We had booked ourselves an Airbnb apartment for the 1st month. By doing it this way we received a huge automatic discount off the standard daily fees. We had already messaged the owner several times before we arrived in Avignon. Being honest and explaining our plan. To find suitable long-term accommodation in the area soon. And use the Airbnb as a base, for now, to be able to start apartment hunting from.
Our Airbnb
We were on the 3rd floor, overlooking the square. Just below us was a restaurant and a bicycle hire shop in one corner of the square. I would recommend this Airbnb as ideal for a couple or single traveller. Perfect to explore Avignon and the local surrounding areas from. For weekend breaks or longer, it was well suited, clean and well maintained.
The apartment was in a quiet square that got a fair bit of sunshine during the day. There are also some tall silver birch trees for shade dotted about. The locals were friendly and accommodating too. Despite the language barrier, they were always happy to help if they could.
Parking in Avignon
Parking the hire car proved a little tricky to begin with. The inner city streets are small and free parking is limited in Avignon. There are a few spots here and there if you get lucky. After a certain time in the evening some of the restricted zones became free as well.
In the end, we discovered the free park and ride at “Ile Piot” was a good choice for anyone staying a day or two. The free shuttle bus provided dropped us off less than 2 minutes walk from the apartment. The service runs every 10 minutes to and from the car park to the city wall. The city also provides other park and ride options if you happen to be staying in another area of the city.
Next, we discovered the underground multi-storey parking at Palais de Papes. Here, you can pay for a month at a time, again with a large discount for doing so. In the end this worked out very convenient for us. Only being a two minute walk from the apartment and having 24 hour security available.
Walking Around
Once within the city walls pretty much everything is within a walkable distance. And you can walk across Avignon centre, from one end to the other, in around 20-30 minutes.
There are regular bus services as you would expect. It is well worth downloading the “bus plus” app for your phone. You can get good deals on day passes, group tickets etc. Or you could opt for the velopop and rent a bicycle at one of the many velopop stations dotted around the city. A great way to take in all the sights at a reasonable price.
If you liked “Arriving in Avignon & the Airbnb” then why not pin it for later. Or please feel free to give it a like, share or comment down below 👇🏻 as we would love to hear from you.
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to try reading these related posts…
Top 5 day trip destinations from Avignon Provence