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Avignon without a car

Cameron

500+ Posts
Hi,

Before I join @Kathy's Luberon Walking Week in September, I'm spending four days in Avignon, on my own. While I've driven in France, for only four days, I don't want to bother with a car and parking. My apartment is in the old part, a few blocks from Place de l'Horage, on rue Bancasse, a pedestrian street.

After the Luberon Week, I'll train to Nimes for two days, to meet up with @Parigi. Then, we train to Paris for the rest of my stay. I'll see Nimes again (have been before), so I don't want to day trip there.

I'm thinking about a lunch boat trip to Arles, that docks for two hours. Has anyone done this, and if so, who do you recommend? I found this Arles Cruise, but know nothing about the company. What do you think? (I've been to Arles, at least twice)

This light show will be showing at night in Avignon. Since the Van Gogh show is not only playing in Les Baux, but also Paris, I'll wait to see it in Paris. So, I'm ruling out taking the bus to Les Baux.

So -- I'm looking for walking tours of Avignon, as well as restaurants, gardens, and other sights that easily reached by foot, train or bus.

I'm renting an apartment through AirBnB, and they have some short experiences listed, but I've never used one of their services. Any feedback on the resource? They have a daytime and a nighttime walking tour.


Thanks!
 
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Hi,

Before I join @Kathy's Luberon Walking Week in September, I'm spending four days in Avignon, on my own. While I've driven in France, for only four days, I don't want to bother with a car and parking. My apartment is in the old part, a few blocks from Place de l'Horage, on rue Bancasse, a pedestrian street.

After the Luberon Week, I'll train to Nimes for two days, to meet up with @Parigi. Then, we train to Paris for the rest of my stay. I'll see Nimes again (have been before), so I don't want to day trip there.

I'm thinking about a lunch boat trip to Arles, that docks for two hours. Has anyone done this, and if so, who do you recommend? I found this Arles Cruise, but know nothing about the company. What do you think? (I've been to Arles, at least twice)

This light show will be showing at night in Avignon. Since the Van Gogh show is not only playing in Les Baux, but also Paris, I'll wait to see it in Paris. So, I'm ruling out taking the bus to Les Baux.

So -- I'm looking for walking tours of Avignon, as well as restaurants, gardens, and other sights that easily reached by foot, train or bus.

I'm renting an apartment through AirBnB, and they have some short experiences listed, but I've never used one of their services. Any feedback on the resource? They have a daytime and a nighttime walking tour.


Thanks!

I took this gourmet walking tour when I was in Avignon a couple of years ago. It was super fun, and Aurelie is a wonderful guide! I see they now offer a full day tour -- gourmet walking tour of Avignon coupled with a wine tasting tour in Chateauneuf-du-Pape -- which sounds fabulous.


Sharon
 
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took this gourmet walking tour when I was in Avignon a couple of years ago. It was super fun, and Aurelie is a wonderful guide! I see they now offer a full day tour -- gourmet walking tour of Avignon coupled with a wine tasting tour in Chateauneuf-du-Pape -- which sounds fabulous.

This sounds perfect! I’ll send an email.

Thanks

It's great! The inclusion of Nina Simone in the soundtrack was alone worth the price of admission.

Great! Thanks!
 
Cameron,

You haven't asked for restaurant recommendations, but Amy turned me on to La Fourchette


last time I was in Avignon... run by the family as the legendary Hiely, where I ate on my first trip in the 70s. Don't miss it, and I would say no problems with eating there on your own.

I have spent afternoons wandering Avignon by myself on at least 2 trips there, and would think there is plenty to do with your 3 days. You've probably seen the Palais des Papes, if not... there's one morning or afternoon down.

If you'll be there on a weekend, there is a flower market on Saturdays, and a flea market on Sundays.

I also liked going across the river to the Abbey St Andre gardens:

You travel more often than I do, so this may be old news to you, but it's a nice city, have a great visit!

Karen
 
I never stay long in Avignon although I use it as a hub on my way to Arles and elsewhere.
So all my recommendations are on Arles.

Arlse is a food town, from its overwhelming market to its range of restaurants from starred temples to street food.

Of its two starred temples, we love Chastagnette. It has a good-value lunch.

