Public transportation in the Luberon

[Pauline]

A friend of mine was asking me about public transportation in the Luberon and I don't have the answer. We have always had a car when we visited the area. She is thinking of staying at Kevin Widrow's B&B Le Mas Perreals, which is walking distance of Saint Saturnin-Les-Apt.

Where are the main train stations for this area? Is there bus service between the Luberon towns and into Apt?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Chris]

I've always had a car when visiting the Luberon too, and I don't remember ever seeing buses. The main train stations are Aix and Avignon. The driving is very easy though -- small roads, very little traffic.

I do remember seeing this question on other travel forums, and the answer has always been that you need a car.

 

[Marta]

There are very few lines especially in the Luberon area. I have found the bus schedules at this site. Lignes Interurbaines are the public schedules (horaires). I see one that goes from Sault to Apt. If you check the schedule, you'll see why public transportation is difficult to use. The bus leaves early in the AM only and then returns are in the afternoon. Once in Apt, there are other options but it may be difficult to make the connect. If you really want to visit, a car is really needed and as Chris said, it is easy to drive in the area - especially the country side.

 

[Kathy]

There are more buses in the Luberon than before. I think bus service was expanded a bit due to the economy, but the focus is really on getting students to schools or local people to appointments in the bigger towns... not shuttling tourists around between the small villages.

I've done some research on this because we've had some people interested in staying in our Bonnieux apartment without a car. It can be done, but you're limited in where you can go and when. This is the website I've used for looking at bus schedules: http://www.vaucluse.fr/2826-lignes-et-horaires-du-reseau-transvaucluse.htm. There's also this site where you can check out some options: http://paca.tsi.cityway.fr/ri/?rub_code=4&noscript=0

I'm sure Kevin could give your friend info on what's possible using public transportation from St. Saturnin-les-Apt. (But just for example, I could not easily get from Bonnieux over there by bus... it would take several hours because I'd have to change and wait in Apt... but it's only 25 minutes to drive. I couldn't easily get from Bonnieux to Roussillon or Gordes either. I could go to Apt, Cavaillon, or Aix... and points on those routes, but only at a few times of day.)

The hiking is excellent and your friend could potentially walk to a few small villages within a few miles of Kevin's place... or there are bikes for rent as another alternative.

It's also important to understand where some of the bus stops actually are. Many of the bus stops have been recently fixed up, I think as part of economic stimulus programs. For example, there's a big new Bonnieux bus stop at the Pont Julien (on the D900), but you would have several miles to walk uphill to actually get to the village of Bonnieux. There's a shelter and places for people to leave a car at that stop if, say, they are going to Avignon for the day. We have two other bus stops up in Bonnieux and one also several miles away near the Gare de Bonnieux (where there is no longer a train station).

Local taxis would be another possibility, which have to be pre-booked. These are fairly expensive but could be booked for trips that aren't possible by bus or at other times. We do book our Bonnieux taxi on a regular basis to get people to/from the Avignon TGV station or the Marseille airport.

If your friend wants to really see a lot of the area and make the best use of their time, I'd definitely recommend a car.

 

[Parigi]

Public transport exists, but it defeats the purpose when the infrequency becomes excessive. Some of the Luberon villages are reached by bus once or twice a day.
I have never attempted them, and in reality have only seen school buses. I guess I missed their rare daily or weekly appearance.

 

[Pauline]

If she was going by train, is the closest station Avignon?

 

[Chris]

Google says 60 km from Avignon TGV and 98 from Aix TGV to Saint Saturnin les Apt.

 

[Pauline]

Thanks. So there is no train line into the Luberon, to Apt?

 

[Chris]

I don't think so. Kathy will probably know for sure.

 

[Kathy]

There's no train line to Apt, hasn't been for a long time. The TGV comes to Avignon (outside Avignon actually) and there are local train lines in Avignon, Cavaillon, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

You can also fly into Marseille, take a shuttle to Vitrolles and from there take a train to Avignon or Cavaillon.

The old rail bed down the Calavon valley (north of the Luberon mountain) is now a very nice bike path. And there's an SNCF office at the old train station in Apt where you can buy tickets, but no train!

 

[Parigi]

There is not even a train station in Apt.