train from Avignon to Paris airport?
Mar 24th, 2011, 06:33 AM
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train from Avignon to Paris airport?
Is there a train that goes directly to de Gaulle-- or does one have to change somewhere and get another train or bus or taxi? If taxi, can someone give me a sense, please, of what cost would be? Thank you.
Mar 24th, 2011, 06:40 AM
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It depends on the date and time you wish to travel which unfortunately you did not post but generally yes - trains are available from Avignon to CDG.
Otherwise TGVs from Avignon arrive at Gare de Lyon from where Air France operates buses directly to CDG. Cost 16.50€, children 2-11 8€.
The RER (A then B at Chatelet) also connects from Gare de Lyon to CDG - 8.70€
Lastly you could take a taxi about 50€.
Otherwise TGVs from Avignon arrive at Gare de Lyon from where Air France operates buses directly to CDG. Cost 16.50€, children 2-11 8€.
The RER (A then B at Chatelet) also connects from Gare de Lyon to CDG - 8.70€
Lastly you could take a taxi about 50€.
Mar 24th, 2011, 06:52 AM
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To check schedules for the dates you want go to www.bahn.de - the German Railways web site that I find the best for schedules for all European trains - on the English schedule page put in Paris-CDG 2 for the To: box and Avignon-TGV in the From: box (Avignon also has an in-town train station but TGVs, high-speed trains, do not serve it usually but only the Avignon-TGV station a few miles out of town and linked to the town center by shuttle buses. Put in the date but if the date is too far out then just put in a dummy date closer - the same day of the week however you wish to travel - as these trains pretty much will run daily at the same time or about all year.
There are several trains a day Avignon-TGV to CDG airport though on some you may have to change at Lyon - to me the hassle of having to change trains in Paris is immense - esp for folks with bags so try to coordinate with the TGVs direct to the airport (Terminal 2 TGV station). A good way to access the wonderful IMO www.bahn.de or German Railway site is to go to www.budgeteuropetravel.com home page and click on the link 'The best online European timetable" or some such wording and voila up pops the English schedule page - I reference this home page link because on it they give several valuable tips on fully using the bahn.de site that may not be apparently at first encounter.
Go to www.voyages-sncf.com to check fares and see if there are any soi-called PREM fares - deep discounted fares available and you can book these online as many Fodorites do -but as these are i believe not changeble nor refundable be very sure of your time you want to travel. Full fare tickets that can be changed however may cost much much more. For lots on French trains check out www.seat61.com.
There are several trains a day Avignon-TGV to CDG airport though on some you may have to change at Lyon - to me the hassle of having to change trains in Paris is immense - esp for folks with bags so try to coordinate with the TGVs direct to the airport (Terminal 2 TGV station). A good way to access the wonderful IMO www.bahn.de or German Railway site is to go to www.budgeteuropetravel.com home page and click on the link 'The best online European timetable" or some such wording and voila up pops the English schedule page - I reference this home page link because on it they give several valuable tips on fully using the bahn.de site that may not be apparently at first encounter.
Go to www.voyages-sncf.com to check fares and see if there are any soi-called PREM fares - deep discounted fares available and you can book these online as many Fodorites do -but as these are i believe not changeble nor refundable be very sure of your time you want to travel. Full fare tickets that can be changed however may cost much much more. For lots on French trains check out www.seat61.com.
Mar 24th, 2011, 08:32 AM
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Put in "Paris Aeroport CDG T2 as your destination station - this is the TGV station in the airport - drop down menu will also give you option of Paris Aeroport CDG T1, T3, etc but TGVs do not serve those CDG terminals (but the VAL automated free people mover does from Terminal 2.
Mar 24th, 2011, 11:17 AM
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Checking bahn.de there should be daily TGVs direct to CDG airport from Avignon-TGV station at 9:18 and 13:41 - taking about 3 hours (vs 4 or more via a change in Paris)
and at 12:10 you can take a TGV to Lyon and change there to a direct TGV to the airport.
See if you can book a PREM discount on these - if not it may be worth it to go via Paris and change as there are many many more TGVs to Paris Gare de Lyon - but then factor in the 10 euro or so fare from there to the airport.
and at 12:10 you can take a TGV to Lyon and change there to a direct TGV to the airport.
See if you can book a PREM discount on these - if not it may be worth it to go via Paris and change as there are many many more TGVs to Paris Gare de Lyon - but then factor in the 10 euro or so fare from there to the airport.
Mar 24th, 2011, 12:48 PM
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Adding to the good advice already provided -- you can also check schedules and purchase tickets on http://www.tgv-europe.com.
