Avignon: Cruise ship excursion or DIY

We are in Marseille port on a Wednesday from 0800 to 1700. Cruise ship offers an $80 eight hour excursion to Avignon and Pont du Gard. We are thinking about the DIY alternative of taking a taxi from Marseille port to Gare St. Charles and taking TGV round trip to Avignon from there.

 

With this port stop duration, is the DIY option reasonable, or do we need to take the ship's excursion? If DIY is reasonable, what time in the afternoon would you aim to arrive at Gare St. Charles in order to catch a taxi for the return to ship?

There is another option, which is to hire a guide/driver. We paid $99 ea for six people and went to Avignon, Arles, LesBaux and St Remy.

These are the train times which work for your day in port:

Leave Marseille St. Charles at 9:14 arrive Avignon TGV 9:48

Leave Avignon TGV at 9:57 arrive Avignon Centre 10:02

There's an earlier train at 8:14, but not sure there is time to make it.

 

The return from Avignon:

Leave Avignon Centre 1:58 arrive Avignon TGV 2:04

Leave Avignon TGV 2:20 arrive Marseille St. Charles 2:54

A 2:54 arrival gives you plenty of time to make it back to the ship by 4:30 and even see a little bit of Marseille.

The total cost is $36 a person round trip.

 

The ships tour only stays in Avignon for 1 hour, not even enough time to visit the Palace of Popes and have lunch.

 

There's a later train that leaves at 3:27 and arrives in Marseille at 4:16, but that's cutting it close.

 

You'll be able to see more with a private tour if you can get the extra people together to make the cost worthwhile.

If you use the train you will likely not have a change to visit Pont du Gard....which is quite an interesting site. Something to consider :).

 

Hank

There is another option, which is to hire a guide/driver. We paid $99 ea for six people and went to Avignon, Arles, LesBaux and St Remy.

Hi We are going to Marsileel On Aug 22 can you please give us the name of your guide/driver? Thanks We are on teh Oceania form 10 am to 9 pm. and there are 4 of us. Thaks or text me 858 231 2456 Thansk again

There is another option, which is to hire a guide/driver. We paid $99 ea for six people and went to Avignon, Arles, LesBaux and St Remy.

Hi We are going to Marseillel On Aug 22 can you please give us the name of your guide/driver? Thanks We are on the Oceania form 10 am to 9 pm. and there are 4 of us. Thanks

We used Provence Connection - Tour 1.

Thanks ... there prices have gone up... 510 euros for 4 of us!

Still will DIY. Thanks though :-)

Thanks ... there prices have gone up... 510 euros for 4 of us!

Still will DIY. Thanks though :-)

 

 

The 99 was based on six. It was more expensive for four when we went. I think 129, which is about where you are.