Provence without a car?
May 29th, 2002, 04:24 PM
#1
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Provence without a car?
I am travelling to Paris for 16 days...17 Oct through 3 Nov. I'm thinking I'd like to take the speed train to Avignon for two or three of those nights. As a woman travelling alone I'm not sure I want to rent a car. Once in Avignon, is it possible (and safe) to take bus to St. Remy and other villages for day trips? Would museums and other sites be closed by the last week of Oct?<BR><BR>Will I lose the "Provence" experience by not driving? I could always leave Provence for the next trip (hopefully a Spring trip) and just do day trips from Paris this time. <BR><BR>Lastly, could someone steer me toward some info about the train (TGV?). Where does it leave Paris? How much round trip? etc. <BR>Thanks<BR>Jeanne <BR><BR>
May 29th, 2002, 08:58 PM
#4
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I would take TGV from Paris. You can catch TGV from the CDG airport or at the Gare de Lyon in Paris. Round trip 2nd class ticket will cost around $180.It depends where you buy the ticket. Some posts recommend buying from SNCF which is cheaper. You can also check out raileurope.com, prices are higher,but your tickets are deliever to you via fed-ex.<BR><BR>You can always rent a car once you arrive in Avignon. I don't think you need to return your car at the same place you rented from.<BR><BR>For woman travelling alone, I would take a cellphone. Most US cellphones don't work in europe, but check with your mobile company. I bought my cellphone form Cingular for $25. Its a triband phone that can roam in France.<BR>I think its sense of security. I store emergency phone numbers, police, hotel, tourism office etc. <BR><BR>
May 29th, 2002, 09:20 PM
#5
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Don't buy your tickets from RailEurope--they are very expensive. SNCF will also deliver, but you have to call France by calling SNCF Direct at [011-33] 8-92-35-35-39 (English) seven days a week from 7 am to 10 pm daily (French time). SNCF Direct provides comprehensive reservation information and ticket sales and can deliver tickets free of charge to clients' homes. You can also purchase the tickets on their website for pickup in France. And if you book in advance, you have the chance to get advance-booking discounts (J30, 30 days in advance; J8, etc). There are several trains/day back and forth. Check www.sncf.com<BR><BR>Bravo for having the guts to rent a car! But Avignon is not a bad base for using the train/buses to go to Arles, Nimes, St. Remy, etc.<BR>
May 30th, 2002, 03:19 AM
#7
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If you go to the SNCF website (www.voyages-sncf.com), you'll be able to book online and you'll see the special prices that Avis gives to SNCF customers (kind of ride and drive deal). Re the prices, remember that in Europe in general, prices are all inclusive (taxes in any case, CDW in lots of car rental deals). In the US, the prices might be nominally low, but they are "naked": one you've added the taxes, SDW, airport supplement, it more than doubles the actual bill (BTW the same applies for hotels and restaurants, with breakfast normally included and taxes too). It is true you can get around without a car from Avignon, but for three days, you'll spend more time going and froing to "gares routieres" than seeing the actual stuff. And compare with your overall trip budget. Then, it's up to you..
May 30th, 2002, 03:50 AM
#8
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The train station in Avignon at which the TGV arrives is fairly new. It is very nice and user friendly. It is not a mad house like a lot of train stations are. The auto rental area is across the way, to the left from where you exit the station - very easy to find. It is a quiet area and not intimidating from where to rent a car. Even though it might be more expensive than you anticipated, you should weigh your time on public transportation vs. auto rental. Maybe have sandwhiches or pizza a few nights to economize BUT rent a car. Also, don't forget when you park in the towns most places require that you buy your parking ticket from a box located in the area where you park. You then stick that ticket on your dashboard so the metermaid will see that you paid for the parking space.<BR><BR>BTW I'd go for at least the 3 nights. If you only go for 2 you won't see much b/c the 1st day you'll be traveling to & getting settled into wherever you stay.
