jchristi

Two couples are planning our first visit to France in early June. We are spending five days in Paris, going to Avignon, renting a car to tour Provence and the coast and returning to Paris from Nice. Origingally planning to take the TGV, liking the 3 hours to Avignon, but not the longer 6 hours from Nice. The over 100 euro price for each ticket from the TGV site and a travel agent made me look at Air France. (Just read about the Prem price??) Air France quoted $143 for the open-jawed round trip. Our time and user-friendliness is almost more important than the difference in cost. Any suggestions for us?

Of course, I now know we should have just flown home from Nice, but I thought an open jawed ticket was too costly. Can't change our consolidator tickets, but I'll do more homework next time. We'll just have to do something fabulous our last night in Paris to make us glad we did it this way.

kevin_widrow

The prices you are getting for both TGV and flying seem awfully high. We go back and forth from Provence to Paris on a semi-regular basis and it think you should be able to do better. In general, stick to the TGV especially if you are travelling to and from downtown Paris - flying on the shuttle makes sense if it is just part of a connection. If you need more help, feel free to email me....

Patrick

By all means fly back from Nice to Paris. Easy Jet has three flights daily from Nice to CDG and four flights daily to Paris Orly. Since you're staying in Paris when you return from fly into Orly; it's a much cheaper and quicker taxi ride into the city. Tickets will cost you about 20 euro each or less (I just saw some in June as low as 11.99 euro each), depending on how filled the flights now are -- the earlier you book, the cheaper they are. Go to www.easyjet.com. You can book right online, and print out your tickets.

Gretchen

By the time you add taxi fare and travel times on both ends is flying really easier? Also the longer time from Nice is until the train gets to Avignon or Aix--then it is the TGV again. The scenery is lovely, it is said. Also the extra time to get to CDG rather than starting in mid-Paris. I think you'll find the time and money to be about a wash.

Christina

I would take the train down to Avignon, because that is a short trip, and I'd fly back from Nice. I have done that, actually. I don't think the fares you are finding are that high or unusual. I think $143 RT for the flight sounds pretty normal to me. If you can get a flight a lot cheaper back from Nice, as Patrick says, at around 20 euro, that would clinch it.

Otherwise, you are taking about an entire day of time to take the train from Nice back to Paris. Then what -- pay for another night in a hotel. This seems rather expensive, when you can fly there in 60-90 minutes or so. I am assuming you would fly into the same airport where you are leaving to go home later in the day, and there would not be any taxi costs or additional travel time. Since you'd be taking the train down to Avignon, you'd already see that same scenery. Some of it is pleasant, some very unremarkable, but I don't consider it that oustanding that I would spend 6-7 hrs on the train for it.

jchristi

Thank you Patrick for the tip about easyjet. I just looked and their site quotes 29 euro to Orly and 15 euro to CDG for times that are convenient to us. The really convenient time is 79 euro. But how can this airline fly you cross country for the price of two glasses of house wine? Seems too good to be true. Do you have a similar tip for us to get a lower rate than 105 euro for the TGV from Paris to Avignon?

Underhill

SNCF offers discounts for two people travelling together (and for seniors also) and a number of other options. Try calling the English-language line (it's a toll call but shouldn't take very long) and ask what's available for your dates:

011 33 8 92 35 35 39

Underhill

I meant to add that the train trip from Nice to Paris feels very long, since the stretch from Nice to Marseille isn't on the TGV.

jchristi

Thank you Underhill. I sometimes do feel better talking to someone. I tried to figure out the "prem" tickets, even though I need to wait for the two month out period, but to do so on a non-English site is intimidating. I think we will definitely take Christine's advice to train down and fly back. Has anyone else used Easyjet?

Sue4

You can buy the "Prem" tickets on the English SCNF site - I did just that yesterday, from CDG to Avignon, 25 euros. But no more than 60 days out. I printed out the ticket, so no standing in line when I get to TGV station, and I don't have to "composter" the ticket before getting on train. The regular fare I saw listed was around 84 euros,and the senior fare was 66. A good deal, but only if my plane is on time, since the ticket is non-exchangable. A gamble, but I am a risk-taker! They have the same 25 euro ticket for the return, but I have to wait a couple of weeks to buy that, since my return is more than 60 days.

jchristi

Sue, I'm not finding the Prems on the English site. As soon as I click on the yellow Prem option in the lower right corner, I get sent to a French screen. How did you do it?

Patrick

By the way, those Easy Jet fares do not include the taxes which add a bit to them. But yes, it does sometimes seem to good to be real. I fley from London to Nice with them for about 29 euro each of us all inclusive and it was excellent. I've booked to fly London to Naples in May with them for just about 49 euro each.

I will say though, that while you need to be at an airport one and a half to two hours before your flight, with a train you can arrive 5 minutes before. And yes you are adding a little more time for taxis to and from the airport, but I'd still be taking taxis to and from the railstation. The differences aren't great in Nice, and not a lot different from Orly (although of course from CDG it would be considerably more).