Planning a Trip

Getting There

The fastest and easiest way to get here is to fly from Paris's Orly Airport to Aéroport Avignon-Caumont (tel. 04-90-81-51-51), 8km (5 miles) southeast of Avignon (trip time: 1 hr.). Taxis from the airport to the center cost 21€ ($27). Call tel. 04-90-82-20-20. From Paris, TGV trains from Gare de Lyon take 3 hours and 30 minutes. The one-way fare is 94€ ($122). Trains arrive frequently from Marseille (70 min.; 23€/$30) and from Arles (20 min.; 6€/$7.80). For train information, call tel. 36-35, or visit www.voyages-sncf.com.

The bus station in Avignon is Gare Routière, 5 av. Monclar (tel. 04-90-82-07-35). The main routes connect to Arles (trip time: 1 1/2 hr.), costing 7.10€ ($9.25), and Marseille (trip time: 2 hr.), costing 18€ ($23).

If you're driving from Paris, take A6 south to Lyon, then A7 south to Avignon. To explore the area by bike, go to Provence Bike, 52 bd. St-Roch (tel. 04-90-27-92-61; www.provence-bike.com), which rents all sorts of bikes, including 10-speed road bikes and mountain bikes, for around 9€ to 25€ ($12-$33) per day. A deposit of 150€ to 450€ ($195-$585), in cash or a credit card imprint, is required.

Visitor Information

The Office de Tourisme is at 41 cours Jean-Jaurès (tel. 04-32-74-32-74; fax 04-90-82-95-03; www.ot-avignon.fr).

Special Events

The biggest celebration is the Festival d'Avignon, held July 6 to 27. The international festival focuses on avant-garde theater, dance, and music. Part of the fun is the nightly revelry in the streets. Tickets cost 10€ to 35€ ($13-$46). Prices for rooms and meals skyrocket, so make reservations far in advance. For information, contact the Bureaux du Festival, Espace Saint-Louis, 20 rue du Portail Boquier, 84000 Avignon (tel. 04-90-27-66-50; www.festival-avignon.com).