Eurostar deals for direct trains from London to Avignon

This article features one of the best longer eurostar deals, that for Avignon France, which is a direct service from London, UK. It is now so much easier to reach Avignon with the Eurostar high speed train under the English Channel. Between July and September the train departs London St Pancras Stations and doesn't stop until it reaches Avignon, with an average journey time of just 6 hours. At any other time of the year, you can simply change at Paris and travel onwards to Avignon with the normal French TGV service.

Avignon Station

Avignon TGV Station, where the eurostar 'lands' is just on the outskirts of town, under two miles away to the south. The best way to get into town is probably on the shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes but you could also walk, catch a taxi or hire a rental car from the station.

Why choose Avignon for Eurostar Deals?

Avignon is a medieval city in central southern France, and one of the most delightfully located cities in Europe, standing over the River Rhone and surrounded by huge rocky cliffs and outcrops. The geography is really quite stunning and there's also plenty of history with Avignon being a medieval city which was once the seat of the Roman Catholic Pope. Yes, Pope Clement V (1305-1314), who was a friend of the French King, at a difficult time for the roman papacy was selected by Roman cardinals and crowned in France. He then proceeded to relocate the entire papal court to Avignon. At that time Avignon was actually outside of the official French borders and technically part of the papal territory but the regime was close enough for the French influence to build its strength and the papacy remained in Avignon for almost seventy years.

The famous bridge and the festival

Avignon Festival

With the direct eurostar deals available, the summer and early autumn months are the perfect time visit Avignon, especially in July. Every year in July Avignon is home to a great theatre festival called "Festival IN" and a sprawling fringe festival event called the "Festival Off". Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, the Avignon Festival is the oldest continuing arts festival in France and has become one of the world's greatest. There are traditional theatre performances and also dance, music, and cinema. Some of the events and performances make good use of the town's historical monuments to provide powerful stages and settings and every summer approximately 100,000 people attend.

Sur le pont d'Avignon

"Sur le pont d'Avignon" is a well known nursery rhyme in the UK, stemming from a French song about the old bridge at Avignon - le Pont d'Avignon, a bridge that dates back to the 15th century. "Sur le pont d'Avignon L'on y danse, l'on y danse..." the origins of which are lost in folklore but this is the main way in which many people will have first heard of this city and it creates a peculiar sort of curiosity to see the bridge and visit Avignon, the place from the song.

The future for eurostar deals to France

In 2010 the monopoly on the London to Paris route is due to be broken, with Europe's high-speed rail network open to competing operators which means that other train companies can provide alternative services to the current eurostar deals. There is even speculation that Air France might run a rail service from London St Pancras to Charles de Gaule Airport, near Paris for onward international flights in an attempt to lure customers from London's troubled Heathrow terminals.

Conclusion

Eurostar is set to become ever more popular as trends away from short haul air transport continue and the new through destination deals will only add to UK based travellers opportunity. Paris and Brussels will no doubt remain the most popular short hops but places like Avignon, Orleans, Berlin, Biarritz and Amsterdam will also become known as places you can get to relatively easily by train with Eurostar deals from London.