TGV trains require seat reservations which automatically come with the ticket, which you can buy right before the train providing seats are available - I would buy it at any train station in France before or go to www.voyages-sncf.com, the French Railways web site and buy before leaving - you may get a minor discount to boot. In first class TGV trains rarely fill up IME so you should be able to buy some kind of ticket right before the train and there are so so many trains coming from Paris and as many folks get off at Avignon TGV station seats should IMO be plentiful from Avignon TGV to Aix-TGV station, yes with shuttle buses from the town centers to each station a few miles out of town.

Is there a bus from Aix to Avigon so that I can leave out the transfers?

I would doubt there is such a bus - there are few long-distance buses in France - basically only running where trains don't go.

the transfers are simple really - bus meets train or you can of course take a taxi from the TGV station right to your hotel.

I don't think there is any direct bus between Aix and Avignon, you'd hae to transfer if you took a bus, also.

You could go by train from the centre of Avignon (Avignon-Ville station I believe - the old station smack inside the town walls or near them and right to the center of Aix but you would have to go a much slower route via Marseille and transfer there - may take a lot longer than the nearly 190 mph TGV trains - about your only viable option going between the two by public transit

Ok. I guess it's going to be bus, TGV, bus.

No big deal. Just thought maybe. . . .

Myer, it is possible to take a bus from the gare routiere in Aix directly to the gare routiere in Avignon. The bus runs a few times a day and it looks like the trip is 1 hour 15 minutes and the fare is 15.10 euro.

Look here at Ligne LER23: http://www.infotelo.com/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=267&thm_id=124&gpl_id=0

Kathy