Where to pick up car - Nimes, Avignon, Montpellier
 

Advise from all you experienced travellers please? We shall be travelling by TGV from Paris to Provence/Luberon first week of May. Plan is to pick up a car in one of the above mentioned places and drive around the area for 6 days. Although I have driven in France two years ago am not that confident in towns and would like to hear from you which is the "easiest" to drive out after we picked up the car - hopefully close to a TGV station. Previously we picked up a car in Carcassonne and dropped it in Poitiers and that was quite OK.

Thanks for your help!Helen

If you're planning on visiting the Luberon, I would suggest that you take the TGV to AVignon. The TGV station outside of town has all the rental companies based in the parking lot on the south side of the station. Easy to get out of to head in whichever direction you like... Nimes or the Luberon.

Nimes and Montpellier aren't actually part of Provence... but worth the visit.

Patricia

As Patricia advised, Avignon would probably be more convenient for you, plus all the rental car companies are in the TGV station which has easy access out of town.
The Nimes TGV station does have an Avis right in the station, however it is a little dicey getting in and out of the parking structure.
JoeG

Yes if you dont want to drive in town then Avignon TGV station is perfect. Patricia look out about drawing borders for Provence. That is hotly contested here in France and many will tell you that Nimes is part of Provence... .others will say it is not. However, I have never heard someone include Montpellier. It is firmly part of Languedoc :)

HI Helen,

I just did this last week. We took the TGV to Avignon and picked the car up at the station, which is a couple kilometers outside of town. It was easy to get out and there are good roads in all directions from here.

Driving was easy and the roads are very well signed. You'll do fine. Have fun!

Patti

You could also take the TGV to Aix; the new station is located well outside the town and is convenient for the autoroute or other main roads.

Thanks for the wonderful response! I knew I could rely on you. It will be Avignon then!

I apologise if I upset anybody by mentioning Montpellier with Luberon and Provence. I Know that Montpellier is in Languedoc but considered spending some hours there because of the praise it received on this board!

Thanks again! We'll be leaving in 5 weeks time and I cannot wait!

MorganB,

Since I live in the "heart of Provence"..Les Baux/Maussane-les-Alpilles, we're pretty firm about the borders....LOL Around here, Nimes hasn't made it into Provence quite yet....

Patricia

Patricia,

Wow I am jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a wonderful place to live. I live in Paris where the sky is grey and rainy and of course we have the Parisians ewww. I try to head down to that area as much as possible. I'll trade :)

I have friends from Nimes and they try to slide on into Provence :) I consider Nimes in the grey area heh.

MorganB,

I also lived in Paris.... I remember the year (1981 I think it was) that we were wearing coats at the end of August because it was illegal to turn the heat on in the apartment building. But aside from that, I enjoyed living there - prefer where I am now, of course !

Nimes does have all those Roman ruins - and a great brocante on Monday mornings, so it can be forgiven for trying to scoot over...

Patricia

Hi

Not the first time I've caught people trying to sneak into Languedoc from Provence !

Peter
The Languedoc Page
http://tlp.netfirms.com