| Eurostar deals for direct trains from London to | | | | is home to a great theatre festival called "Festival IN" |
| Avignon | | | | and a sprawling fringe festival event called the |
| This article features one of the best longer eurostar | | | | "Festival Off". Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, the |
| deals, that for Avignon France, which is a direct | | | | Avignon Festival is the oldest continuing arts festival |
| service from London, UK. It is now so much easier to | | | | in France and has become one of the world's |
| reach Avignon with the Eurostar high speed train | | | | greatest. There are traditional theatre performances |
| under the English Channel. Between July and | | | | and also dance, music, and cinema. Some of the |
| September the train departs London St Pancras | | | | events and performances make good use of the |
| Stations and doesn't stop until it reaches Avignon, | | | | town's historical monuments to provide powerful |
| with an average journey time of just 6 hours. At any | | | | stages and settings and every summer |
| other time of the year, you can simply change at | | | | approximately 100,000 people attend. |
| Paris and travel onwards to Avignon with the normal | | | | Sur le pont d'Avignon |
| French TGV service. | | | | "Sur le pont d'Avignon" is a well known nursery |
| Avignon Station | | | | rhyme in the UK, stemming from a French song |
| Avignon TGV Station, where the eurostar 'lands' is | | | | about the old bridge at Avignon - le Pont d'Avignon, a |
| just on the outskirts of town, under two miles away | | | | bridge that dates back to the 15th century. "Sur le |
| to the south. The best way to get into town is | | | | pont d'Avignon L'on y danse, l'on y danse..." the origins |
| probably on the shuttle bus that runs every 15 | | | | of which are lost in folklore but this is the main way |
| minutes but you could also walk, catch a taxi or hire | | | | in which many people will have first heard of this city |
| a rental car from the station. | | | | and it creates a peculiar sort of curiosity to see the |
| Why choose Avignon for Eurostar Deals? | | | | bridge and visit Avignon, the place from the song. |
| Avignon is a medieval city in central southern France, | | | | The future for eurostar deals to France |
| and one of the most delightfully located cities in | | | | In 2010 the monopoly on the London to Paris route is |
| Europe, standing over the River Rhone and | | | | due to be broken, with Europe's high-speed rail |
| surrounded by huge rocky cliffs and outcrops. The | | | | network open to competing operators which means |
| geography is really quite stunning and there's also | | | | that other train companies can provide alternative |
| plenty of history with Avignon being a medieval city | | | | services to the current eurostar deals. There is even |
| which was once the seat of the Roman Catholic | | | | speculation that Air France might run a rail service |
| Pope. Yes, Pope Clement V (1305-1314), who was a | | | | from London St Pancras to Charles de Gaule Airport, |
| friend of the French King, at a difficult time for the | | | | near Paris for onward international flights in an |
| roman papacy was selected by Roman cardinals and | | | | attempt to lure customers from London's troubled |
| crowned in France. He then proceeded to relocate | | | | Heathrow terminals. |
| the entire papal court to Avignon. At that time | | | | Conclusion |
| Avignon was actually outside of the official French | | | | Eurostar is set to become ever more popular as |
| borders and technically part of the papal territory but | | | | trends away from short haul air transport continue |
| the regime was close enough for the French influence | | | | and the new through destination deals will only add to |
| to build its strength and the papacy remained in | | | | UK based travellers opportunity. Paris and Brussels will |
| Avignon for almost seventy years. | | | | no doubt remain the most popular short hops but |
| The famous bridge and the festival | | | | places like Avignon, Orleans, Berlin, Biarritz and |
| Avignon Festival | | | | Amsterdam will also become known as places you |
| With the direct eurostar deals available, the summer | | | | can get to relatively easily by train with Eurostar |
| and early autumn months are the perfect time visit | | | | deals from London. |
| Avignon, especially in July. Every year in July Avignon | | | | |