How do you get around Avignon? Walk inside the ramparts and use the Orizo network (formerly TCRA) for everything else: tram line T1, the Chron'hop bus-rapid-transit lines C2 and C3, and about 30 bus lines. A single ticket costs €1.40 (valid 1 hour with transfers), a 24-hour pass €3.50 and a 48-hour pass €7. The Baladine electric mini-shuttles inside the walls are free every day, and the Piot and Italiens park-and-ride shuttles are free too. Buy tickets in the Orizo app or at the machines.
Avignon is compact, and this guide covers what you actually need: which tickets to buy, how the free navettes work, how to get between the two train stations, and how transport changes during the July festival. If you follow a 1-day itinerary in Avignon, you will walk most of it and use the network for the edges.
The Orizo Network: Tram, Chron'hop and Buses
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Orizo is the public transport network of the Grand Avignon area. It was previously called TCRA, so older guides and some signs may still use that name. It combines one tram line, the Chron'hop bus-rapid-transit lines, around 30 numbered bus lines serving the 16 communes of the agglomeration, and on-demand Allobus services.
Tram T1 opened in October 2019 and runs about 5 km with 10 stops between Saint-Roch and Saint-Chamand, calling at Gare Centre, Rocade and the university on the way. It does not enter the walled centre and does not go to the TGV station. Expect a tram roughly every 6 to 9 minutes at weekday peak times and about every 15 minutes on Sundays and public holidays.
Chron'hop lines C2 (Hôpital Henri Duffaut to Buld'Air in Le Pontet) and C3 (Saint-Lazare to Agroparc) run about every 12 minutes at weekday peak, seven days a week, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. They use the same ticket as every other Orizo line.
The free Baladine is the one that matters most inside the walls. It is a small electric shuttle that circles the old town every day of the week, and you can flag it down anywhere along its route. It is handy for reaching the Palais des Papes from the gates, and it needs no ticket. It does not have a wheelchair ramp, so for accessible journeys book the Orizen service (see below).
Free Shuttle Bus in Avignon (Navette Gratuite): Baladine, Piot and Italiens
Avignon runs four free city-centre shuttles, all part of the Orizo network. You do not need to validate a ticket on any of them. The Orizo timetable pages hold the current day-by-day hours, because the Baladine in particular follows no fixed printed schedule.
| Free shuttle | Route | When |
|---|---|---|
| Baladine | Small electric shuttles looping inside the ramparts past shops, sights and squares; flag one down anywhere | Every day, Monday to Sunday |
| Navette Piot (NP) | Île Piot park-and-ride to Porte de l'Oulle | Monday to Saturday, about every 10 minutes by day; no Sunday or public-holiday service |
| CityZen Italiens (CZ) | Les Italiens park-and-ride to Place Pie and the Halles | Every 5 to 12 minutes, 7:00 to 21:00, including Sundays and public holidays |
| CityZen République | Free city-centre shuttle in the Orizo network | See the Orizo timetable page |
The two park-and-ride shuttles are the practical answer to "free shuttle from the car park": leave the car at Île Piot or Les Italiens (both free, see our Avignon parking guide) and ride in at no cost.
How to Pay for the Bus and Tram in Avignon, Step by Step
Download the free Orizo app (App Store or Google Play). It gives you journey planning, real-time departures and in-app ticket purchase. You can also buy at the ticket machines at tram stops and Chron'hop stations, at partner shops listed on orizo.fr, or at the Orizo boutique on the Gare Centre forecourt (Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 18:00, Friday 8:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 16:00).
Validation is mandatory. Touch your ticket, card or phone to the validator as soon as you board, and keep it until you leave in case of an inspection. A one-hour ticket lets you change between tram, Chron'hop and bus within 60 minutes of the first validation without paying again.
To get off, press the stop-request button before your stop and watch the display at the front of the vehicle. Most stops on the main lines have real-time arrival boards, and the app shows live countdowns for the rest.
