You’ve two easy options for getting to Avignon by train. During the summer, you can take the weekly Eurostar Direct Avignon service. You leave London St Pancras International or Ashford International on Saturday morning and arrive at Avignon Centre Station by early afternoon, without changing trains. All year round, you can change in Paris or Lille to take a high speed TGV to Avignon TGV station. The journey from Paris is around 2 hours and 40 minutes. Once the seat of popes and the capital of the medieval world, Avignon is a truly enchanting destination on the banks of the River Rhône. Inside the fortified city walls, its rich heritage can be seen in the awesome architecture – understandably declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And Avignon is still an important cultural centre, with an internationally renowned theatre festival each summer. If you have time, it’s worth making a trip out of town to explore the surrounding lavender fields and vineyards of Provence.