Margaret

I will be in France next May with the last week spent in Paris. I will be coming by train from Germany and do not plan on renting a car at any time. In addition to the week in Paris, I would like to spend a week in Provence or the Luberon area. Is this doable by train? If so, do you have any suggestions on where to visit? I've seen some posts on Avignon, but wonder if there are other options. Thanks very much for any input you have!

lili

the trains in france are pleantiful and convenient so you should have no trouble getting around - the train stations tend to be central and walking distance to most town centers. the only thing that a car might be needed for is if you want to explore the castles in the loire valley or more of the off the beaten track little villages in provence. first, decide where you want to go and see if trains go there - then decide on mode of transport.

Judy

Besides Train, you will need to take buses to small towns or villages in Provence.It is doable,but need a bit planning. Besides Avignon, I once stayed in Vaison(smaller town, many things to see, good base for walking) for one week, and visited other villages by buses.

Chris

Nimes has a train station right in town, Aix-en-Provence takes you from the train station (out of town) by shuttle bus (included in the price of the ticket) into town. You can hit many places from there (Nice, etc.) <BR> <BR>Nimes has Roman ruins, is close to Avignon, etc. You might want to do some combinations on www.sncf.fr to see where you can go from what city most easily. The train system is wonderful in Europe, by the way, not at all like in the US.

Judy

Margaret - In September, my husband and I spent 6 days in Provence. Avignon was our base city and we took day trips from there: St. Remy by bus, Aix by train, and Arles by train. We didn't want to rent a car on this trip. There's so much to see either with or without a car, it is pretty much up to your preference. We also walked over to Villeneuve Les Avignon for a day. We cancelled our trip to Les Baux, but could have gone there by bus. Have a great time. We loved Provence. <BR>Judy

Patrick

We spent a week in Provence in Aix with a car. We also spent nearly two weeks in Provence, staying several days each in Avignon, Aix, and Nice, traveling by train and bus. We were able to do probably twice as much in our one week with the car than we were with our two weeks without. The car is a decided luxury, enabling you to stop off at two or three villages at will, moving on if the mood hits you, or hanging around if you want, stopping for lunch at some wonderful little out of the way place, or stopping to visit a small craft shop or gallery in the countryside. The bus and train thing takes a lot of planning if you want to venture out of the larger cities, and leaves you with very little flexability, but yes it is "doable".