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€. 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 78€. Trains arrive frequently from Marseille (70 min.; 23€) and from Arles (20 min.; 6€). 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€, and Marseille (trip time: 2 hr.), costing 18€.

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 12€ to 25€ per day. A deposit of 150€ to 450€, 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 July 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 5€ to 40€. 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).