Bev

We (2 adults and a baby) will be traveling on the TGV from Paris to Avignon. When we get there, we're picking up a rental car. We can use either of the 2 Avignon stations. Which station is easiest for us? Since this will be our first time driving in France, is one station located in a quieter area with regards traffic? <BR> <BR>Thank you.

PB

For ease of picking up your rental car, the old train station just outside the city walls is the easiest. However... the new station is located in a quieter traffic area. They've been working (feverishly so they say) to complete the work, but I understand that people are still being drive over to the old station to pick up rental cars. <BR> <BR>PB

bev

PB - <BR> <BR>The schedules identify the stations as "Center" and "TGV". Is "Center" the old one?

PB

Yes - Center is the old station. TGV is the new station which handles only TGV trains. <BR> <BR>PB

Christina

I just dropped off a rental car there about a month ago and it was still kind of disorganized (not enough spaces where the rental car offices are). However, traffic is easier as it's out of town a bit on a main road, so it might depend where you are going from there. If you have to go into central Avignon, anyway, I guess you might as well pick up your car central; if you were going to Arles or Nimes, I think the TGV station would be better. There were 3 rental companies at the TGV station as I recall, Europcar, Hertz and one other.

david

I have a somewhat related question...we will be taking a TGV fromParis to Arles via Avignon; I assume it will be a TVG to Avignon and a local to ARles. My question is whether the trains will use the new TGV station or does the TGV arrive from Paris at the new station and do we need to transfer to the older station to catch the local to Arles? A previous post mentioned that the new stationonly handles the TGV so I was wondering what to expect?

Christina

I'm pretty sure that the TGV line goes to Arles also, so you won't have to change trains. It goes all the way to Marseille now, I believe, and Arle is one stop on the route. Also, even trains that are TGVs will run on nonTGV lines when there aren't any, to continue a trip (ie, the TGV train from Paris to Nice does not have TGV lines at the end of the trip, but I don't think you necessarily have to transfer trains because of that), so the same train could go on to Arles, anyway. But, I think it is highspeed to Arles. If I'm wrong (and I haven't been to Arles in a while, and then it wasn't TGV), hopefully, some other expert will note.

Philippe

Paris to Arles: the TGV Méditerranée doesn't go to Arles (after Avignon it does stop sometimes in Aix on it's way to Marseille). <BR>Some TGV's from Paris still go to the old station. If you arrive in the old one, you'll connect to the local train (TER) to Arles. At the new station, there's a (hourly, I think) SNCF bus service to Arles (40 min). So in both cases, you won't have to transfer. <BR>I suggest you ask whoever made your bookings to get the exact itinerary so you'll know where and when.

Barb

Bev, <BR>You should pick up your car at the TGV station. They are open later than the rental agencies at the central Avignon. The 2 stations are a 15 min drive away from each other, so you would have to take a taxi or other transportation to pick up your car if you did it differently. We ran into a bad situation with rental cars in Avignon during our visit in June. We booked a car at the TGV, but ended up taking the regular train from Lyon because the TGV was booked. I tried to change my car reservation, but because we were arriving late, the booking agent advised us that the rental car agency in central Avignon would be closed. He advised taking a taxi to the TGV station. We went through a very long wait at the taxi stand and 3 drivers refused to take us there. 1 insisted that the rental car agencies were not open yet (the station was 1 week old) and the others didn't feel like going in that direction. It was getting close to 11:00pm when the car TGV rental agency was closing, and our hotel was an hour away in Les Baux, so we finally just got in a taxi with all of our luggage and told him where we were going after we were in the taxi. The rental agent (Europe Car - Auto Europe) was waiting for us in a shell of a building and we signed our rental contract by candlelight! He was a welcome sight and so pleasant after the rude taxi drivers.

tongsa

i am going to provence for 5 days in sept - planning to do the TGV and then drive around. do i need to book the tgv and the car in advance. and which are the towns i shd visit? any pointers?

Donna

I am also travelling to those towns with a toddler in early October. <BR> <BR>Some trains continue to Arles from Avignon, some you have to transfer. <BR> <BR>Check out this web site: <BR>http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fa...ules/index.htm <BR> <BR>It will show you the different time schedules for trains and when you have to transfer. <BR> <BR>We are renting a car in Avignon to drive to Arles and are picking it up at the new TGV station.