Hotels in Avignon France - French Holidays
Provence: Introduction > Aix-en-Provence > Arles > Avignon > Avignon Hotels > Lyon > Lyon Hotels > Sites in Lyon > Lyon Restaurants > Marseille > Marseille Hotels > Rhône Valley > Valence > VienneHotels in Avignon are nearly always booked up, even out of season and most particularly in July and August when the Festival d'Avignon is on. It is rather like the Edinburgh festival in that there is an official part with prestigious sponsored events in the Palais des Papes and a fringe festival with street performers and musicians called Festival Off. Tickets for the main events cost between €16 and €33, and the Bureau du Festival d'Avignon at 20 rue du portail Boquier, 84000, Avignon (04 90 27 66 50) can advise on programmes and tickets from mid-May.
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Avignon hotels expect to welcome around 200,000 people during the three-week festival period, starting the second week in July, so booking months ahead is the only way to get a room in your first-choice hotel. Villeneuve-lès-Avignon across the Rhone also has accommodation, so don't despair if you can't find anything in the main part of town. The old town has a number of attractive propositions in renovated period buildings, such as the Mons at 5 rue de Mons (04 90 82 57 16), a 13th-century chapel that has been converted and now has a selection of interesting rooms for €55-70. Nearby is the popular Garlande, 20 rue Galante (04 90 85 08 85), where you definitely need to book to secure a room for €55-70 in this pretty hotel. Less expensive accommodation is also available intra-muros (within the walls). Try the Innova, 100 rue Joseph-Vernet (04 90 82 54 10) or the Arts, in an 18th-century house at 7 & 9 rue d'Aigarden (04 90 86 63 87), both of which have rooms for €30-40.
Outside the walls you could try looking for somewhere to stay on the Ile de la Barthelasse, in between Avignon proper and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, where there are camping facilities and farms such as the cunningly-named La Ferme, chemin du Bois (04 90 82 57 53) where you get a lot of greenery outside as well as rooms from €55-70.
For cafés and brasseries look no further than place de l'Horloge, which is a good spot for lunch. Cheap eats are available on rue des Teinturiers, and for those with cash in their pockets, the place de Crillon to place du Palais area is full of places to spend it, especially the rue de Mons.
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