Avignon: arrival and transport
General
In Avignon, as in all of France, traffic is on the right according to pharmacylib.
Maximum speed
There is a speed limit of 50 km / h for vehicles throughout the city.
Alcohol
per mille limit There is a limit to the permitted blood alcohol level of 0.5 per mille for drivers of motor vehicles.
Other rules
German pedestrians in particular are warned about the French zebra crossings. Here pedestrians are hardly given priority.
Arriving by car
A7 motorway,
Avignon Sud exit (from Marseille, Nice, Italy)
Avignon Nord exit (from Lyon, Paris)
A9 motorway,
Remoulins exit (from Nîmes, Montpellier, Spain)
Arriving by train
Avignon station TGV bullet
train from Paris
Information
traffic, timetable, tickets, telephone information, ticket
dispatch www.voyages-sncf.com
Airports
Aéroport d’Avignon
Website: www.avignon.aeroport.fr
The small Avignon airport is located in the Montfavet district.
Aéroport Marseille-Provence
Website: www.marseille-aeroport.fr
The nearest international airport is Marseille airport.
Buses
A total of 28 regular bus routes operate in Avignon. Avignon’s public transport system provides detailed and understandable information:
website: www.tcra.fr
Taxi
Many taxi companies offer city and local tours.
Avignon Provence Taxi
Website: www.avignon-provence-taxi.com
Allo Taxi
website: perso.wanadoo.fr/allo.taxis
Provence Taxi Toruisme
website: www.provence-taxi-tourisme.com
Boat and ferry
River tourism in Avignon has been booming since the mid-1990s. Today 15 hotel boats and 6 excursion boats meet on the Rhône near Avignon, thanks to which one can get a completely different view of the city and the area. An electric shuttle (navette fluviale) connects the two banks of the Rhône, from the city center to the Ile de la Bartelasse. This ride is free.
Bicycle
The city of Avignon is particularly suitable for cycling. The city’s website offers four different itineraries for tourists with in-depth commentary on each attraction.
Découverte de l’intra-muros
www.avignon.fr/fr/pratique/transport/balade1.php
Chico Mendes
www.avignon.fr/fr/pratique/transport/balade2.php
Ile de la Barthelasse
www.avignon.fr/fr/pratique/transport/balade3.php
Montfavet
www.avignon.fr/fr/pratique/transport/balade4.php
Sightseeing flights
La Provence Vue d’Avion
Sarl 2LSC
5, rue Carnot
13210 Saint Rémy de Provence
www.provence-vue-avion.com
Recommended trips
Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard is located near the village of Remoulins about 20 km from Avignon. It is the most imposing part of a Roman aqueduct built at the beginning of the 1st century, which has been best preserved. It is 49 m high and was built on three levels. The top level is 275 m long. The Pont du Gard has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. after Mont Saint Michel, the Pont du Gard is the second most visited attraction in the province of France, with more than a million tourists a year.
Salon de Provence
About 57 km from Avignon, the small town of Salon de Provence is a popular tourist destination. There you will find numerous chic shops in the beautifully renovated old town. You can also learn a lot about Provencal history at the Musée Grévin de Provence. Another attraction of the city is the Château de l’Empéri with its medieval donjon. Finally, the restored home can be visited by Nostradamus, who spent the last twenty years of his life in Salon.
The following websites offer more information:
www.salondeprovence.com
www.visitsalondeprovence.com
www.salondeprovence.fr
Avignon: Well-known people
Francesco Petrarca (1303-1374)
Italian poet, spent part of his life in Avignon, where he met Laura de Noves.
Duke von Richelieu (Cardinal von Richelieu) (1585-1642)
the authoritative advisor to Louis XIII. He lived in exile in Avignon between 1618 and 1619.
Pierre Mignard (1640-1725)
painter and architect
Jules François Pernod (1827-1916)
founder of the liquor manufacturer Pernod
Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898)
writer, spent part of his life in Avignon.