Avignon Bus Ticket Prices in 2026
Orizo is a flat-fare, single-zone network: the same ticket covers the tram, Chron'hop and every bus line. Here are the fares in force for 2026:
| Ticket type | Price (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Single ticket (ticket 1 voyage) | €1.40 | One journey; valid 1 hour with transfers included |
| 10-trip ticket | €10.00 | Several days in town; €1 per trip |
| 24-hour pass (pass journée) | €3.50 | Unlimited rides for one person for 24 hours from first validation |
| 48-hour pass | €7.00 | A two-day visit |
| Multi-network day pass (Orizo + Lio + Uggo) | €4.00 | Day trips that also use regional buses; sold in the SNCF Connect app |
| Orizo card (reloadable) | €6.00 | One-off cost to create; valid 10 years |
| Annual Liberté pass | €200 | Residents |
| Annual Youth or Senior pass | €100 | Residents with eligible ID |
| Baladine and the other city-centre navettes | Free | No ticket needed |
For a two-day visit the 48-hour pass at €7 is the simplest buy. If you will make three or more rides in one day, the €3.50 pass beats buying singles. A group ticket for up to 30 people (one round trip) costs €40, which suits school or tour parties.
The reloadable Orizo card costs €6 to create and lasts 10 years, which only makes sense for a long stay. For a short visit, buying digital tickets in the app is easier.
Best Routes for Major Attractions
Most visitors arrive at Avignon Centre, the city-centre station on Boulevard Saint-Roch just outside the walls, or at Avignon TGV, the high-speed station in Courtine about 5 to 6 km south of the centre. Tram T1 stops at Gare Centre, so it is the link to the tram line; the TGV station has its own connections (below).
Inside the walls, nearly everything is a walk of 15 minutes or less, and the Pont Saint-Bénézet is only a few minutes beyond the Palais. Use the bus to reach the park-and-ride lots, hotels outside the gates and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, and Orizo's route planner in the app to pick the line.
Decision guide: staying inside the walls, walk. Need a hop across the old town, ride the free Baladine. Arriving at the TGV station, take the shuttle train to Avignon Centre. Heading to the hospital, Le Pontet or Agroparc, take Chron'hop C2 or C3. For more to see at each stop, our guide to things to do in Avignon lays out the sights near each transport node.
Avignon TGV Station to the City Centre
Avignon has two train stations. Avignon Centre is the downtown station used by regional TER trains. Avignon TGV is the high-speed station in Courtine, about 5 to 6 km from the centre. If your booking says "Avignon TGV", you need one more leg.
The fastest option is the TER shuttle train known as La Virgule, which reaches Avignon Centre in about 4 to 6 minutes. It runs roughly every 30 minutes on weekdays, less often at weekends, with the last departure from Avignon TGV between about 21:45 and 22:15. It is a regional ticket sold by SNCF (SNCF Connect app or ZOU! machines), not an Orizo ticket, so an Orizo day pass does not cover it.
The bus alternative is Orizo line 10, which links Avignon TGV and Avignon Poste in about 20 minutes with a standard €1.40 ticket; it runs roughly every 25 minutes in summer 2026 and is the better choice when you already hold a day pass or have missed the shuttle train. Taxis wait at the station exit. For the whole arrival picture see how to reach Avignon.
From the Airport to Avignon by Public Transport
Most visitors who fly land at Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), roughly 85 km south. A dedicated shuttle runs from the airport to Vitrolles-Aéroport Marseille Provence station for regional TER trains, and another goes to Marseille Saint-Charles, from where TGV trains reach Avignon TGV in about 30 minutes. A taxi or private transfer from the airport takes about 1 hour 10 minutes by road.
Once you are at either Avignon station, finish with the shuttle train, line 10, or tram T1 as described above.
Walking vs Transit, Bikes and Accessibility
The walled city is compact: from the Porte de la République to the Palais des Papes is about a 12-minute walk. A €3.50 day pass covers everything a visitor normally needs on an active day.