May 30th, 2002, 04:10 AM
#9
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Definitely rent a car. I returned from France last week and spent a week in Provence. I purchased my TGV tickets ($90 round trip second class - yes, it's much higher through Rail Europe)) from the SNCF web site and picked up my tickets in Paris at the SNCF ticket office at the St. Michel metro/RER stop (which does save in a federal express mailing of the tickets). I picked up my rental car at the Avignon TGV station and headed to Saint Remy de Provence (stayed at Residence Les Sources). We returned our car at the train station down down, which saved us a taxi ride from the TGV station.
May 30th, 2002, 05:31 AM
#11
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I'm a dissenter in this advice, I think. I am well-traveled and an excellent driver but if you are only going down there for 2-3 days I would not spend my time and energy on renting a car. There is so much you can easily see in that time without a car, I just don't see that it's worth the trouble or cost. It's not the same experience as driving around the countryside, that's true, but you have to make priorities if you are only there a couple days. I don't think it has anything to do with a woman traveling alone (for me, anyway) just a matter of the time and energy you will spend figuring things out, including renting and returing the car, and worrying about driving around that city and elsewhere. I've taken the bus to St-Remy from Avignon and it's do-able but not really that convenient, I'll admit. The bus schedule isn't that good (infrequent) and the bus I was on was a "local" which made a lot of stops so it took a lot longer than driving. So I am undecided upon that one if that town is a major goal. Otherwise, trains to Nime and Arles are easy and preferable to renting a car (Aix, also) IMO. YOu can't do all that stuff you want in only two days, though.
May 30th, 2002, 05:48 PM
#12
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Ok, great advice here and I so appreciate everyone's input. Given what's been siad, here's what I'm thinking. I should postpone Provence until my Spring trip. <BR><BR>I can't afford to rent a car AND patronize good restaurants in this side trip. I'd have to sacrifice one or the other and I don't want to do Provence that way. <BR><BR>Soooo, thanks anyway. I think I'll start investigating the Ile-de-France or day trips to the Loire Vally
May 31st, 2002, 03:34 AM
#13
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I think that is a good idea, b/c you really should spend more than a couple of days in Provence. It's 1 thing if you don't know if or when you might take another trip, but you seem to think you'll be going again to France again in the spring. You therefore won't feel so rushed and you'll really get to enjoy the area.
May 31st, 2002, 07:35 AM
#14
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I've enjoyed this thread, as I also, a solo woman traveler, have been wondering about renting a car in Provence. Although I've lived in big cities in the U.S. all my life (Miami, Atlanta, Washington, Los Angeles) I still get lost in unfamiliar places, and don't have much sense of direction! <BR><BR>I've been to Paris several times, so have plenty of time to see other parts of France next time. Would appreciate any more input on the car versus train & buses. I'm sure the car would be preferable, but for me, I just don't know!<BR>
May 31st, 2002, 08:19 AM
#15
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I've visited Provence on my own, only Avignon and Arles unfortunately, but the TGV from Paris and the local trains were easy, and the short rides didn't take too much out of my limited time.<BR><BR>I imagine driving around in France on my own could be very liberating, but<BR>I'm not a great navigator even when I have company, let alone when I'm on my own.<BR><BR>Can someone say if some of the other town-to-town distances doable (and affordable!) even by taxi, if the train or bus routes are inconvenient?<BR>
May 31st, 2002, 10:06 AM
#16
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I'd say "no" to the taxi idea. I would imagine they are fairly expensive, and although the towns are close - they are not that close. Also, to take a taxi to a town that you were looking forward to and then be somewhat disappointed in that town would be a waste of $. For example, I was a LITTLE disappointed in Bonnieux. I was expecting it to more than it was. If I had paid the $ to take a taxi there, I would REALLY have been upset b/c I wasted both time & $.
Dec 6th, 2002, 01:57 PM
#18
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Jeanne:<BR><BR>I think it would be wise to postpone your trip until you had more time and were able to rent a car and drive around. <BR><BR>Here are sopme further tips on renting, though, no matter when you do it: 1) I'm pretty sure most US car rental companies require a 3-day minimum (tht is, you'll pay the 3-day amount even if you use the car only one or two days). 2) To the person who said you can always pick up a rental car when you get there - true, but you'll pay dearly for it, up to twice as much as you'd pay renting from the States.<BR><BR>You can pick up the train to Avignon right at CDG airport TGV station (terminal 2) or at the Gare de Lyon in town.