Camille Claudel (1864-1943)
sculptor, was buried in Avignon.
Henri Bosco (1888-1976)
writer
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
composer
Jean Vilar (1912-1971)
The theater man founded the Avignon Theater Festival in 1947.
Pierre Boulle (1912-1994)
writer (The Bridge on the Kwai and Planet of the Apes)
Bernard Kouchner (born 1939)
Doctor, co-founder of Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Frontiers) and Médecins du Monde, former minister.
Mireille Mathieu (born 1946)
chanson singer, also known in German-speaking countries as the “Sparrow of Avignon”.
Jean Alesi (born 1964)
Formula 1 driver, he competed 201 times in Formula 1 races between! 989 and 2001, when he ended his career. He achieved his best result with a Ferrari at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix with a first place.
Avignon: features, festivals and events
particularities
City of the Popes
When Clement V was elected Pope in 1305, he no longer wanted to reside in Rome like his predecessors. After four years of searching for a suitable location, Clemens V finally chose Avignon as his residence. Until 1377, seven French popes of the Catholic Church sat here, plus the two counter-popes appointed after the schism, but who are not recognized under official Catholic law.
City of the theater
The Avignon Festival, founded in 1947, is one of the most important world theatrical events. It contributed to the fact that the theater in Avignon was given a very special position. Countless ensembles have been founded in Avignon (le théâtre des Carmes, théâtre du Chêne Noir, théâtre des Halles, théâtre du Balcon, théâtre du Chien qui Fume, Fraction, Théâtrographe, Ensemble Mise en Scènes, Salieri-Pagès, Tremplin and the Festival for Children’s Théâtre’enfants). But every year new ensembles are drawn to Avignon.
Celebrations and events
Cheval passion (January)
Website: www.cheval-passion.com Les Hivernales
horse
fair (February)
Website: www.hivernales-avignon.com
Festival of contemporary dance
Altera Rosa (May)
Festival of the Rose
1000 Pagaies (May)
Water event on the Rhône
Triathlon du Pont d’Avignon (June)
Swimming, cycling and running
Festival du cor (June)
Horn Festival
Avignon film festival
Website: www.avignonfilmfest.com
Film meet-up with independent filmmakers from Europe and the United States with screenings and meetings.
Festival d’Avignon (July)
During three weeks in July, Avignon, besieged by thousands of visitors and well-known personalities, becomes the largest theater festival in the world. The festival now consists of two festivals: the “in” and the “off” festival. During the festival you meet a lot of people strolling from one event to another. Please note: at the time of the festival, all hotels in Avignon and the surrounding area are booked out early.
The in Festival
website: www.festival-avignon.com
The festival presents the French and international contemporary creation in the fields of theater, but also dance and other types of stage arts. Every year around 40 events are offered, for an ever larger audience (around 100,000 visitors). The performances are shown in around twenty unconventional locations in Avignon itself and in the surrounding area, such as monasteries, churches, a quarry, sports halls or the Palais des Papes.
The off festival
website: www.avignon-off.org
In addition to the in festival, the off festival takes place. Many French and international ensembles show their work there on more than 200 stages. The organization of the two festivals is independent of each other.
Provençal Festival (July)
Provencal spectacle (theater, dance, music)
Avignon blues festival (September)
Website: lavoixdublues.chez-alice.fr
Since 1998, for a few days in September, Avignon has been transformed into the blues capital of the world thanks to this festival.
Ban des vendanges (September)
Website: www.banvendanges.com
Opening ceremony of the Côtes du Rhône grape harvest.
10 km de la Cité des Papes (September)
10 km run in the city center and on the Ile de la Barthelasse.
Festival de Musique Ancienne (October)
Festival of ancient music.
Festival des jeux de l’esprit (October-November)
The festival of intelligent games organizes tournaments for bridge, checkers, chess, scrabble, etc.
Marché de Noël (December)
Avignon hosts a Christmas market for three weeks before Christmas.