Do NOT select USA as your country -- choose Canada or any other English speaking country, or else you will be bumped to RailEurope, which has higher fares.
You can't purchase a ticket on the SNCF or TGV-Europe sites until 3 months prior to the travel date. If your travel date is currently more than 3 months away, you can get a good idea of the schedules and fares now by looking at a similar day of the week in mid-June (since tickets for those dates are currently available for sale).
Do NOT select USA as your country -- choose Canada or any other English speaking country, or else you will be bumped to RailEurope, which has higher fares.
You can't purchase a ticket on the SNCF or TGV-Europe sites until 3 months prior to the travel date. If your travel date is currently more than 3 months away, you can get a good idea of the schedules and fares now by looking at a similar day of the week in mid-June (since tickets for those dates are currently available for sale).
Mar 24th, 2011, 02:52 PM
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ardithl - Is there a difference between fares on www.voyages-sncf.com and www.tgv-europe.com? I assume there may be some nuances different but not being familiar much with it I am asking.
Merci bien.
Merci bien.
Mar 24th, 2011, 04:34 PM
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I have found differences between the two sites: voyages-sncf.com and tgv-europe.com but not price differences and what I have found has been minor differences, those not affecting most tourists.
These two sites do list iDTGV trains, tickets for which are available for sale 4-6 months before any given travel date. iDTGV ticket prices start at 19€ and increase as tickets are sold. One unique aspect about these trains is that tickets must be purchased on line and tickets should be printed by the purchases. The SNCF will now allow you to pickup iDTGV tickets at a boutique or service window but expect to pay a 5€ up-charge per ticket. In addition to the above sites, there is a specific iDTGV website with more information about these trains (I believe it is available in English as well as French):
www.idtgv.com
Don´t wait until 3 months before you need tickets to start looking. You might miss out on a real deal.
These two sites do list iDTGV trains, tickets for which are available for sale 4-6 months before any given travel date. iDTGV ticket prices start at 19€ and increase as tickets are sold. One unique aspect about these trains is that tickets must be purchased on line and tickets should be printed by the purchases. The SNCF will now allow you to pickup iDTGV tickets at a boutique or service window but expect to pay a 5€ up-charge per ticket. In addition to the above sites, there is a specific iDTGV website with more information about these trains (I believe it is available in English as well as French):
www.idtgv.com
Don´t wait until 3 months before you need tickets to start looking. You might miss out on a real deal.
Mar 24th, 2011, 04:45 PM
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I don't know the answer to that question. I have read on TripAdvisor that there is no difference in fares between those two sites. The layout of the sites appears the same. The advantage to TGV-Europe is its English language option (which SNCF does not have).
I've spent the last year trying to learn French, so I can read fairly fluently and have only used the voyages-sncf site. (I just assumed that there would be no cheaper option than the Prems tickets I purchased on the SNCF site the moment they went on sale.)
Someone recently posted on TA that they had experienced an hour or so delay seeing Prems fares on TGV-Europe on the first day that tickets were available (3 months before travel); I have purchased all my Prems tickets at the stroke of midnight on the SNCF site. (Luckily, that's 2:00 p.m. for me.) So possibly there is a lag with TGV-Europe, or perhaps there can be a delay on both sites.
Je vous en prie.
I've spent the last year trying to learn French, so I can read fairly fluently and have only used the voyages-sncf site. (I just assumed that there would be no cheaper option than the Prems tickets I purchased on the SNCF site the moment they went on sale.)
Someone recently posted on TA that they had experienced an hour or so delay seeing Prems fares on TGV-Europe on the first day that tickets were available (3 months before travel); I have purchased all my Prems tickets at the stroke of midnight on the SNCF site. (Luckily, that's 2:00 p.m. for me.) So possibly there is a lag with TGV-Europe, or perhaps there can be a delay on both sites.
Je vous en prie.
Mar 24th, 2011, 05:28 PM
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ardithl is correct that iDTGVs are not available to all destinations. However, about one year ago there were no iDTGVs to/from CDG and now there are a good number. iDTGV trains are being added constantly so one must look to be certain that a recent change has not added he destination.
