mc_nyc

TGV trains seem to go to both of these stations in Avignon. What is the difference? How far are they from each other? Fares are different too... I'm assuming the TGV station is the main one located across the Porte de la Republique but I couldn't locate Avignon Center. Insights?

gracieb

The TGV from Paris only arrives at the TGV station(not City Center). I think the City Center station is on Blvd Roch, just outside the walls of the old city.

kipp

I looked into this myself, as I am currently planning a trip to the area. These stations are very far from each other, and I would not even consider arriving at the TGV station, unless of course you are picking up a car there.

The price difference between the two stations should be de minimus, a couple of Euros probably, and trains from Paris come into the TGV station, at which point you will switch trains (I think) to get to Avignon Centre. The Avignon Centre station is the one across from the porte de la republique, and should be the station you want to arrive into, unless, as I mentioned before, you are picking up a car. You can locate the TGV station on a map of Avignon at ViaMichelin.com Just type in Avignon, France, and you can select Gare TGV d'Avignon in the dropdown to see exactly where it is (It's southwest of the old city).

Good luck!

gracieb

We arrived at the TGV station SW of the city on the train from Paris. We took a cab into Avignon. The next day we took a cab to pick up a car at the City Center station on Boulevard Roch as listed on our invoice. The counter was there, but not manned. The Budget counter clerk said that National had moved out to the TGV station. We took another taxi to the TGV station to pick up the rental car.
Since this was my first trip to France, there's a lot that I don't know. Based on my experience in the last two weeks, I do know that the TGV from Paris arrives at the TGV station (SW of the city). I also know that I am very glad I picked up the rental car AFTER my night at a hotel inside the walled city of Avignon. I have never seen such narrow streets! It makes you realize how old the town really is! The one lane street the hotel was on was made for carts. Beautiful, but I wouldn't want to drive it!

mc_nyc

Did you say National has moved out to the TGV Station??? We have a car reserved to be picked up at the Blvd. Roch station (which up until now I thought was the TGV station)... We made the reservation through a human on the phone (versus online) and he certainly acted as though the Blvd. Roch station was operating. How long ago were you in Avignon?

Thanks for all your info on the train stations. Obviously I had it all wrong!

Christina

AVignon isn't that small a city and most large car rental firms have several offices in the area. The major ones have them in town (sometimes in several locations), as well as at the TGV Courtine station.

National's web site says they have three -- the TGV station, regular SNCF station and at the airport. The one in town is on av Monclar which runs beside the train station, but is not right on blvd St Roch. You can check that yourself www.citer.fr

gracieb

Okay. This is what I know. I booked through AutoEurope. It was a National car rental. I talked to a live person on the phone. I had no idea where the National Car stations were, but thought I'd get the one closest to the my hotel in the "old city". My invoice said City Center Gare station. I checked with the person at my hotel. We consulted the Avignon map and agreed it was at the non-TGV train station on Boulevard Roch. She called a taxi for me. I showed him the address printed on my confirmation. We arrived at the train station just south of the wall on Avenue Roch. We found the rental car companies. There were three. We walked up and the National counter looked perfectly functional, but no one was there. I asked the Budget counter person right beside the National counter and the lady said that they had moved to the TGV station. We went back outside to the taxi stand and waited for another taxi. I called National on the cell phone I had rented to confirm. No, they were not at the City Center train station but at the TGV. I asked them to hold my car. We arrived at the TGV station but had difficulty finding the car rental counters. I called National again and walked outside the SUD sortie (south exit) of the TGV station and waved my arms. He could see me - I could not see him. From that vantage point, the front rental company (I think Avis) in the little buildings outside the TGV station, down the hill (ramp available for luggage) and voila! we finally found the National Car rental counter. Two taxi rides, two phone calls and about an hour and a half later. He greeted me by name as I entered. We got a new (1000km on it) Citroen. I thought we were being incredibly lucky with an upgrade when he asked which of two cars I wanted and he used a word that sounded like "convertible". He was trying to say "comfortable". It was. We enjoyed driving the car throughout Provence, into Cannes and the hillside villages above. All was well, until we tried to return the car as scheduled in Cannes. No one was at the National Car counter in Cannes. No one was at any car rental counter in the city. It was Monday a bank holiday. Everything in France was closed. I have no idea why someone answered at the Avignon car rental counter when I called, but she did and gave me (and another renter standing out on the sidewalk) directions on how to return a car at a city location without a parking garage or lot. Thank goodness (again) for the cell phone I rented from Travelers International. We only used it twice to call home briefly, but it was helpful in finding and returning our National rental car!

mc_nyc

Guess I'll be making some confirmation phone calls tonight! It seems as though taking the train into the TGV station might be the most convenient way to rent a car as kipp suggested, although the Center station is closer to our hotel. Also, it seems as though the National Car Rental office at Blvd. Roch (which I think is the same one as the one on Av. Monclar) is only open a few hrs in the morning, closed around lunch and open for a few hrs in the afternoon (if open at all!)

