Provence by Train
with Paul Gogarty
Voiceover – Paul Gogarty: Eurostar’s move to the magnificently restored St Pancras station heralds a new era for international train travel. To find out if the reality lives up to the expectations I joined a group travelling by Eurostar and TGV for a 6 day holiday based in Avignon in Provence.
Eurostar from London to Lille now takes less than 2 hours and the time passes very quickly indeed.
Paul Gogarty: “There are two classes. There’s basically the Standard class and I’m sitting in Leisure Select which is very, very comfortable as you can see. The big difference is that you’re getting waiter service all the while. There’s been a constant stream of people coming bringing coffee, filling up, re-filling the coffee, bringing water, still or sparkling. Hot breakfast, down to the black pud if you want it or continental and they’ve even been round offering champagne. It’s just a bit too early for me in the morning. Compared to going on an airline, especially one of the budget airlines where you get no frills and no comfort, this is just fantastic. It’s so comfortable. I’m got a particularly dodgy back so I’m very careful about what seats I get and this has got great support. A very, very easy journey.”
Voiceover – Paul Gogarty: The Eurostar part of the journey ends in Lille with, in this case, a 90 minute break before picking up the TGV connection.
Paul Gogarty: “Well, we’re now on the TGV. The difference is this time, whether you’re in First Class or Economy, food is not included so you just have to use the buffet bar.”
Voiceover – Paul Gogarty: Many passengers I spoke to considered train travel an attractive alternative to flying.
Passenger comment: “I’d rather spend 4 hours on a train than I would on an aeroplane. This is our first example of travelling first class by TGV and I’m impressed.”
Paul Gogarty: “So Conrad, how are you enjoying the journey?”
Passenger comment: “Very much. It’s gone very quickly; lots of chatting to old friends because this is our third journey with the same people so we’ve organized a little group and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Paul Gogarty: “The great advantage of travelling by train, I think, is that the journey is part of the holiday rather than an irritation. We’re hammering along at two hundred miles an hour and you’ve got these spectacular views of the countryside cutting right through the heart of France.”
Voiceover – Paul Gogarty: Six hours later and we pull into our final destination, the TGV station in Avignon just a 10 minute coach drive away from the city centre. The holiday is based on 5 nights accommodation right in the heart of Avignon at the 3 star Hotel Bristol. Or you can upgrade to the equally well placed, 4 star Avignon Grand Hotel just over the road.
Paul Gogarty: “The place has just got so much history, as you’d expect. You’ve got the Papal Palace, which is fantastic. You’ve got the Rhone behind us with the famous bridge, La Pont D’Avignon so there’s loads to see and you’ve got all that café culture which is Provence is just so brilliant at. Spring and autumn are definitely the best times to be here. You’ve got this feeling of all the beauty, all the colour, all the light but you haven’t got all the hoarding crowds. It’s so nice and gentle and easy.”
Voiceover – Paul Gogarty: A short break in Avignon would be pleasant enough in its own right but this holiday also includes daily half and full day excursions out into the surrounding area. Tour manager Bernard explains how it works.
Tour Manager – “This sort of touring is more independent. We don’t do anything like bulletin boards, wake up calls, flags, badges or whatnot.”
Paul Gogarty – “Avignon seems a particularly good base because we never seem to be more than an hour from wherever we’re heading.”
Tour Manager – “That’s the idea of the tour; to do as much as possible without actually spending too much time on the road.”
Voiceover – Paul Gogarty: Highlights of the trip for me included the wonderful medieval villages of Les Baux and Gordes, the magnificent Pont du Gard and just the opportunity to wander at leisure in historical towns like Aix en Provence and Arles; and of course those famous Provencale markets are always a delight.
Passenger comment: “It’s been very interesting. The guide has been very, very good. He’s given us some history background which I like personally.”
Passenger comment: “You’re able to drop in or drop out as you want because you’re got plenty of time to do your own thing wherever you stop.”
Paul Gogarty: “Well I knew Provence was going to be absolutely fantastic because it always is but, what I didn’t realise was just how easy the whole trip was going to be. From the moment we got on the train to only using one base in Avignon so you didn’t have to pack each day, to the ease with which everybody got on. All in all, it’s just been an absolute breeze.”
