Avignon - Get Around

Small and self-contained, there are many ways to tour.

One of Avignon's great charms is its intimacy. In the historic centre you can find all the town jewels apart from the river. The Rhône curves around the city's north and west. Northwest of the city is the place to find that bridge.

Avignon is best explored on foot. Almost all of its sightseeing highlights are located within the oval of its 14th-century city walls, an area of about one and a half square kilometres.

Parking is a problem in the centre of town and motorists are advised to park on the outskirts and cycle in.

There are free bicycles for those who park in one of the municipal car parks. Otherwise, rent a bike from Provence Bike to enjoy the recently renovated Rhône-side cycle paths.

There are shuttle buses all day between the train station and the centre of Avignon. Bus number 11 links the town with neighbouring Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and the number 10 goes to Les Angles.

The Bac du Rocher des Doms, a free shuttle boat that operates between July and August, runs every 15 minutes. It links the jetty on Boulevard de la Ligne and the Île de la Barthelasse, and is free. From mid-June to mid-September, take a round trip bus-boat between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon via Barthelasse or cruise for views of Avignon's famous pont, plus Fort Saint André and Philippe Le Bel Tower, which you can climb.

Hire a car to explore the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Avignon is well connected to major road axes: A7 (Lyon and Italy), A9 (Spain), N7 (Marseille and Cavaillon) and N100 (Arles). Or take the high-speed TGV rail service to major French and European cities, with trains leaving from the sparkling Avignon Gare TGV (5km south of the city centre).

The winding streets of the old city are evocatively named after medieval trades. The Rue des Teinturiers, once home to calico printers, is one of the prettiest, dotted with little restaurants and arts and crafts shops.

Avignon Municipal Public Transport Page