On the other budget-spectrum, we love Apsara, a little Vietnamese place for its Bo Bun, especially on a heat-wave day when we can eat nothing else. I believe you are trying to be a vegetarian. This Bo Bun is veg heaven. Unless you ask them to add a couple of their home-made insanely delicious nem in the midst.

There is also a wonderful traiteur Maison Génin (unrelated to the Paris Génin). Among my favorite dishes there are ratatouille (veg !) and taboulé (veg !), again, great heat-wave food.
It is nice to get a picnic lunch there then eat it in the Roman Theater (Théâtre Antique).

As for Arles's many Roman ruins, our favorites are actually the rarely visited :
- the Cryptoportique whose underground grandiosity can't be guessed at. Those Romans, man, they were bulders.
- Also the otherworldly Alyscamps, right outside the small town. But Arles is the kind of town that takes abut 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other. The "edge of town" is never far.

I love to have a bombay tonic at the low-key but chic-issimo hotel Nord Pinus (which a slowtraveler felicitously called North Penis, not outside on the terrace on Place du Forum, but inside in the bar with beautiful black&white photos and flow-y jazz.
The lovely owner Christina once on a whim showed us her suites, including the one where the matadors appeared on Feria to salute the crowd, and where Charlotte Rampling posed nude for Helmut Newton.
 
I never stay long in Avignon although I use it as a hub on my way to Arles and elsewhere.
So all my recommendations are on Arles.

Arlse is a food town, from its overwhelming market to its range of restaurants from starred temples to street food.

Of its two starred temples, we love Chastagnette. It has a good-value lunch.

On the other budget-spectrum, we love Apsara, a little Vietnamese place for its Bo Bun, especially on a heat-wave day when we can eat nothing else. I believe you are trying to be a vegetarian. This Bo Bun is veg heaven. Unless you ask them to add a couple of their home-made insanely delicious nem in the midst.

There is also a wonderful traiteur Maison Génin (unrelated to the Paris Génin). Among my favorite dishes there are ratatouille (veg !) and taboulé (veg !), again, great heat-wave food.
It is nice to get a picnic lunch there then eat it in the Roman Theater (Théâtre Antique).

As for Arles's many Roman ruins, our favorites are actually the rarely visited :
- the Cryptoportique whose underground grandiosity can't be guessed at. Those Romans, man, they were bulders.
- Also the otherworldly Alyscamps, right outside the small town. But Arles is the kind of town that takes abut 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other. The "edge of town" is never far.

I love to have a bombay tonic at the low-key but chic-issimo hotel Nord Pinus (which a slowtraveler felicitously called North Penis, not outside on the terrace on Place du Forum, but inside in the bar with beautiful black&white photos and flow-y jazz.
The lovely owner Christina once on a whim showed us her suites, including the one where the matadors appeared on Feria to salute the crowd, and where Charlotte Rampling posed nude for Helmut Newton.
@Parigi is Maison Génin a butcher shop? That’s what I’m finding. Here in Arles.
 
Reporting back after four solo days in Avignon.

I took the TGV from CDG airport, right after arriving. It was a tight connection, only because another plane was late leaving our arrival gate. However, I made the train twenty minutes before departure. I had carry-on luggage, so if I'd checked a bag, I probably would have missed the connection.

My apartment in Avignon was great, and turns out, was on Slow Travel years ago, and since my renting his apartment, I think he's back here on Slow Europe. I've written a review for the Juliette Balcony apartment on AirBnB and will write one for Slow Europe. It was the BEST apartment that I've ever rented! Seriously! I would have enjoyed a few more days there, as I was so comfortable.

I took the local train to Arles one day. Easy peasy.

I took a bus across the bridge to see the sights in Villeneuve. Very easy. The Tourist Information Office in Avignon is one of the most helpful that I've encountered, and they gave me great instructions of how to see the sights across the bridge. Well worth going over, BTW.

I took the local connector train back to the TGV to meet up with @Kathy for the European Experiences tour. A week later, I took it back to Avignon Central, and caught my train to meet up with @Parigi in Nîmes.

As for Avignon -- I thoroughly enjoyed it! The covered market was superb. The neighborhood was perfect -- in one direction, there was the tourist area, a block back, and it was quiet and family-oriented. Perfect for me. Since I'd only been there on day-trips, I found using it as a base to be great for me.

A few photos:

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