FRANCE - Best of Europe 2014 - page 450

To get to the city center, take the navette/ shuttle bus (marked Navette / Avignon Centre;
€1.20, buy ticket from driver, 3/hour, 15 minutes). To find the bus stop, leave the station by
the north exit (sortie nord) , walk down the stairs, and find the long bus shelter to the left.
In downtown Avignon, you'll arrive at a stop just inside the city walls, in front of the post
office on Cours Président Kennedy (see map on here ) . From here you're three blocks from
thecity'smainTIandtwoblocksfromtheCentre-Villetrainstation.A taxi ridebetweenthe
TGVStationanddowntownAvignoncostsabout€20(tofindtaxis,exittheTGVStationvia
sortie nord ).
To pick up a rental car at the TGV Station, walk out the south exit (sortie sud) to find
the location de voitures in the parking lot. If you're driving directly to Arles, leave the sta-
tion, following signs to Avignon Sud , then La Rocade . You'll soon see exits to Arles.
If you're heading from the Avignon TGV Station to the Arles train station, catch the
direct SNCF bus from the TGV Station's bus stop (10/day, 1 hour, €7, schedule posted on
the shelter and available at any information booth inside the TGV Station).
Centre-Ville Station (Gare Avignon Centre-Ville): All non-TGV trains (and a few
TGV trains) serve the central station. You can stash your bags here—exit the station to the
left and look for the consignes sign (confirm closing time when you leave your bag). To
reach the town center, cross the busy street in front of the station and walk through the city
walls onto Cours Jean Jaurès. The TI is three blocks down, at #41.
By Bus
The dingy bus station (gare routière) is 100 yards to the right as you leave the Centre-Ville
train station, beyond and below Hôtel Ibis (info desk open Mon-Sat 8:00-19:30, closed Sun,
tel. [phone], staff speaks a little English).
By Car
Drivers entering Avignon follow Centre-Ville and Gare SNCF (train station) signs. You'll
findcentralpaylots(about€10/half-day,€15/day)inthegaragenexttotheCentre-Villetrain
station,attheParkingJeanJaurèsundertherampartsacrossfromthestation.Twolesspricey
options are the Parking Les Halles in the center of town, on Place Pie (“pee”), and the Park-
ing Palais des Papes. Hotels have advice for smart overnight parking, and some offer small
discounts in the municipal parking garages.
Free or Cheap Parking: Two free lots have complimentary shuttle buses to the center
except on Sunday (follow P Gratuit signs): One is just across Daladier Bridge (Pont Daladi-
er) on Ile de la Barthelasse, with shuttles to Place Crillon; the other is along the river east of
the Palace of the Popes, with shuttles to Place Carnot (both lots are within walking distance
of the city center if need be). Parking on the street is free in the bleu zones 12:00-14:00 and