How to get to Provence ?

A question we often get asked from visitors to the site is « how do I get to my vacation rental? ». Whether you are flying in from Australia, North America or from the UK this article we will help you choose the easiest and most effective ways to get to Provence from the Eurostar to private jets.

Take a fast train to Provence.

The pride of the French national railway (the SNCF) is the world renowned TGV or high speed train. Provence is well served in this matter as you can choose from four main stations. From North to South these are: Valence, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. Apart from Marseilles all the TGV train stations are a short drive from the town centre but a pre-booked rental car can easily be picked up from major companies or a chauffeured transfer can be arranged to take you directly to your luxury rental.

Valence is best suited when planning to stay in North Vaucluse as it is nearer to certain destinations than Avignon.

Avignon is a great choice of arrival as it is near all main destinations of Provence such as the Luberon, Alpilles, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence or Mont Ventoux.

Aix-en-Provence‘s train station is ideally positioned if you are staying in the Bouches du Rhône or Var, it is also a 40 minutes drive to Lourmarin.

Marseilles is the regional capital, the train station is situated in the centre of the city which means you would have to drive the busy traffic of this large city in order to reach your final destination.

Choosing to travel by TGV means that you are a six hour ride from London to Avignon or a three and half hours comfortable ride from Paris to Avignon which compares favourably to flying when taking into account the time spent in airport halls and customs. You can look into travel times and prices on the official TGV site.

The best situated airports when flying to Provence.

When looking for airports in Provence one will first come across Marseilles airport which is the major international airport all year round. However there are a series of smaller local international airports served by diverse companies in the busier months of the year. All these airports provide rental car services, of course chauffeured transfers can be arranged from the airport to your villa rental.

Marseille Provence: the airport is near Marignane, a town 25km from Marseilles city and serves major destinations all year round. You will find there, major companies as well as lowcost fights, it is the largest airport in Provence and thus serves destinations not only main airports in France but also in the UK and Ireland as well as major North American destinations. You can check the nearest destination served near you by visiting the airport’s site.

Toulon: is a small airport situated in the Var which mainly ensures Paris flights but also London through Ryan Air in the summertime.

Avignon: from May to September Flybe and City Jet provide direct flights from Southampton, Birmingham and London City. The airport is perfectly situated on the edge of the city and near the main roads leading to Luberon and Alpilles allowing you land in the heart of Provence.

Nimes: from March to October Ryan Air flies from Luton to Nîmes, this small airport is ideal if you are looking to stay near the Pont du Gard, Avignon or the Luberon as it is within a 40 minute radius of these destinations. You can find useful information about this airport on Jeff Steiner’s informative site.

Provence offers a wide choice of methods of travel, your choice really depends on personal preferences but choosing your point of arrival should depend on your final destination. As mentioned in a previous article on picking the right destination it ultimately depends on how you envision your stay in Provence.