Further, ardithl has an excellent strategy for being first to buy PREMs when they become available. However, the SNCF does provide a free service that will contact you by SMS or email as soon as PREMs are available for destinations which interest you. Called <i>Alerte Résa</i>, filling out a simple form is all that is necessary to receive notification (and yes the form is in French):
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/weblogic...0R%25C3%25A9sa
Further, ardithl has an excellent strategy for being first to buy PREMs when they become available. However, the SNCF does provide a free service that will contact you by SMS or email as soon as PREMs are available for destinations which interest you. Called <i>Alerte Résa</i>, filling out a simple form is all that is necessary to receive notification (and yes the form is in French):
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/weblogic...0R%25C3%25A9sa
Mar 24th, 2011, 07:42 PM
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The Alerte Résa service is great. My alerts always arrived several hours before the magic hour (except for one that arrived a whole day early).
A few other purchasing tips:
Before I bought my first tickets, I set up an account on the SNCF site (travelers' names and birthdates, and favorite routes) which simplified the purchasing process.
Even though I had a travel notification on my credit card, and had already made other French purchases (hotel deposits, etc.), Capital One sent me a fraud e-mail immediately after my first SNCF ticket purchase (which was only 50 Euros). But that transaction did go through, and all my other purchases after that went through with no problem.
A few other purchasing tips:
Before I bought my first tickets, I set up an account on the SNCF site (travelers' names and birthdates, and favorite routes) which simplified the purchasing process.
Even though I had a travel notification on my credit card, and had already made other French purchases (hotel deposits, etc.), Capital One sent me a fraud e-mail immediately after my first SNCF ticket purchase (which was only 50 Euros). But that transaction did go through, and all my other purchases after that went through with no problem.
Mar 25th, 2011, 04:31 AM
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These responses have been wonderfully detailed and interesting.
Alas, they've further confirmed that our days of traveling in this manner are in the past. In our 80's now, we need things to be much more simple (we don't even use the computer much). We've switched from car rental and trains and such to taking cruises or tours where we don't need to think much about logistics or how our luggage will get from place to place.
We've got a cruise ending in Monte Carlo, and we'dv'e loved to be able to get to Avignon to meet up with a tour group of Provence there-- and then make our way up to CDG.
Anyway, thanks to all for ringing in. Ah, yesteryear!
Alas, they've further confirmed that our days of traveling in this manner are in the past. In our 80's now, we need things to be much more simple (we don't even use the computer much). We've switched from car rental and trains and such to taking cruises or tours where we don't need to think much about logistics or how our luggage will get from place to place.
We've got a cruise ending in Monte Carlo, and we'dv'e loved to be able to get to Avignon to meet up with a tour group of Provence there-- and then make our way up to CDG.
Anyway, thanks to all for ringing in. Ah, yesteryear!
Mar 25th, 2011, 08:27 AM
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Sarastro and ardithl - merci enormement!
And one more question that I could find on sites I guess but am lazy - I think you can buy first-class PREM fares on both voyages-sncf.com and tgv-europe.com but on idTGV.com are these seats only 2nd class as I guess because they are aimed at a rock bottom audience- and yes 19 euros is an incredible bargain. Thanks for taking all the time to explain this all to me and others.
And one more question that I could find on sites I guess but am lazy - I think you can buy first-class PREM fares on both voyages-sncf.com and tgv-europe.com but on idTGV.com are these seats only 2nd class as I guess because they are aimed at a rock bottom audience- and yes 19 euros is an incredible bargain. Thanks for taking all the time to explain this all to me and others.
Mar 25th, 2011, 08:27 AM
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Sarastro and ardithl - merci enormement!
And one more question that I could find on sites I guess but am lazy - I think you can buy first-class PREM fares on both voyages-sncf.com and tgv-europe.com but on idTGV.com are these seats only 2nd class as I guess because they are aimed at a rock bottom audience- and yes 19 euros is an incredible bargain. Thanks for taking all the time to explain this all to me and others.
And one more question that I could find on sites I guess but am lazy - I think you can buy first-class PREM fares on both voyages-sncf.com and tgv-europe.com but on idTGV.com are these seats only 2nd class as I guess because they are aimed at a rock bottom audience- and yes 19 euros is an incredible bargain. Thanks for taking all the time to explain this all to me and others.
Mar 25th, 2011, 08:56 AM
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IdTGV is just certain cars on TGV trains with this supposd ambience gimmick. I like the quiet cars but they allow children in them which wasn't my idea of quiet in one particular case with a screaming kid.
IN any case, they do sell 1st and 2nd class idTGV tickets, so maybe they just don't have any on that particular train you looked at. I had a first class one once, I think Paris to Montpellier.
IN any case, they do sell 1st and 2nd class idTGV tickets, so maybe they just don't have any on that particular train you looked at. I had a first class one once, I think Paris to Montpellier.
