My husband and I will be in Nice in June. We are not planning on renting a car. Will we be able to travel to Isle Sur La Sorgue by train or bus? I really want to attend the market on Sunday. Would appreciate any help!

I haven't been yet, but also will be carless in Provence this summer and have spent hours researching transportation options via bus and train. I found that Avignon appears to be the transfer point for either way to get to Isle sur la Sorgue- train and bus- hopefully somebody else will post and tell you if there is another place. It sounds like it gets incredibly crowded and to get there early. If you have to take the train from Nice to Marseilles to make the transfer north that is going to take awhile? How long do you have in Nice? Do you have the option of staying overnight Saturday in Avignon or Isle-sur-la-Sorgue itself? If it turns out that it's just too far, there is a Website that lists every town and market day and you are guaranteed to get to one- somewhere!

Thanks... We are staying 9 nights in Nice. I am determined to get to Isle Sur la Sorgue. May be getting up very early... Probably can't stay the night because we have already paid for Nice... Thanks for the info. What train sites have you been using? Do you think I can get from Avignon to Isle Sur La Sorgue by bus on Sun. am.?

cindy-lucky you-9 days in Nice! I also have wanted to go to the market in Isle Sur La Sorgue. I can't find transportation either. I'm not so good at driving in traffic or I would rent a car. Although then you have a problem with parking.

I don't drive so one year alone in Provence I stayed in Villeneauve-lez-Avignon and took the train to Isle Sur-La-Sorgue. There's wonderful restaurant by the station. "Jardin du Quai."

If day tripping from Nice i think it could be 4 hours or so each way or more, depending on connecting trains.

The TGV trains Nice-Avignon only halt at Avignon-TGV station, then you shuttle into town a few miles and then take train from there, etc.

Just so you don't think an easy short jaunt, if i understand where Nice and Sorgue is.

I would really rethink your plans as Nice to Isle Sur la Sorgue is quite a ways for a daytrip and you would be spending hrs. in a train.

We spent 4 nights in Isle Sur la Sorgue in June 2006. It gets extremely crowded on Sunday market day and the public parking lots fill very early. Our hotel (les Nevons) had parking accommodations for our car and we could just walk to the market 2 blocks away.

We enjoyed the Sunday marketin Isle sur la S.--it is big with lots of very expensive antiques but maybe you might want to think about going to the market in Aix in Provence instead as it is much closer to Nice. We stopped through Aix in 2003, coming from Ville Franche sur Mer, near Nice. We only got in on the end of the market, but it looked like it was a good one. Aix isn't that far from Nice.

Nice is really far from there. You will have to get up really early to be there early. Have you thought of just renting a car for the day? We had a car in Nice and our entire South of France trip and the driving was super easy. We loved having a car in Nice so we could go to Eze easily and explore the little beaches along the shore.

If you can cancel any of your hotel, I would do it. Nine days in Nice is really a lot. Maybe you should break up the trip a bit?

Renting a car for 1/day will be expensive. While the train is an option, do check to see how early a train leaves Nice for Avignon; then the local to Isle SLS. Regardless, it's going to be an early start, long day. The market technically closes by 12N. Is it really worth it? We didn't think so and we had a car, arrived early, got good parking.

Hi
I would think that Nice to I/Sorgue by train will be 9-10 hours. Even by car it will be around 6 hours plus there and back.
Rgds Wilko

I'm assuming that you're interested in the antiques market on Sunday in l'Isle ?
the food market part ends aruond 1PM, but the antiques market (brocante)goes all day.

That said... you're looking at a really long journey ! I know of no buses that make that trip, and the train will take you at least four hours one way (train to Avignon TGV - shuttle to main train station - train to l'Isle).

There is a great antiques market in Nice on Monday or Tuesday (can't remember which at the moment) in the Cours Saleya. Perhaps that would suffice ?

Patricia

it's on Mondays, the rest of the week it's flowers.
On Saturdays at place du Palais-de-JUstice is an antioque book market.