Train Travel

The Marseille-St-Charles station—serving all parts of France, including Paris, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux—is at the northern end of Marseille’s city center. Regional trains to Aix-en-Provence (40 mins), Arles (1 hr), Nîmes (1 hr 20 mins), Avignon (1 hr 10 mins), and other destinations run from there as well. Avignon itself is a major rail crossroads and a springboard for the Vaucluse. From Paris, you can make it to Avignon in 2 hours 40 minutes aboard daily high-speed trains on the TGV Méditerranée line; these pull into a dedicated station a few miles southwest of the city. TGVs then connect with Nîmes (18 mins), Marseille (35 mins), and Nice (3 hrs). Many other locales within Provence can be reached by rail from Gare Avignon Centre, including Arles (20 mins) and Aix-en-Provence (100 mins with two connections).