Marseille to Avignon - what am I missing

[KirkNC]

We will be in Marseille next summer and would like to go to Avignon. We are experienced independent minded cruisers so I do the research and the route most DIY take for this trip is as follows:

 

Cab to train station - 40E (going and coming back)

Train to Avignon TGV - 156E :eek: (This price is straight off the SNCF website for the three of us on the 8:44 train)

Bus from TGV to Central train station - 10E (the routes to the central station direct do not work, they leave later and take around 1.5 hours)

 

Given our ship sailing at 5:00 we would end up with only about 4 hours on the ground in Avignon. For a total cost of 206E I guess I need to wait and see what the cruise line offers. I will also look at a car. I really don't understand the train cost as we are used to the cheap trains in Italy. Am I missing something?

[hubofhockey]

We will be in Marseille next summer and would like to go to Avignon. We are experienced independent minded cruisers so I do the research and the route most DIY take for this trip is as follows:

 

Cab to train station - 40E (going and coming back)

Train to Avignon TGV - 156E :eek: (This price is straight off the SNCF website for the three of us on the 8:44 train)

Bus from TGV to Central train station - 10E (the routes to the central station direct do not work, they leave later and take around 1.5 hours)

 

Given our ship sailing at 5:00 we would end up with only about 4 hours on the ground in Avignon. For a total cost of 206E I guess I need to wait and see what the cruise line offers. I will also look at a car. I really don't understand the train cost as we are used to the cheap trains in Italy. Am I missing something?

 

I think many reached the same conclusion (use cruise line for transportation from Marseille) on our cruise last summer. I believe the cruise lines were charging $50 to $70 for Aix, Avignon, or Arles on your own. From a logistics point, it made sense to them. If you are just going to Avignon, it may make sense to do that rather than go through all of logistics involved with renting a car, just to park it in Avignon for the day (getting to rental agency, waiting, parking, filling it with gas, returning the rental, getting back to cruise terminal).

 

If you wanted to see more than just Avignon and combine it with Arles, Aix, Pont du Gard or Les Baux, then the car rental might make more sense. I would highly recommend Les Baux as a must see destination from Marseille.

[TLCOhio]

We will be in Marseille next summer and would like to go to Avignon. We are experienced independent minded cruisers so I do the research and the route most DIY take for this trip is as follows:

Cab to train station - 40E (going and coming back)

Train to Avignon TGV - 156E (This price is straight off the SNCF website for the three of us on the 8:44 train)

Bus from TGV to Central train station - 10E (the routes to the central station direct do not work, they leave later and take around 1.5 hours)

Given our ship sailing at 5:00 we would end up with only about 4 hours on the ground in Avignon. For a total cost of 206E I guess I need to wait and see what the cruise line offers. I will also look at a car. I really don't understand the train cost as we are used to the cheap trains in Italy. Am I missing something?

 

Unfortunately, things in Europe are not as "cheap" as they used to be. Labor costs, taxes, etc., have driven those prices up and UP!! Avignon is super wonderful. Agree with hubofhockey that Les Baux is very unique, scenic and historic. Lots of super options in Provence. Can't do it "ALL" in only one port day from the coast. Just a question for which you want to sample. There are pluses in having a car. See what the ship offers for their tours. Below are a few samples of my photos from visiting there in the past. Love Provence!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 97,492 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here are two views in Avignon in connection with the Papal Palace that is the most historic part of this central town in Provence. Considered one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe, the palais des Papes has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Palais construction began in AD 1252 and became the residence of the Popes in 1309, when Pope Clement V faced the violent chaos in Rome. This started a period known as the Avignon Papacy. The site, on the northern edge of Avignon, overlooks the Rhône. Under three Popes, the building was expanded to form what is now known as the Palais Neuf. The interiors were decorated with frescos, tapestries, paintings, sculptures and wooden ceilings during the peak periods. The popes departed Avignon in 1377 to Rome, prompting the Papal Schism during which two different "antipopes" made Avignon their home until 1403. Not simple history here!:

 

 

 

 

In the heart of Provence, this is the famed Roman-built Pont du Gard. It's an amazing engineering accomplishment:

 

 

 

Here’s a sampling of the fun at a market day in Provence:

