I am doing a walking tour in Italy and have to check out of Venice hotel 10am on 20 June 2009, then be in Avignon by 3pm on 21 June. I would like a rough price for plane/train etc so I can work out my budget.
I am doing a walking tour in Italy and have to check out of Venice hotel 10am on 20 June 2009, then be in Avignon by 3pm on 21 June. I would like a rough price for plane/train etc so I can work out my budget.
This isn’t so easy to answer this far in advance – there will be two adjustments to train schedules/prices between now and late June and airfares are also difficult to predict this far in advance.
There are no current direct flights between Venice and Avignon. Budget airlines flying into Avignon are all from the UK.
Right now, there are several options for trains that will take you between Venice and Avignon in the time frame you’re looking for. One of the best sites for planning train trips throughout Europe is: http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en, but you’ll need to use the individual country websites to price the trip. You can also use the Italian train website to see options: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD and/or the French train website: http://www.sncf.com/en_EN/flash/
The current option that I would recommend is the night train from Venice (10:07 pm) to Dijon (6:09 am) with a connection from Dijon (6:35 am) to Lyon Part Dieu (8:35 am) and from there (9:25 am) to Avignon (11:44 am). The advantage of this is that you can get a berth on the train and sleep through the night without having to pay for a hotel.
The current cost from Venice to Dijon depends on availability of various discounts. The Flexi fares are 120 euro for a berth in a cuchette with 4 berths or 115 euro in a cuchette with 6 berths. There’s also a fare at 15 euro less for each type. However, there are also three discount fares for the same accomodations. The GO fare is 70 euro for a place in a 4 berth cuchette or 65 euro for a place in a 6 berth cuchette. There are also two levels of Smart Fare for a place in a 6 berth cuchette – 50 euro or 35 euro. You’ll need to purchase your ticket in advance to get one of the deeper discounts since they tend to sell out fast. Generally these go on sale 60 days before the day of the trip. I’ve taken this night train several times going to Paris and have found it convenient. You can leave your bags at the baggage deposit at Venice Santa Lucia train station and spend the rest of the day or most hotels will store your bags after you check out if your travel time is later in the day.
You can price the part of the trip within France on the French train website above. There are many connections that will get you from Dijon to Avignon in time. Depending on the speicfic trains, this part of the trip should be 35 to 50 euro or less.
He is right. If you want to be in charge of your itinerary then I would recommend hiring a car. These guys are very good http://www.turin-airport-car-hire.co.uk
Enjoy your trip!