Fly or Train to Provence from Paris

We will be spending 4 days in Paris then want to travel down to Provence for 3 days before ending up at the beach the last 2 days of our trip. I would like to take a train from Paris to Avignon and rent a car from there to explore the small towns of Provence and the coast.

My problem is the earliest train I see leaves Paris at 11:15 AM and doesn%26#39;t get in to Avignon til 14:15. I don%26#39;t want to eat up almost all of the day traveling since we would not be able to do anything in Paris that morning and probably will have little time once we get our rental car to do much that afternoon in Provence. I checked going in to Lyon instead but still nothing that leaves early in the morning. I have considered flying down to either Marseille or Lyon instead since we can get in much earlier (leave at 7 or 9 am and get in 8-10 ish).

I would rather take the train because it would be easier, cheaper and more scenic but I don%26#39;t want to eat a whole day up to do it. Are there other options I don%26#39;t see?

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I am not sure where you are getting information that the first Avignon train from Paris is not until 11h15.

I find several before that leaving as early as 6h16 from Gare de Lyon and arriving 2 hours 42 minutes later.

Try this website:

http://www.voyages-sncf.com

The train is a great deal faster than taking a plane.

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I was looking at the Rail Europe website. I am really glad to find out there are other times! Thanks for your help.

JD

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