A OUIGO TGV pulling into Gare d'Avignon TGV — our ride to Paris on Oct 12. Photo: Florianol45 — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Booked. OUIGO 7820, departs Avignon TGV 12:22 Mon Oct 12, arrives Paris Gare de Lyon (~2h40-3h20 journey, so roughly early-to-mid afternoon arrival — leaves time to check into the Hôtel Signature-St-Germain-des-Prés and get an easy dinner as planned). Reference 7NYSWG, booked under DuBois, €146.00 total for 2 passengers (Elizabeth DuBois + Elizabeth Brooks). Non-cancellable/non-refundable fare, but exchangeable online up to 30 min before departure for a fee of up to €19/passenger. E-ticket arrives by email 4 days before departure (~Oct 8); boarding opens 30 min before departure, closes 5 min before — have ID ready. Remember Gare de Lyon needs a Metro/taxi connection to the 7th arrondissement hotel (not a short walk).
The rest of this page is kept for reference (why Gare de Lyon over the CDG-direct OUIGO option, and the operators considered):
Now that the Paris hotel (7th arr., near Sèvres-Babylone) is confirmed, Gare de Lyon is the most convenient arrival station — favor that over the CDG-direct OUIGO option below. All options depart from Gare d'Avignon TGV, ~5 km outside the old town, not the central Gare d'Avignon Centre (near the Mercure). To get there from the Mercure: either the TER "navette" shuttle train (Avignon Centre → Avignon TGV, ~5 min, runs every 15 min, ~€1.80) or a taxi (~15 min, ~€20). Build in a buffer for the transfer plus normal TGV boarding time (arrive at least 20–30 min before departure).
| Operator | Typical journey time | Typical price (one-way, per adult) | Arrival station in Paris | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGV inOui | ~2h40 (fastest ~2h38) | From ~€46 (~$50) advance-purchase, rising toward ~$150–250 for late/peak bookings | Gare de Lyon | The standard, most frequent option — up to 22 trains/day, first departure ~5:55am, last ~7:57pm. Full-service TGV, most flexible fare/change rules. |
| OUIGO (low-cost TGV) | ~2h40–3h20 | From ~€19 (rises sharply closer to travel date) | Gare de Lyon, or direct to CDG airport / Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy on some runs | Same trains/tracks as TGV inOui but discount fares — book early for the low prices, stricter baggage/change rules than inOui. |
| Trenitalia (France) | Comparable, ~2h40–3h | Competitive with TGV inOui, varies | Gare de Lyon | Third operator now running this route; worth cross-shopping alongside TGV inOui/OUIGO on SNCF Connect or Trainline. |
Recommendation: book TGV inOui or OUIGO to Gare de Lyon, favoring whichever departure lands mid-afternoon on Oct 12 to leave time to check in and get an easy dinner. Compare live times/fares on SNCF Connect or Trainline closer to the date — OUIGO fares in particular rise the longer booking is delayed.