Marseilles Transportation

Getting there:

By Air:

The Marseille Province Airport ( +33 04 42 14 14 14/ http://www.mrsairport.com/) is located 17 miles northwest of the city center. Airlines include:

Aerlingus ( +33 1 53 43 79 10/ http://www.aerlingus.com/)
Aigle Azur (+33 810 797 997/ http://www.aigle-azur.fr/)
Air Algerie ( +33 4 95 09 31 10/ http://www.airalgerie.dz/)
Air Australia ( +33 825 013 012)
Air France ( +33 820 820 820/ http://www.airfrance.fr/)
Air Gabon ( +33 4 91 90 7478)
Air Ivoire ( +33 0 825 064 066)
Air Malta ( +33 1 58 18 64 05/ http://www.airmalta.com/)
Air Senegal ( +33 820 202 123/ http://www.air-senegal-international.com/)
Air Transat ( +877 872 6728/ http://www.airtransat.com)
Alitalia ( +33 820 315 315/ http://www.alitalia.fr/)
Britannia Airways ( +33 825 825 400.http://www.britanniaairways.com/ )
CCM ( +33 820 820 820/ http://www.aircorsica.com/)
Condor ( +1 800 524 6975/ http://www7.condor.com)
Corsa Air ( +33 825 000 825/ http://www.corsaair.fr/)
CSA Czech Airlines ( +33 1 47 42 18 11/ http://www.czechairlines.com/)
Easy Jet ( +33 8 25 08 25 08/ http://www.easyjet.com/)
Hapag Lloyd Express ( +33 825 026 071/ http://www.hlx.com/)
Iberia ( +33 820 075 075/ http://www.iberia.com/)
KLM Exel ( +33 890 710 71/ http://www.klm.com/)
Lufansa ( +33 826 10 33 34/ http://www.lufansa.com/)
Maersk Air ( +33 825 320 321)
PGA Airlines ( +33 4 42 14 34 10/ http://www.pga.pt/)
Royal Air Maroc ( +33 820 821 821/ http://www.royalairmaroc.com/)
SN Brussels Airlines ( +33 826 10 18 18/ http://www.flysn.fr/)
Tunis Air ( +33 820 044 044/ http://www.tunisair.com/)
Twin Jet ( +33 892 707 737/ http://www.twinjet.net/)
Yermenia ( +33 1 42 56 06 00/ http://www.yermenia.ye/)

Shuttle buses are available to and from the Airport and Marseille Saint-Charles Rail Station. The journey time is about 25 minutes and shuttles run every 20 minutes during peak hours.

Taxis are available 24 hours a day and can be booked over the phone at +33 04 42 88 11 44. Check their website at http://www.taxis-aeroport.com.

Rental car services at the airport include:

ADA ( +33 04 42 14 30 44/ http://www.ada-location.com/ )
Avis ( +33 04 42 14 21 67/ http://www.avis.fr/ )
Budget ( +33 04 42 14 24 55/ http://www.budget.fr/ )
Europcar ( +33 04 42 14 24 75/ http://www.europcar.fr/ )
Hertz ( +33 04 42 14 34 66/ http://www.hertz.fr/ )
National ( +33 04 42 14 24 90/ http://www.citer.fr/ )
Sixt ( +33 04 42 14 35 30/ http://www.sixt.fr/ )

By Rail:

Marseille is connected to hundreds of European cities by railway. TGV (http://www.tgv.com ) bullet trains run from cities including Paris, London, Rome, Madrid, Geneva, Milan, Barcelona, and Brussels regularly.

By Bus:

Buses arrive in Marseille at the Gare Routiere at place Victor Hugo ( +33 04 91 08 1640) near the St-Charles Railway Station.

By Car:

Access Marseille via the north motorway (A7), the coastal motorway (A55), and the east motorway (A50).

Getting Around:

The bus station ( +33 4 91 08 1640) in Marseille is located at Victor Hugo next to the train station and offers connections to cities and small towns in the area.

There are rental car agencies at both the airport and St-Charles Railway Station. Taxis are also available in select locations throughout the city.

Bicycles can be rented at the train station in Marseille and cost about EUR10 per day.

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.