TGV advance reservations -- necessary?
 

How booked do TGV trains tend to get? I'll be travelling to Provence in early July and will be taking the TGV from Marseille to Aix on a Saturday. There's frequent service, so can I expect to get same-day tickets without hassle?

Marseille-Aix is a tiny route, so there will be no problem getting a seat on the train. Not even any point in taking a TGV for such a minor distance.

how about Paris to Avignon on a Sunday in May, then back to Paris from Avignon four days later? Do we need to reserve seats or book ahead?

Paris-Avignon can fill up on the weekends. You can also save lots of money by booking ahead at www.voyages-sncf.com or www.id-tgv.com. One way fares begin at 19 euros. You print your tickets yourself.

How early in July ? That's the beginning of school vacations and the trains tend to book up, especially on weekends and especially from Paris to Avignon/Marseille/Aix.

I would definitely recommend getting a reservation ahead of time.

Patricia

No reason to take the TGV from Marseille to Aix - take the local train. It lets you off right in the center of Aix.

-Kevin

Yes, to second what kevin_widrow said. The Aix TGV station is at some distance from the town. The local station is right in town and close to a lot of the hotels. (However, it's kind of a sleepy station; I wouldn't worry about noise.)

How reliable is the arrival time of a train? My daughter has a flight at 2:15 from Paris, and the train from Avignon will get her to CdG airport at 12:55 PM. Is that enough time to get to the international terminal? This would be on a weekday.