Getting there

Planes

Access the region from Nîmes | to the west in neighbouring Languedoc-Roussillon | or Marseille. From the UK | Ryanair flies to Nîmes from Liverpool and Luton (www.ryanair.com); or travel to Marseille from Gatwick with EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) or British Airways (www.ba.com). As of Summer 2011, CityJet (www.cityjet.com) will offer flights from London City airport to Avignon.

Trains

From the UK, put your car on the Autotrain at Paris, catch a separate train and be reunited in Avignon (0844 848 4050). Or take the Eurostar – probably the most civilised option – and change at Paris for Avignon or Aix (www.eurostar.com). Trains from Paris Gare de Lyon to Avignon take around three hours (www.tgv.com).

Automobiles

Avis | Hertz and Europcar do car hire from Avignon TGV station | as well as Nîmes and Grenoble airports (www.avis.com; www.hertz.com; www.europcar. com). The A7 is the main artery from the north.