Yes Nancy, email me directly so we can see if we can meet up with each other! I've enjoyed meeting other fellow fodorites in Europe.

Monica, the new TGV station in Avignon is outside the walls, so it shouldn't be so hard to drive away from (or to). I think it was supposed to be open in June of 2001, but I haven't actually seen it. I just hope the car rental places have moved, too.<BR><BR>St. Remy is really close to Avignon (20 km/12 mi), so I'm not sure it's worth the hassle to change hotels unless you just want to.<BR><BR>Since you are going to be there a week, have you thought about going the self-catering route? (must be Sat-Sat) You might look at the gites-de-france.fr/eng/ site. It's often convenient just to be able to throw together an omelet or salad after a long day seeing stuff and it's nice to have more room, too.<BR><BR>There is also lots of good info on beyond.fr and provenceweb.fr/e/ sites.

The new TGV station doesn't replace the old one, there are just two stations now so there are car rental places at both. It is easy enough to get on the main route from the TGV station to Avignon and find it, it's just entering the middle of the city that starts getting tricky. The Hotel Garlande is on one of the smallest streets I've ever seen, I don't think cars are even allowed on it. There is a parking garage maybe 5 blocks away near the Les Halles and Place Pie area, a large modernized shopping area which serves as a hub. I myself would prefer something easier to get to with parking, like the Hotel d'Angleterre as I said, but I think Monica has a reason for wanting that hotel which is close to the main square. It just may take some time getting in and out morning and evening.

I'm pretty much set for this trip! Will be taking the train to the Avignon tgv station and picking up our car from Europcar, which has a place near that train station. Will head directly to Saint Remy and spend 4 nights; then back to Avignon where we'll get rid of the car. We'll take the train to Aix as I have heard it's difficult to get in/out of that city. If getting to hotel Garlande will be difficult (small streets), then maybe we can take a taxi from the car rental place - any idea of taxi cost to the hotel? <BR><BR>Down to just my cousin and me for this trip. <BR><BR>

My 12 year old daughter and I are staying at the Hotel-d-Europe in Avignon. It looks tres fancy, but we got a great rate so decided to splurge. Will it be worth it?<BR>

I don't think getting to Hotel Garlande will be that difficult, I just didn't think it was a good location for those who were keeping cars and going to be driving in and out of Avignon every day. Since you are going to be getting rid of your car in Avignon, it shouldn't be an issue, but I'm not clear on how you are getting from the car rental to the hotel? You can park there temporarily to unload baggage on that pedestrian street, that's common in places like that, but then you'll have to get back to the car rental and then walk back to the hotel or what? I'm not clear on your plans. I would just take a taxi from the car rental place as it isn't that far and won't cost that much at all and the driver will be able to navigate those streets a lot better than you will. Then you won't have to worry about returning to the station and coming back. Not worth it. You could walk from the station, but it is a hike and I wouldn't do it with luggage, but for day trips, it would be fine.

Carol: Hotel d'Europe in Avignon is truly a 4 star hotel. Elegant decorations,superb services and central location are the plus sides. One small problem I had when I stayed there last year was noises from plaza next to it.I employed local guide who was really exceptional.

Christina, I was planning to drive directly to the hotel to drop off our luggage, then take the car and return it to the rental place. However, it wil be much easier to just drop off the car and take a taxi to our hotel; as you stated, it won't be expensive. thanks for the info.<BR>

I think that's a better idea because it's probably about a mile, maybe not quite that. But, it is too far to walk with baggage and if you went there first and then back to the rail station, after all that you might not feel like walking almost a mile to your hotel, anyway. Taxi fare should be $10 or less, I'd guess.

