the best way to do this?
Also- do you have any info about the Pine Train to Digne de las Bains? THx
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9109 posts
The soonest is 90 days. The earlier you book the cheaper it will be. Purchase your tickets here: http://tgv-europe.com Tell the site that you live in the UK, and you will be able to print your tickets out at home.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
The "pine train" is the tourist brand for the Provence railway company, one of the few surviving narrow-gauge railways in France. Most of the trains are diesel powered, but the scenery is quite spectacular as the train runs into the Alps. The full trip from Nice to Digne is imo a bit long for a day trip. When I did the route a couple of years ago I got the train to the town of Entrevaux, which is about ninety minutes away. Entrevaux is a fortified hill town that is less heavily touristed than the ones along the coast like Eze, so you get more picturesque atmosphere but less tourist infrastructure (fewer gift shops, less English spoken if you don't have reasonable French). On some summer Sundays they run a steam train between two stations on the line, Puget-Thenniers and Annot. They haven't put the 2012 dates on the website yet, but say they will around March. If you're coming from Nice, you can get the normal train as far as Puget-Thenniers. This needs to be booked in advance. Also note that the narrow-gauge train has its own station in central Nice that is about 10-15 minutes' walk from the main station.