Bikes: Vélopop' is the shared electric-bike system, with about 300 e-bikes at 29 stations in Avignon, Le Pontet and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. A monthly subscription costs €10 and an annual one €30, with trips under 30 minutes included.
Accessibility: Orizen is the booking service for travellers with reduced mobility, and Allobus is the on-demand service for outlying communes; both are booked through the Orizo app or by phone. The Baladine has no wheelchair ramp.
Essential Preparation and Troubleshooting
Strikes happen in France and can change timetables, and the Orizo app pushes real-time alerts, which is the best reason to install it before you leave home. During school holidays Orizo adapts the hours of some lines, so check the app the night before.
When the prefecture triggers a pollution alert (as it did for ozone in late June 2026), Grand Avignon has made buses and trams free for the duration of the episode, and Crit'Air-based traffic limits can apply to cars. If you miss the last service, taxis queue at both train stations.
Keep your belongings close on crowded vehicles during festival weeks, and keep your phone charged if your ticket lives in the app.
Public Transport During the Festival d'Avignon
The 2026 Festival d'Avignon ran from 4 to 25 July. During the festival the city restricts cars inside the ramparts from 12:00 to 02:00, rue de la République closes to traffic from 11:00, and only registered residents and permitted users may drive in. The city points festival visitors to the Piot and Italiens park-and-rides, whose free shuttles run frequently (in July 2026, about every 5 minutes from Piot and every 5 to 7 minutes from Italiens), plus extra summer park-and-rides at Courtine (lines 10 and 20), Saint-Chamand (tram T1) and Agroparc (Chron'hop C3).
- Buy your tickets in the Orizo app beforehand, since machine queues grow during festival weeks.
- Add 10 to 15 minutes to any journey that ends inside the ramparts.
- Check the Orizo service alerts each morning for rerouted stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free shuttle bus in Avignon, and what are its hours?
Yes. The Baladine mini-shuttles inside the walls are free every day, and you can flag them down anywhere on the route. The Navette Piot (Île Piot park-and-ride to Porte de l'Oulle) is free Monday to Saturday, about every 10 minutes by day, and the CityZen Italiens shuttle (Italiens park-and-ride to Place Pie) is free, every 5 to 12 minutes from 7:00 to 21:00, including Sundays and public holidays.
How much is a bus ticket in Avignon in 2026?
A single Orizo ticket costs €1.40 and is valid for one hour with transfers. A 10-trip ticket is €10, a 24-hour pass €3.50 and a 48-hour pass €7. The Baladine and other city-centre shuttles are free.
How do I pay for the bus in Avignon?
Buy a ticket in the Orizo app (iOS and Android), at the ticket machines at tram and Chron'hop stops, at partner shops, or at the Orizo boutique at Gare Centre. Then validate it on the validator when you board. The SNCF Connect app also sells some Orizo tickets.
Does the tram go to the Avignon TGV station?
No. Tram T1 runs between Saint-Roch and Saint-Chamand via Gare Centre. From Avignon TGV, take the TER shuttle train La Virgule to Avignon Centre (about 4 to 6 minutes) or Orizo line 10 to Avignon Poste (about 20 minutes).
Is Avignon walkable, or do I need public transport?
The walled centre is very walkable: the Palais des Papes, Pont Saint-Bénézet, Place de l'Horloge and the main museums are all within about 15 minutes on foot. You need the network mainly for hotels outside the ramparts, park-and-ride lots, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and the TGV station.
Is public transport in Avignon free on weekends?
No, standard Orizo buses and trams need a ticket every day. Only the free shuttles (Baladine, Navette Piot, CityZen) carry passengers without one, and Grand Avignon makes the whole network free during pollution-peak alerts.
Public transport in Avignon is simple: a flat €1.40 fare, free Baladine and park-and-ride shuttles, and a tram that links the station to the university district. Walk the centre, ride the network for the edges. Before you arrive, read our how to reach Avignon guide for train, bus and car options, and plan your days with the Avignon itinerary.