How to Get to Marseille (Marseille Transportation Guide)

Article written by Elisa - Travel Writer & Local in France
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Visit Marseille, France

The capital of Provence, Marseille, is one of the most beautiful cities in France. The Mediterranean port city and capital of Provence is, in fact, France’s third largest city after Paris and Lyon.

There are a plethora of reasons why you may want to visit Marseille. It’s a cultural city with great food and over 300 days of sunshine a year. Marseille’s location also makes it an excellent base for visiting other beautiful places in Provence or an exciting starting point for a road trip in Southern France.

In 2024, Marseille will host some of the Paris 2024 Olympics football matches and sailing events. But perhaps you want to visit Marseille before? Well, look no further; this is your Marseille transportation guide to getting to Marseille from Paris, other Olympic cities in France, and abroad.  

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How to Get to Marseille from Abroad

1. By Plane

Marseille-Provence (MRS) is the city’s international airport and is located around 25 km northwest of Marseille. The airport is one of the busiest airports in France and receives flights from all over France and Europe on a daily basis.

Marseille-Provence (MRS) also connects those flying from Africa and the Middle East. There are currently no direct flights from the U.S. to Marseille, but connections can be made via Dublin, London, and Paris –Click here to book your flight tickets to Marseille

Once you’ve arrived, you’ll be pleased to know the airport is well connected to Marseille itself. You can travel from the airport easily via bus or train. You can check out more details here.

It is also possible to travel from Marseille Airport to the city via private transfer. This is a super convenient way of reaching the city if you are traveling as part of a large group or have a lot of luggage. Sit back and relax as everything is taken care of for you.

We like Welcome Pickups‘ services for private transfers from Marseille Airport to the city; Welcome has good cars and the best English-speaking drivers in Marseille. 

And in case there’s no availability with Welcome Pickups, here’s another private transfer option by Get Your Guide that gets good reviews.

2. By Train

Traveling to Marseille by train is also extremely convenient as the train station (Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles) is located in central Marseille. As well as the convenience of traveling by train within France to Marseille Saint-Charles Train Station, it is also possible to travel via train from other neighboring countries.

If you are visiting from other European countries, then it’s good to know that you can even get direct trains to Marseille. There are direct trains from Milan to Marseille that take under eight hours and trains from Barcelona to Marseille that are just over seven hours.

You can also travel from Geneva to Marseille and from Frankfurt to Marseille with only one change. If flying isn’t your thing, you can even reach Marseille from London with a change in Paris in around 20 hours.

If this is your first time traveling around France by train, check out our quick guide to train travel in France to get familiar with the different train options – Click here to book your train tickets to Marseille

3. By Bus

Just behind Marseille’s main train station is the Marseille Saint-Charles Bus Station. Buses, including Flixbus depart and arrive in Marseille on a daily basis from all over France and Europe.

Buses are often a more affordable way of traveling around Europe, and they depart from a number of European destinations. You can get a 21-hour bus from London Victoria Coach Station to Marseille. Buses from Barcelona to Marseille take around 7 hours and 40 minutes, and from Milan, you can be in Marseille in less than 9 hours – Click here to book your bus tickets to Marseille

How to Get to Marseille from Paris

If you are considering Marseille as a weekend getaway from Paris, traveling from Paris to Marseille couldn’t be easier. Or perhaps you want to attend some Olympic events in Marseille before traveling from Marseille to Paris for the finals?

In any case, here’s how to get to Marseille from Paris.

1. By Plane

Flying from Paris to Marseille is possible, but it’s not recommended for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s not eco-friendly, why take the plane when you could take a train! Secondly, when adding transportation and check-in time to arrive and leave the airport, it really does add a lot of time to your journey.

Flights to Marseille-Provence Airport leave from Orly Airport (ORY), Beauvais-Tillé Airport (BVA), and Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Air France and Lufthansa are the main airlines that travel between the two destinations, and there are, on average, 30 flights a day for getting from Paris to Marseille, so plenty of times to choose from – Click here to book your flight from Paris to Marseille

2. By Train

Getting from Paris to Marseille by train is fast, easy, and direct. There are around 18 trains a day departing as early as 6:30 a.m. from Paris Gare de Lyon and Marne La Vallée Chessy train station. Marne la Vallée Chessy is on the outskirts of Paris and usually has cheaper ticket options. From central Paris, you will have to take an RER A train to reach Marne La Vallée Chessy train station (40 min).

Depending on your ticket and departure time, the fastest train can get you to Marseille directly in just over 3 hours, with the longest train taking around 4 hours and 20 minutes with a change at Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu – Click here to book your train to Marseille from Paris

3. By Bus

Whilst it’s only recommended to get the bus from Paris to Marseille if you are traveling on a budget, it’s still a feasible way to reach the South of France.

You can book your bus tickets for visiting Marseille with Flixbus as it’s the most popular and reliable option. Direct buses depart Paris Bercy Seine station roughly three times a day and arrive at Marseille Saint-Charles station.

The journey time on direct buses from Paris to Marseille is around 10 hours. There are other buses leaving throughout the day, but these require a transfer. If you don’t have much time but want to keep things cheap, then you can use the buses that leave just after midnight. This will mean you can arrive in Marseille in the morning and spend the rest of the day exploring – Click here to see all the bus options from Paris to Marseille

With more time available, you can consider this ultimate French road trip which covers all the French Olympic Cities (well, except Tahiti! 😉 ). If you don’t have a car in France, you can rent one in Marseille with DiscoverCars.com. Check out our best tips for renting a car in France.

So there you have it, the Marseille transportation guide with everything you need to know on how to get to Marseille from Paris, France, or abroad smoothly.

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