Avignon or Lyon ?
 

Okay, now I'm getting confused! I had just about decided on Avignon but then I started reading about Lyon and it sounds lovely too. We'll just spend the day (apr 9) and night there after leaving Toulouse before returning to Paris the next day so TGV is impt! Thanks everyone!

Well, you should be confused bcause both are very nice but different places.<BR><BR>Lyon is a large city and Avignon is a small walled city. I liked them both but for different reasons.<BR><BR>Avignon is compact and is in the heart of Provence. It is close to places we wanted to visit; Chateauneuf du Pape for wine tasting, the hill towns of Gordes, Lebaux, the smaller town of St Remy etc.<BR><BR>Lyon, is much larger but has a nice medival street, cathedral, Roman ruins and some wonderful restaurants. It is , however much larger and more crowded.<BR><BR>US

Thanks US, I think we'll probably stick with Avignon. Now for a Hotel search...any Ideas anyone?

We stayed at Hotel d’Europe. It's a very nice and elegant hotel. I saw two Mecure hotels that are very well located. We've stayed at a few Mercure's before and really liked them. www.mercure.com

I also stayed on one trip at the Europe. Excellant! and there's the Mirande, alot more elegant.

Hi Kanoneli, difficult choice, personally I would stay in Lyon, although it is only for one night.<BR>Lyon is a big city true, but the Old Lyon is walkable and it is so much more intereting that Avignon.!!!!!! You can also have a wonderful meal in Lyon, after all it is one the main gastronomic centers in France..... You will be surprised of how much you can enjoy of Lyon even in one day and then you can go back later.<BR>

How far a drive is Avignon from Paris by car - is it better to train it and then rent a car?

Primitivo...

Train it ! the drive by car takes around 7 hours, the TGV train takes 2.5 hours.
You can easily pick up a rental car at the TGV station Avignon - all of the companies have offices and cars just outside of the doors on the south side of the station.

Patricia

Thanks - thinking of taking the train to Avignon from Paris. Then renting a car from there, and headingup to Beaune and Dijon and then back to back to Paris from Dijon area... too ambitious? Want to spend 4 days do that and 2.5 days between paris and normandy... comments?