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Voykit pocket guide · France
Avignon
Give Avignon 2 nights: one full day for the Palais des Papes, the bridge and the Rocher des Doms, then use it as a base for the Luberon and the Rhône villages.
Avignon is a walled Provençal city on the Rhône, small enough to cross on foot in 20 minutes and big enough to hold a UNESCO-listed centre, the world's largest Gothic palace and a July theatre festival that triples the population. Most travellers use it as a base for the region rather than a destination in itself, which is why two nights works better than one.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Jul (festival crowds and heat), Aug (heat and peak prices)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €100–160 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a counter | €1.50–3 |
| Sandwich or a slice of pizza | €5–9 |
| Menu du jour at lunch | €15–22 |
| Dinner, mid-range, per person | €25–40 |
| Glass of Côtes du Rhône | €5–8 |
| Taxi, Avignon TGV to the centre | €20–30 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AVN · Avignon-Caumont
- No scheduled passenger flights; check before booking anything routed here.
- MRS · Marseille Provence
- About 1 h by train or road; the practical airport for Avignon.
- NCE · Nice Côte d'Azur
- About 3 h by train; useful if combining with the Riviera.
Typical fares
- Avignon TGV → Avignon Centre, shuttle train
- about 5 min, frequent (check)
- Avignon → Arles, regional train
- about 20 min (check)
- Avignon → Paris, TGV
- about 2 h 40 min (check)
Get around
The old town is flat and walkable; you rarely need transport inside the walls. Vélopop bike share needs a smartcard. A shuttle train links Avignon TGV to Avignon Centre. Regional buses (TransVaucluse) and trains reach Arles, Orange, Nîmes and the Luberon.
See and do
Known for
- Palais des Papes
- Pont Saint-Bénézet (the bridge of the song)
- Festival d'Avignon in July
- Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | Train from Avignon Centre, about 20 min | About 1 h |
| Vaison-la-Romaine | Bus or car, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue | Train or bus, about 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| Carpentras | Bus from Avignon, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Apt | Bus, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Cavaillon | Train, about 25 min | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Intra-muros (inside the walls)
- Everything walkable; book early for July. Rue de la République and around Place de l'Horloge are the busiest and priciest.
- Around Avignon Centre station
- Cheaper, 5–10 min walk to the walls; convenient for regional trains.
- Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
- Across the river, quieter and cheaper; bus or a 20-min walk over the bridge.
- Avignon TGV area
- Only for a late arrival or an early departure; it is 2 km out with a shuttle train to the centre.Only for a late arrival or an early departure; it is 1.2 mi out with a shuttle train to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ?par-lay voo ahn-GLEH |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- July festival: accommodation sells out months ahead and prices spike.
- Pickpockets work the station, the shuttle and the crowded squares in season.
- Restaurants on Place de l'Horloge and beside the Palais des Papes charge tourist prices; walk two streets for better value.
- Summer heat: 35 °C+ afternoons; do the palace and the Rocher des Doms in the morning.
- The mistral wind can be strong and cold even in spring.
Avignon is a normal mid-size French city; the real risks are pickpockets around the station and festival crowds, summer heat, and restaurant bills on the main squares. Keep bags zipped in the shuttle and at Avignon TGV.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Avignon yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Palais des Papes
- Pont Saint-Bénézet (the bridge of the song)
- Festival d'Avignon in July
- Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Avignon Tourist Office: www.avignon-tourisme.com/
- Palais des Papes: www.palais-des-papes.com/en
- Ville d'Avignon: www.avignon.fr/
- Festival d'Avignon: www.festival-avignon.com/
- SNCF Connect (timetables and fares): www.sncf-connect.com/
- Wikivoyage: Avignon, revision 5326154 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5326154
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Avignon
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Avignon; the US consulate-general is in Marseille, the UK consulate in Marseille and the embassy in Paris. Check your own country's list.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/avignon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.