i'm mapping out a trip way in advance, like a year, so am trying to get an idea of what i can do. my end destination will be provence, near carpentras i believe, so i think the train goes into avignon? or i may meet up with my party at the airport in paris if that is where they'd fly into from the states. anyway, would it be relaitively simple to fly into london spend almost a week there, then take the train into paris for a few days and then possibly train to avignon? or would a plane be best? i have no idea of travel time between locations. thanks for any help!

If you take the TGV (high-speed train) from Paris to Avignon the trip will only take about 2-1/2 hours.

Hi there

The train from Paris to Avignon is much less hassle than flying down to Provence, Be it Marseille or anothyer regional airport, and then getting to Carpentras.

Avignon to Carpentras by road is not too far about an hour(Can be done on local train as well I believe, Transport Express regional. Though they may put a coach on instead)

Where abouts near Carpentras are you staying. There is a small village east of Carpentras called Venasque which I would recommend. Great location and great view over to the Mountain.

Good luck

Steve

Hi, we have taken the train from London to Paris and from Paris to Avignon. In both cases it couldn't have been easier and you don't have the security hassles, early airport arrival times etc. like you do when flying. They were quick and efficient. We used the SNCF site to book the Paris-Avignon trip and had no problems. Paris-London was done as part of a package but I would not hesitate to book again through SNCF.

I stayed near there a couple years ago and really liked it a lot. It is an excellent central location for both the Luberon and the upper Vaucluse. I flew into Marseille just because I wanted to do some stuff down there a bit first, but ended up renting a car and dropping it off at Avignon. It is mostly an easy drive on the main highway, D942, between there and Avignon. It isn't that far, but did take me about 45 minutes perhaps just because of traffic around Avignon and me trying to figure things out. I got a little lost in the center of Carpentras a couple times, missing the right turn in the roundabout or something, but nothing dire.

I don't believe there is any passenger rail service to Carpentras, though. Maybe there was a long time ago, now there are only buses (maybe trains deliver freight). I stayed just south of there in Pernes-les-Fontaines which is a smaller village which I liked very much. I recommend that particular area as a good place to stay.

thank you all! i do prefer train travel as it seems easiest, great to know it's efficient too for where i'm going.
steve, i'm not exactly sure of my location as it will be a country house for a few weeks. the house's website said these towns are with in 15 mins by car : Gigondas, Vaqueyras, beaumes-de-venise. do you know this area well?
i have never been to france before and am nervous about the language. i speak basic spanish and a tiny bit of italian but am reluctant to start french for this trip, my traveling companions mostly all speak it but at times i will be out alone. am i going to have a difficult time here not knowing the language well?

Hi Keb

It has been a few years since I was there but I must say we found it to be one of the best places we have ever been.

As far as the location you will be in. You are going to be roughly North of Carpentras heading up toward Orange. Venasque is East of Carpentras.

We did get up to explore around the area you will be in but mainly we stayed in the south of the Vaucluse. In fact one town I really liked was down on the coast La Ciotat just East of Marseille. A fairly relaxed port with a neat collection of buildings on the waterfront at the bottom of the coastal hills.

However highlights in the immeadiate vicinity of where you will be were Chateauneuf-de-Pape (Fantastic wines and interesting papal history) and Mot Ventoux. Great views from the top and some neat candy which we bought from the vendors at the top.

As far as language, my french is truely appalling but I did make the effort to speak it. Only difficulty I had was in Chateauneuf and Vaison La Romaine But then sign language got round it OK. Overall we survived well for thetime we were there. Even the lady in the local boulangerie got to know that I would be ordering two pain chocolat every morning so I did not have to struggle too much.

Some other highlight towns we liked were Isle-sur-la-Sourgue, great markets. Rousillon, brilliant colours. Gordes, amazing location and history. St Remy, Arles and the Pont du Gard were also well worth visiting.

The amount of physical history everywhere you looked in Provence was amazing. the food and wine brilliant and mostly the people very nice indeed.

Enjoy your stay there

Steve

THANK YOU!