Planning a Trip

Getting There

The airport (tel. 04-42-14-14-14), 27km (17 miles) northwest of the city center, receives international flights from all over Europe. From the airport, blue-and-white minivans (navettes) make the trip to Marseille's St-Charles rail station, near the Vieux Port, for 8.50€ ($11). The minivans run daily every 20 minutes from 6am (hourly) or to the arrival of the last flight.

Marseille has train connections from all over Europe, with especially good connections to and from Italy. The city is the terminus for the TGV bullet train, which departs daily from Paris's Gare de Lyon (trip time: 3 hr., 15 min.; one-way fare 75€ to 95€/$98-$124). Some Parisians plan a day trip to the Mediterranean beaches at Marseille, returning to the City of Light for dinner. Local trains leave Paris almost every hour, making a number of stops before reaching Marseille. For information, call tel. 36-35, or visit www.voyages-sncf.com. Buses serve the Gare Routière, place Victor Hugo (tel. 04-91-08-16-40), adjacent to the St-Charles railway station. Five buses arrive from Avignon a day. Tickets are 15€ ($20) and the trip takes 2 hours. Buses arrive from Aix-en-Provence every 20 minutes, a one-way ticket costing 4.40€ ($5.70; trip time: 45 min.).

If driving from Paris, follow A6 south to Lyon, then continue south along A7 to Marseille. The drive takes about 7 hours. From Provence, take A7 south to Marseille.

Visitor Information

The Office de Tourisme is at 4 la Canebière (tel. 04-91-13-89-00; fax 04-91-13-89-20; www.marseille-tourisme.com; Métro: Vieux Port).

Getting Around

Marseille has an adequate Métro (subway or underground) system in the center of town. All Métro and bus lines are run by RTM, 6 rue des Fabres (tel. 04-91-91-92-10; French-only website: www.rtm.fr). Tickets, sold at all bus and Métro stations, are good for 1 hour for travel on the bus or subway, costing 1.70€ ($2.20). You can buy tickets on the bus or at a Métro entrance with exact change. The best deal is a 24-hour day pass for 4.50€ ($5.85), sold at the tourist offices, or at bus or Métro stations. Another deal is a Carte Liberté, 6 to 12€ ($7.80-$13) for 5 to 10 trips, respectively. The most useful Métro lines are No. 1 and No. 2 which take you to the rail station; no. 1 also goes to the Vieux Port (the old port), the most intriguing district for sightseeing.