Thank you all for the insights and commentaries - most helpful!

gracieb

Our travel information specified a noon pickup. If they were closed for lunch, I don't know why the agent making the reservation wouldn't informed me of their limited hours. The conversation with the Budget agent was short, but I got the impression that National was no longer manning the counter there. That was only an impression after a very short conversation, but would explain why my confirmation paperwork gave me one address that was not accurate. Perhaps they had recently closed. By the way, the taxi fare was not that much different from TGV to Avignon hotel, Avignon hotel to Gare on Boulevard Roch and that Gare to TGV Gare. No significant savings in time or money.

kevin_widrow

This issue has caused much confusion. The TGV can arrive either at the main TGV station which is about 5 km south of the center of Avignon or in the old Centre Ville Train Station. When booking your train ticket, make sure you know at which station you will arrive.

Cars can be rented at either station, but most car rental companies are much more focused on the TGV station with longer hours and much better service. Many have closed or are closing at the Gare Centrale. For info, if you are planning on driving out of Avignon, you are better off anyway arriving at the TGV station, lahtouhg it is not very difficult from either one. By contrast, if you are not renting a car and plan on staying in Avignon, you are better off with the Gare Centrale.

Finally, there is a very good shuttle bus service running between the two stations and it takes about 5-10 minutes to get from one to the other.

Hope that helps.

-Kevin

gracieb

Makes sense to me, Kevin. I wish I had your recap as I was booking the rental car and trying to figure out the different stations.

Huitres

mc_nyc: I was just there in mid-March. At Avignon TGV, there is an information ticket counter and you can buy a bus ticket (less than 2 euros) for the local shuttle bus that takes passengers from the TGV station to the Central station. The bus is right outside the terminal, on the L hand side and leaves every 30 minutes. It dropped us off right in front of Avignon Central station. Either way, they are close to each other with bus, so not a problem.

Julie7963

I was in Avignon this past March.

We caught the train from CDG the TGV station just outside of town, and took a taxi to our B&B near the Place L'Horloge.

The shuttle bus is also a convenient way to ride to the city center, and you may be strongly encouraged to do so by local ladies who make the trip regularly.

Next morning, we walked to the Centre station and picked up our rental car from Avis (using the Rail Europe train/drive deal).

This way we didn't have to negotiate the lovely narrow streets inside the walls. For overnight parking, we used a convenient underground lot within easy walking distance of a gate in the wall right near our B&B.

Enjoy your trip
J

Sue4

I returned from Avignon 2 weeks ago. Car rental at the TGV station is a breeze, and easy to return there. Also, as previously mentioned, the shuttle bus into Avignon is great. I used it when I first arrived (to stay near Avignon for a few days without a car). Then took it back to TGV station to pick up my car. I would definitely pick up rental car at TGV station rather than in the city center!

mc_nyc

How late do the shuttle buses run from the TGV station to the Center? We're trying to decide if we're better off taking a train that gets into Avignon close to 10pm or spend the night in Paris and take an early morning train the next day. We're arriving right smack in the middle of Le Festival D'Avignon (week of July 12?) so not sure how this would affect everything - it was next to impossible to book a room. We're only in Avignon for the day (or one night/day if we end up taking the late night train the day before), hence the issue with the car rental locations. We were thinking of spending the day in Avignon and then picking up the car and heading off.

Huitres

I would not chance arriving in Avignon that late - for both the shuttle availability and car rental availability. I too, took the TGV Mediteranee train down from Paris but it was an early departure, we arrived in Avignon TGV ~ 1:00 pm. I had picked up a schedule guide for the bus that runs from Avignon TGV to Avignon Centre but must have thrown it out upon my return to the States - sorry! I recall the buses leaving frequently, about 1x or 2x an hour. I don't think the bus circuit goes that late into the night (10 pm) so IMO, it would be better for you to take an early train out of Paris so you will arrive early and make the most of your time there.

Christina

I thought the shuttle ran as long as the gare was open -- which isn't that late, it closes at 11:30 or so.

In any case, a taxi from there to central Avignon wouldn't cost very much, it's only about 5-8 km, probably.

mc_nyc

Julie7963 or anyone else for that matter who's used the rail europe website... how do you get to the train/drive deals?

Julie7963

Re the Rail/Drive pass - try this
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/ra...rail_drive.htm

Or go to the www.eurail.com, use the drop-down menu on the main page, select Rail'n Drive passes, and choose France.

Enjoy your trip!

cigalechanta

gracieb, the last time I rode the TGV it was outside the walls near the Hotel Europe. On a whim, one year, we have also taken the Avignon shuttle back to paris which is not expensive and very pleasant.