Marseille Day Trips, Ranked by Time on the Train
Marseille Day Trips, Ranked by Time on the Train
Saint-Charles station is the starting line for every good day trip from Marseille, and the quickest destinations are closer than most people expect. Here they are in order of journey time.
Cassis: 25 minutes
Direct TER trains leave about every 30 minutes, with fares from roughly €8. A local bus covers the last stretch from the station to the harbour in about 10 minutes. Boats to the calanques sail from the quays, with listed circuits at €21 for 3 calanques, €25 for 5, €29 for 8 and €33 for 9. They take from 1 hour to 2 hours 20.
Between 1 June and 30 September, fire-risk rules apply. On a red-alert day, land access to the massifs is forbidden, and boats keep sailing but do not land. Check the Calanques National Park site the evening before. The same site has the free reservation system for Sugiton and Pierres Tombées on busy summer dates, and it is the place to check for 2027 dates.
Avignon: about 35 minutes by TGV
The fast train costs about €14 to €28 in advance, while the regional train takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. The Palais des Papes is the main stop, at €16 alone or €19.50 with the Pont d’Avignon. Time-slot booking is available on the palace website .
Aix-en-Provence: 30 to 40 minutes
Train or express coach, with a train fare of about €10.90. Walk the Cours Mirabeau, then continue to Cézanne’s studio. A bag of calissons makes an inexpensive souvenir.
Arles: 50 to 55 minutes
Fares start around €11 and often run €13 to €20. Arles packs a Roman amphitheatre, an antique theatre and the Van Gogh trail into a walkable centre. The LUMA tower by Frank Gehry stands near the edge of the old town.
The Camargue: a car or a tour
The delta lies about 80 km west of the city. White horses, black bulls and pink flamingos live on its lagoons, and the Pont de Gau bird park charges about €8 for adults and €5 for children aged 4 to 12. Without a car, compare Camargue tours from Marseille on Viator and check the pickup point.
Buying tickets
Fares vary by ticket type and how early you buy, so use the figures here as a guide and book through SNCF Connect . Rail stations and platforms are prime ground for pickpockets, so keep your bag in front of you in the Saint-Charles hall.
To plan the days around these trips, see the family activities page and the 3-day Marseille itinerary .
Tip: the first morning train to Cassis puts you on a boat before the day-trip crowds arrive.