Okay, I am now confused on the train stations...We are taking the TGV from Paris to Avignon and it looks like that stops at the new TGV station in Avignon. So it would be best to get a cab to the city center from there with luggage. But we pick up our rental car the next day at the old station and it looked like that was in easy walking distance, less than a mile from city center. Is that correct?<BR><BR>Does anyone have the street address for the new TGV station in Avignon? We will be driving in from Vaison La Romaine to drop our car off there and then taking the TGV back to Paris. I've looked at all the rental car locations and they only give the address as Avignon TGV or TGV Courtine and I can't get driving directions on that. Or is it well enough marked on road signs so I don't need to have it mapped out? (I am just remembering turning in our car last year in Siena...)<BR><BR>Monica-it looks like we will be staying in Arles and then headed to Nice at the time you are staying in Avignon.<BR><BR>

As far as the train stations, I guess it would matter which one Monica was returning her car to as the new TGV one is a lot farther than a mile from center city--a lot. I thought she was taking the TGV, though, so I'm not sure how she thought she'd get from the rental car place to that hotel. There is a navette, shuttle bus that goes between the two train stations, though. Nancy, yes, I think you've got it-- take a cab from the new station to your hotel, but you can walk from the old station. It may be only about 1/2 mile, really, but depends on where your hotel is. I walked it several days to go on day trips and my hotel was very central (near Les Halles), but if I were tired, it was longer than I might have wanted.<BR><BR>As for directions, I've driven that so these are my best directions coming from the north of Avignon. It's not as well marked as you might like until you get very near it. basically, it's SW of Avignon, sort of where the two rivers meet, in an industrial area. Courtine is the same of that industrial/business area, you'll see that on some road signs, but not until you get near it. Coming down towards Avignon from the north (I was on the D942), get on the highway that says "Avignon Centre Ville" (downtown)when you are approaching the city. It should also say that it's the highway to "Arles", or does a little bit later. That is important to remember. This highway is skirting Avignon near the river on the west. Be careful when the highway splits that you follow the signs that say direction of "Arles" (I think the other way splits off to go west across the river and will say Nimes). Just keep following the signs for Arles around Avignon, and soon (after you pass the famous bridge, and 1-2 main entrances into Avignon) you will see some signs that maybe say "Courtine" and and a sign that does say "TGV Gare" or something like that. once you find those, you are doing ok, as there will be signs pretty much from then on, but you are going towards Courtine, the gare is just past some exits to the Courtine shopping area or something, as I recall. YOu won't find any signs for the TGV Gare very far ahead, as I said, that will direct you around the city down towards Courtine. It is pretty easy once you know it, but without these directions (which I got from my hotel as I was coming from Carpentras), I would have been lost.

Christina-You are an absolute jewel! Thank you for the directions and all of the other information. I am amazed at how well you know France!

Hi Christina,<BR><BR>We'll be dropping our car off near the TGV train station in Avignon, the one you say is more than a mile away from the center of town. I did state we'll be taking a taxi from the train station to our hotel. Will print out your directions!

Monica, if it's the one in Courtine, you couldn't walk from there anyway, although I think (but am not sure) that some TGVs do still stop in the main Avignon old rail station. I know when I rented a car it was ambiguous as to where they expected me to drop it off as they listed both as the Avignon train station, but that was last summer when the new TGV had just opened. A cab ride will be a lot more expensive from there than from the train station in town, but I wouldn't think it would be outrageous, I was sort of thinking you meant the one in-town as it sounded like you were contemplating walking from there, but I may have misinterpreted it. Anyway, I didn't mean to be confusing, just ignore me, as it seems like you know where you are going. <BR><BR>Nancy, I double-checked my notes at home on the route, and what I wrote was correct but I'll add a couple points for clarity -- the route I was on coming from the north is D225 which goes around Avignon near the river. This is the road where you follow the signs saying "Centre Ville' and the signs will also say "Nimes/Arles" -- you do have to be careful to follow the route that says "Arles" when it splits. The road will go past "ZI Courtine" after you pass Pont Benezet, which means zone industriel, there are lots of TGV signs once you get in that area--the TGV station is on the right after you pass the Courtine industrial center.