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are walking in Nimes towards its Roman arena. There are nearby historic temple and aqueduct structures that are among the best-preserved in all of the former empire. Cars are banished from the compact old city dotted with other ruins, enhancing the feel of yesteryear. The Maison Carre is an almost impossibly pristine Roman temple in Nimes.:

 

[Hlitner]

You (OP) have done your homework and even figured out that the Avignon TVG station is remote from town and the central station. Although we generally recommend avoiding cruise line excursions, it is possible that Avignon can be one of the exceptions (to my rule) if the cruise line offers a good price on excursions to that city. Getting to other places like Aix or even Arles is somewhat cheaper on your own. You also need to be cognizant that if you use the TGV to get to Avignon you must have seat reservations for that train (always wise to book ahead). By the way, the problem with the Central Station routes is that the tracks that go to the Central station cannot handle the TGV trains. So the SNCF built a special train station (it is very attractive) for just the high speed trains. So now, the only trains that go to the Central Station (within short walking distance to the old city) are the slower regional trains.

 

We have a related tale about the TGV station where we got a rude awakening of the problems with USA credit cards. Three years ago, when we were renting an apartment in nearby St Remy, we drove over to the Avignon TGV station to pick-up some friends arriving from Paris. When we went to leave the large parking lot we could not get out because the electronic vending machine (at the gate) would not accept any credit card without the EMV Chip/PIN system (used by the entire world except in the US). This caused us a lot of grief and a major traffic jam at the lot exit as cars backed-up behind us (we could not go forward or backwards to escape). The scene would have made a great Monty Python movie.

 

Hank

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the replies. It is still too early for the cruise line excursion to show up for our cruise so I will wait on them. I am also looking at an independent tour where they will take 8 for 555E to Avignon, Les Baux and one other town whose name escapes me at the moment. At 70E pp. that might be another option.

One of my concerns with the DIY option is with so many different pieces to the trip, the likelihood that something goes wrong increases.

Hank, love you story on the parking lot. I am surprised someone did not just pay for you.

Our story about credit cards was in Paris at the train station to go to Versailles. It was early Sunday so the manned ticket booths were not open and we did not have enough euro coins to buy tickets. We ended up finding a bakery and each bought something using a 20 euro bill and asked for coins (1E or 2E) for change.

[hubofhockey]

Thanks for the replies. It is still too early for the cruise line excursion to show up for our cruise so I will wait on them. I am also looking at an independent tour where they will take 8 for 555E to Avignon, Les Baux and one other town whose name escapes me at the moment. At 70E pp. that might be another option.

 

One of my concerns with the DIY option is with so many different pieces to the trip, the likelihood that something goes wrong increases.

 

Hank, love you story on the parking lot. I am surprised someone did not just pay for you.

 

Our story about credit cards was in Paris at the train station to go to Versailles. It was early Sunday so the manned ticket booths were not open and we did not have enough euro coins to buy tickets. We ended up finding a bakery and each bought something using a 20 euro bill and asked for coins (1E or 2E) for change.

 

You can read my review of our tour with Provence Reservation on another page. We combined Arles, Les Baux, and the Pont du Gard. You could probably replace Arles with Avignon. We enjoyed Arles. It is a Roman city with well preserved ruins including the arena, which is a 20,000 downsized version of the Colisseum. However, it is still in use and well preserved. The Roman parts of Provence, including the Pont du Gard and Arles are much better preserved than Roman ruins in Rome. Arles also has the Van Gogh impact. It is worth it to get out into Provence and see different places, either in a car or doing a private tour.

 

Marseille is an underrated port. Too many people from the cruise ships don't look to Marseille as a great jumping point for Provence. As our tour guide told us, nobody will really tell you that they like Marseille except for the people who live there and they are all liars. :D She said it jokingly. But she was also surprised that so many on cruise ships don't get out to see Provence.

[Hlitner]

Kirk, Have you considered just renting a car in Marseille and driving yourselves to Avignon? It would take you about 1:20 each way and there are lots of parking areas just outside the walls at Avignon (you just drive around the outside of the walls until you find a spot). A GPS makes it a little easier but its not a difficult route. You can get a small rental car for probably about 65 Euros (assuming you can drive a stick) which and you would probably use about $25-$30 of gas (diesel is always better in Europe). Of course the biggest hassle is you still need to use a taxi (or shuttle) to get from the port into Marseille to pick-up a car.

 

Hank