StCirq

I love Lyon, and if you have time to spare for it, I'd do it. But I sure wouldn't pay 61.78 ( I assume that's euros? But eveni f it's dollars) to get there on a train.

kathleen

We’re planning on three weeks, with this breakdown, though it is still in progress. Avignon 6 nights (or 4 nights if 2 go to Lyon), Carcassonne 2 nights, Toulouse 3 nights, Sarlat-la-Caneda 4 nights, Paris 5 nights. It’s a loop, by train.

PalenQ

And how are you planning to spend time in Avignon -will you have a car? Lots of neat places within a comact radius of Avignon but public transports to many is iffy. Great place to rent car for several days or less even.

Of course need no car in Lyon but you could drive thru Rhone vineyards en route and some nice area.

StuDudley

>> So don't just think you can take the next train if you are buying a ticket at the ticket desk. <<

Good point. Perhaps Kathleen should purchase a PREM for the 13:58 train plus a ticket to Avignon from AF on the 9:58 train Both trains have a train change or a stop in Lyon, so decide later if you want to get off in Lyon. However, I just checked and cheap Prems (about 54E) are sold out on the 13:58 TGV (no train change to Avignon). So it is now an 85E decision. You have 4 hrs - which is more than good even if your plane is 1 1/2 hrs late.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

If you choose Lyon - the 9:58 TGV is 45E 2nd class, and 54E 1st class.

The 11:57 TGV is 45E 2nd & 49E 1st

Prems sell out fast. Purchase ASAP.

Stu Dudley

kerouac

Living in Paris, I obviously travel out of Gare de Lyon to Avignon, and the trains in July are almost always fully booked since the theatre festival runs almost the entire month. I would even venture to say that first class might be fuller than 2nd class, because we regulars snap up the 1st class tickets very early when they are sold at almost the same price as the 2nd class tickets.

As for the trains to Avignon from CDG, they do not have nearly as many seats available since they do not originate at CDG. Most of them are coming from Lille and other northern cities already half full. The trains starting in Lille have often already picked up lots of passengers from London and Brussels.

StuDudley

If you are going to visit Paris, Toulouse, and Avignon - I would skip Lyon and spend the time in Provence or the Dordogne with a car or private driver. I like Toulouse more than Lyon, and Avignon about the same or more than Lyon.

Stu Dudley

kathleen

In Avignon, a day in Avignon, a day in Arles, a day on a wine tour, and a day visiting Pont du Gard. No car. We’ll go by train or organized tour. Might skip Lyon. Deciding now whether to do the airplane/train add on to Avignon or plane to CDG and purchase advance fare tickets for train to Avignon, leaving plenty of time between air arrival and train departure.

StCirq

How do you plan to get to Sarlat? You DO know you'll need a car once you arrive, there,no?

kathleen

We will travel from Toulouse to Sarlat by train, and once there we'll rent a car for a couple of days. We are really resisting renting cars overall, but understand that there may be a couple of days where we have no choice if we want to see the area. We'll leave Sarlat by train to catch the TGV back to Paris (Libourne or Bordeaux?)

StuDudley

No "cute little hill villages" while in Provence???

Stu Dudley

kathleen

Stu, Which ones do you suggest? Kathy

StuDudley

Do you have my 35 page Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary??? It has a very detailed day-trip "outing" to the hill villages in the Luberon. We've vacationed for 22 weeks in Provence & we're kinda hill village junkies. The itinerary describes our favorite villages, cities, farmer's markets, scenic drives, restaurants, canyons, mountains, etc. It has a section on Provence fabric too. I also have an itinerary for the Dordogne. We've spent 13 weeks vacationing there. I've sent my various itineraries to over 6,000 people on Fodors (really!). If you would like to have these itineraries, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach them to the reply e-mail.

Stu Dudley

kathleen

I would love to receive both the Provence and the Dordogne itineraries! Thanks. I will email you directly. Kathy

StCirq

Up to you whether you take the TGV from Libourne or Bordeaux - it's the same train. Libourne is easier to navigate.

Renting a car for 2 days normally costs the same as renting for 3, so I'd get the car for the entire time, or most of the time, you're in Sarlat

kathleen

We will keep that in mind when deciding how long to rent the car in Sarlat. Also, when looking at the TGV line from Bordeaux, it did seem to go through (and stop) in Libourne, so we'll probably do that. Thanks for clarifying. Kathy

StuDudley

I don't think the new TGV service that was introduced last year between Bordeaux & Paris stops in Libourne.

Stu Dudley.

Christina

Only a few TGV trains per day between Bordeaux and Paris stop in Libourne, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I think it's the trains that leave at 23 after the hour.

StuDudley

I could not find any trains that departed 23 past the hour on Feb 16. There were a few at 34 past the hour - but they did not stop in Libourne. I use the German site.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

www.bahn.de/en the German site easy for schedules but ultimate source www.voyages-sncf.com. www.bahn.de/en is usually right IME.