Marseille St Charles station
 

See Marseille St Charles station information

This page explains how to buy train tickets from Marseille to other European cities at the cheapest prices, buying online direct from the operators, usually with print-at-home tickets.  Click here to buy tickets starting in another citySee Marseille St Charles station information.

I want to go from Marseille to...

      Paris   London & UK
  Lyon, Nice & elsewhere in France   Luxembourg
  Brussels, Bruges & Belgium   Geneva, Basel & Switzerland
  Amsterdam & Netherlands   Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome & Italy
  Cologne, Frankfurt & Germany   Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian & Spain
  Lisbon, Porto, Algarve & Portugal   All other European destinations

Before you buy your tickets...

Take a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets.  It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I just buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just buy a €35 point-to-point ticket online?".  And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.

European train travel FAQ...

An introduction to European train travel

 

Senior fares (over 60)

 

Guide to Eurail passes (overseas visitors)

Important tips for buying European train tickets

Youth fares (under 26)

 

Guide to Interrail passes (for Europeans)

How to check European train times

Child fares & child age limits

 

Couchettes & sleepers on night trains

Do I need to book in advance?

Luggage on European trains

 

Train seat numbering plans

How far ahead can I book?

Luggage storage at stations

 

Wheelchairs & special needs

Can I stop off on the way?

Taking a bike by train

 

Real-time service updates

Should I travel 1st or 2nd class?

Taking a car by train

 

Hotels & accommodation

How long to allow for connections?

Taking dogs & pets by train

 

Changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi

How early to arrive at the station?

Maps of the European rail network

 

What to do when things go wrong...


Marseille to Paris from €20...

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Marseille to Lyon, Nice & anywhere else in France...

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Marseille to Brussels, Bruges & Belgium...

Option 1, Marseille to Brussels by direct TGV in 5h50.  The fastest & easiest option...

Option 2, Marseille to Brussels via Paris.  Means changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi, but more frequent, sometimes cheaper...

A Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris

A Eurostar high-speed train.  See panorama photos inside the trainMore information about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

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Marseille to Amsterdam & the Netherlands...

Option 1, Marseille to Amsterdam with one easy change in Brussels.  The easiest option...

Option 2, Marseille to Amsterdam via Paris.  Means changing stations in Paris by metro or taxi, but more frequent, sometimes cheaper...

A Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris

A Eurostar at Amsterdam Centraal.  See panorama photos inside the trainMore information about Eurostar (formerly Thalys).

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Marseille to Luxembourg...

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Marseille to London...

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Marseille to Switzerland...

Option 1, Marseille to Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Gstaad & Western Switzerland...

Option 2, Marseille to Basel, Zurich & central Switzerland...

Option 3, Marseille to Switzerland via Milan.  A round-about route, but scenic, interesting and can be good to southern Switzerland...

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Marseille to Italy...

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Marseille to Spain...

Marseille to Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Seville...

Option 1, Marseille to Barcelona by direct AVE train - the recommended option...

  • A direct AVE S100 high-speed train leaves Marseille St Charles at 08:04 and arrives Barcelona Sants at 12:38 & Madrid Atocha 15:45.

    This train starts running on 29 July 2023, initially only Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays, becoming daily all year from 30 September 2023.

    It's a comfortable Spanish high-speed train with a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Look out for Béziers cathedral on the right, colonies of flamingos on the étangs in southern France, the Fort de Salses on the right approaching Perpignan and great views of the imposing 2,784m Mt Canigou as the train rounds the southern end of the Pyrenees.  More information about AVE S100 & this journey.

  • Fares to Barcelona start at €25 in 2nd class or €45 in 1st class, fares to Madrid start at €44 in 2nd class or €54 in 1st class.  Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.

  • Buy tickets at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or using Renfe's own website www.renfe.com (in €, more fiddly, may reject some overseas credit cards, see advice on using it).  Booking opens up to 4 months ahead.  You print your own ticket or can show a mobile ticket on your phone.

  • Change in Barcelona for trains to Valencia & Alicante.  Change in Madrid for trains to Cordoba, Seville, Granada & Malaga.  I'd allow at least an hour between trains in Barcelona or Madrid.  Book this onward train as a second transaction at the same website.

Option 2, Marseille to Barcelona, late morning departure...

Option 3, Marseille to Barcelona, later departure...

Mt Canigou in the Pyrenees

Mt Canigou & the Pyrenees, seen from the train...  One of the highest peaks in the mighty Pyrenees, the 2,784m (9,137 feet) high Mt Canigou dominates the skyline on the right all the way from Perpignan to Girona, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canigou.

Marseille to San Sebastian or Bilbao

 Option 1, Marseille to San Sebastian & Bilbao via Barcelona.  The fastest & easiest option...

Option 2, Marseille to San Sebastian via Hendaye.  A useful alternative...

Hendaye SNCF station   Hendaye station Euskotren ticket machine

At Hendaye, get off the train, walk off the platform through the SNCF station ticket hall...

 

...there's an Euskotren ticket machine to the right of the exit doors, you can either buy a ticket here or in the Euskotren station...

Hendaye SNCF & Euskotren stations

The Euskotren station is 50m across the forecourt from the mainline SNCF station.  Courtesy of Geoff Phillips.

Hendaia Euskoten station, for trains to San Sebastian   Inside Euskotren station at Hendaye

The new Hendaye Euskotren station, for trains to San Sebastian.  Photo courtesy of Geoff Phillips.

 

Hendaye Euskotren station, looking back towards the station building.  Photo courtesy of Nicholas Brooke.

Euskotren train to San Sebastian at Hendaye   Inside Euskotren to San Sebastian

There is only one platform, and it's where the trains start.  So no worries, you can't get on the wrong train, they all go to Irun and San Sebastian-Donostia Amara.  These air-conditioned metro trains leave every 30 minutes, a turn-up-and-go metro service.  There's plenty of space for luggage and they even have a wheelchair-accessible toilet.

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Marseille to Lisbon & Portugal...

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Marseille to Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin & Germany...

Option 1, Marseille to Germany by daily direct TGV to Baden-Baden, Mannheim & Frankfurt.  The fastest & easiest option...

Option 2, Marseille to Germany via Paris.  Wider choice of departures, but means changing stations in Paris..

Frankfurt to Marseille TGV

The Marseille-Frankfurt TGV Duplex, seen at Frankfurt am Main Hbf...

TGV Duplex cafe-bar   TGV Duplex upper deck 2nd class seats

The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwave-style hot dishes...

 

2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating.  There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating.  360º photo.

First class on board a TGV Duplex   A TGV Duplex at Frankfurt

1st class seats on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right. 360º photo.

 

The Marseille-Frankfurt TGV, at Frankfurt am Main Hbf.  You enter on the lower deck, with 9 stairs up to top deck.

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Marseille to all other countries...

Option 1, via Mannheim.  Suitable for travel to Scandinavia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Russia...

Option 2, via Paris.  Also suitable for travel to Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, but usually a more expensive routing...

Option 3, via Milan.  Useful for travel to Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic & beyond...

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