Arriving in Avignon
After spending two days in Paris, we took a direct OUIGO train from Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy train station in Paris to Avignon center booked via SNCF. The train journey took around four hours. We booked our stay at an Airbnb located in the city center for two days.
Things to do in Avignon
Avignon is a very charming small city with lots of history. You can enjoy most of the places of interest on foot if you stay close to the center. We had two days there before we headed out to our next destination. Here is a list of our favorite things that we recommend in Avignon:
Take a tour to Palais des Papes
The Palais des Papes is considered one of the largest medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. It was built to accommodate the popes who fled to Avignon from corrupt Rome. Its immense scale illustrates the medieval might of the Roman Catholic church.
The Palais is today a palace of culture and primarily a tourist attraction. The courtyard of the Palais des Papes is a central performance location during the Festival d’Avignon In, which holds every year in July. It is also the site of many cultural and economic events.
You can take a tour of the Palace by paying an entrance fee which includes an augmented reality(AR) powered tablet and a headset. The interactive AR experience is a fun way to know about the history of the palace. You point the tablet in any direction inside AR enabled rooms and you look through the tablet to see what the room looked like in the past. Once you reach the roof of the palace, you will be awarded with beautiful views of the city. There is also a snack bar at the roof where you can grab some quick bites to eat.
Visit Pont d’Avignon
The Pont d’Avignon is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon. The bridge was the inspiration for the song Sur le pont d’Avignon and is considered a landmark of the city. During the 17th century, various parts of the bridge collapsed due to floods. In 1995, the four surviving arches of the bridge were listed as the World Heritage site.
We recommend visiting the bridge to know more about the history of Avignon. The bridge is a great spot to relax and to take some beautiful pictures of the city.
Relax at Place de l’Horlage
The Place de l’horloge is Avignon’s main square where you will find the city hall and the opera house. The square is one of the most happening part of the city especially during the peak seasons. Here, you will find a lot of restaurants and cafes with open seating. It’s a good place to sit and enjoy food and drinks with live street entertainment.
Walk the streets of Avignon
Wander around the narrow streets of Avignon or just sit and have espresso in one of the small cafe. We had some waffles and espresso at a popular local coffee place: The Milk Shop. Don’t forget to click some pictures as every street in Avignon is photo worthy.
Ride Petite train
This is a great way to explore the whole city if you don’t have time or are travelling with kids. The ride is about an hour with an audio guide. The trains starts outside of Palais des Papes and takes you all through the narrow streets and cover all major points of the city.
Take a day trip to Gordes from Avignon
Gordes is one of the most beautiful hilltop village in Provence. It has everything the beautiful winding street, the cobblestone path, the amazing hilltop view and various shops and restaurants. The Impressive Chateau de Gordes which dominates the village was built in 1031 and rebuilt in 1525 and is a major tourist attraction.
How to get there
There are various tours available for a day trip to Provence villages from Avignon and most of them includes some time in Gordes. You can book the tours via Expedia, viator or similar websites. If you are not driving and don’t want to spend on tours, you also have the option to take bus. If you decide to take bus, we suggest going to the information desk at the Avignon central bus station and getting detailed bus schedules.
There is no direct route to Gordes from Avignon via public transport. We took a train from Avignon Centre to Cavaillon and then took a bus from Cavaillon PEM Gare Routiere to Gorde Les Bories. The bus stop is right next to the Cavaillon train station. The entire commute took around 2 hours.
What to do
Visit the Chateau and the museum that it houses, the Pol Mara museum, contemporary Flemish painter and inhabitant of Gordes. The entry fee is EUR 7.
The best part of Gordes is its winding streets and the beautiful homes built on the hillside. Just take a walk and get lost in the streets of Gordes. You will find lot of spots with beautiful views of the valley. Don’t worry you will find your way out as it is a small village!
Buy some locally made souvenirs. There are plenty of beautiful shops all around the village.
Provence region is famous for its lavender. If you are here in summer between June and late July you can visit lavender field just outside of Gordes. Unfortunately, you can visit the lavender fields only if you are driving or if you have booked a private tour. We could not visit the fields but we did buy some locally made lavender products to take home with us!
Time for some tips!
You can buy tickets for Pont d’Avignon and Palais des Papes together and save some money. We bought it from the ticket counter at the palace.
Book your stay close to center of the city. You don’t want to be too far from all the activities.
Take bus to see Provence villages from Avignon if you are not driving or taking a tour. Visit central bus station’s information desk for detailed bus schedules.
livingmydream.travel 