How to Get Around Marseille: Info, Costs, and Tips

Cities by the sea, in the south of France, Marseille is yet to be discovered. You can get lost in the alleys and streets of the oldest neighborhoods and stroll along the Old Port, where fishermen offer their fresh catch. The city also features churches, ancient basilicas, modern buildings, and numerous other attractions and monuments of interest.

Known as the Naples of France, Marseille has an active and efficient public transportation system. It's a large city, but it's possible to explore every corner of its historic center on foot. Here's a guide on how to get around Marseille: info, costs, and tips!

Marseille is best explored on foot, especially considering the size of its historical center. The Corniche and Canebière (the main street) are must-see locations to visit on foot. However, the city is rich in historical neighborhoods that wind through small streets: for an initial orientation and to avoid getting lost in its alleys, it's recommended to first take a free tour in Italian, a free tour to identify the main landmarks and get oriented. To reach the hill of the Cathedral, you can walk about 1 km, followed by a long staircase to the church square. Alternatively, the tourist train departs from the old port and arrives directly at the square, costing around €6.00.

For the more distant attractions, the public transport service is excellent, with metro, buses, and trams, all accessible with the same ticket. There's the classic paper ticket or the Carte Transpass, a rechargeable card that allows for discounted travel. The purchase of the Marseille City Pass is recommended, available for 24, 48, or 72 hours, allowing you to travel unlimited on public transport and enjoy free entries and discounts on attractions and activities!

Finally, Marseille is one of the most beautiful port cities in Europe: take a free ride on a ferry! A solar-powered boat departs from the Town Hall dock, offering a free tour of the port while passing by the forts Saint Nicolas and Saint Jean. The latter is connected to the Mucem by a bridge, also created in 2013.

The Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is located in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in the municipality of Marignane, approximately 25 km from the center. It is the fifth largest airport in France by passenger traffic. There are 3 terminals: one used for international flights, while the other two are used only for domestic flights.

From here, you can reach Marseille via train, bus, or private taxi. The taxi is, of course, the most comfortable means but also the most expensive, with surcharges during nighttime. The airport shuttle operates from 4:10 AM to 11:30 PM and departs from Terminal 1 (MP1). Be careful because each shuttle follows a different route, so make sure to get on the right one. Tickets can be purchased at the transport information kiosk in the arrivals hall or at one of the many automated ticket machines located at the arrivals terminal. Lastly, to get to Marseille by train, you must first take a free shuttle to the Vitrolles train station (the shuttle departs every 10-15 minutes, takes 5 minutes); at the train station, you need to go to platform 3 in front of Terminal 1.

Distance from the center 25 km / travel time: 30 minutes

By train free shuttle + TER train / ticket cost: €5.10

By taxi average cost €50.00 / travel time: 30 minutes

By bus average cost €8.30 / shuttle to central station of St. Charles

The best way to explore Marseille is on foot. The center is not too large and is almost entirely pedestrian. The Corniche and Canebière (the main street) should definitely be explored on foot. However, to discover the historical neighborhoods and get an initial understanding of the city, it's recommended to first take a free tour in Italian, a free two-hour tour perfect for identifying the main landmarks and getting oriented. You can start from the Vieux Port and reach other central areas like the Le Panier neighborhood where getting around on foot is easy and quick.

To get to the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde on foot, be prepared for a 30-minute uphill hike, and not all the route is traffic-free, before arriving at the church square with a long staircase. If you're short on time and/or don't feel like walking that much, there's bus number 60 or the tourist train from the old port to the square, costing around €6.00.

If you love sustainability and enjoy biking, you can also explore Marseille on two wheels. The bike sharing service is indeed available in Marseille. It operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with about 130 pickup stations throughout the city. Renting costs €1.00 for a week, but there's a deposit of €150.00 which is retained if the bike is not returned intact. On the official Marseille bike sharing website, you will find more information. Univélo Marseille is an app that provides information on rental availability and bike parking at more than 100 stations.

Biking in Marseille is a great way to discover the city and one of the simplest ways to explore less-frequented streets. Pleasant and economical, you must be very careful: there are no bike lanes, and existing ones are often blocked by pedestrians or parked cars.

Marseille has an efficient public transport system. The Régie des Transports de Marseille (RTM) is the company that manages all public transport services. Tickets and subscriptions are valid for all public transport services for one hour from the time of validation and can be purchased at all outlets displaying the RTM logo. Purchasing the Marseille City Pass is also recommended, which allows for unlimited travel for its duration!

To quickly reach all areas, both central and peripheral, without needing to change transport, the metro is recommended, which has two different lines. The buses, with their 144 lines, are especially suitable for reaching outer areas from the center and sites just outside the city. The trams operate well, but they are certainly slower than the other two means of transport, offering a panoramic view of the city.

Inaugurated in 1977, the Marseille metro has 2 lines distinguished by two different colors: one is mostly elevated, and the other is underground. The metro, the fastest and most recommended means, allows for easy access to both central and more peripheral areas. The blue line M1 consists of 10 stations and covers the northeastern area of the city, from La Fourragére to La Rose; the red line M2 covers the north-south axis of the city and goes from Bougainville to Sainte-Marguerite Dromel. It operates every day of the week from 5:00 AM to 12:30 AM (from Bougainville, the first departure is at 4:50 AM).

Downloadable map map-metro-marseille

Hours from 5:00 AM to 12:30 AM

Cost of ticket/single ride €1.70

Cost of ticket book/subscription 2 rides €3.40, book of 10 rides €15.00, daily ticket €5.20, 72h pass €10.80

The Marseille bus network is extensive and manages to connect all areas with the center and the nearby municipalities of Allauch, Plan de Cuques, and Septèmes Les Vallons. Both daytime and nighttime services (Fluobus) are available, constituting a total of 144 lines. The night buses, which include 12 lines, guarantee service until 1 AM, while daytime buses operate until 10 PM. There are also BHNS, Bus à Haute Niveau de Service. These are three special high-level lines servicing the city, identifiable by the letter B. The B2 and B3 buses, with low floors, are accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Downloadable map map-bus-marseille

Hours from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Cost of ticket/single ride €1.70, purchased on board €2.00

Cost of ticket book/subscription 2 rides €3.40, book of 10 rides €15.00, daily ticket €5.20, 72h pass €10.80

The tram service in Marseille consists of 3 lines identified by three colors: T1 (orange) covers the Noailles-Les Caillois route, T2 (yellow) covers the Arenc Le Silo-La Blancarde route, and T3 (green) runs from Arenc Le Silo to Castellane. The hours and tickets are the same as the metro. Among all the public transport in the city, the tram is the slowest. All lines and trams are accessible to the disabled.

Downloadable map map-tram-marseille

Hours from 5:00 AM to 12:30 AM

Cost of ticket/single ride €1.70

Cost of ticket book/subscription 2 rides €3.40, book of 10 rides €15.00, daily ticket €5.20, 72h pass €10.80

From late April to early October, a maritime shuttle service operates, managed by the RATM company. There's a ferry that crosses the Old Port (Vieux Port). It is obviously a tourist attraction; it represents the shortest commercial journey by boat in Europe.

Other ferries connect Marseille to L'Estaque, Les Goudes, La Pointe-Rouge, Le Frioul. Round trip €10.00, and a weekly pass at €13.00 is very convenient which includes all destinations except Frioul. There are also other companies that offer tours of the Calanques, such as mini-cruises lasting one hour or three hours (average price €22.00).

Hours from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Cost of ticket/single ride round trip €10.00; cruise to the Calanques from €22.00

Cost of ticket book/subscription weekly pass €13.00

Driving in Marseille is not ideal: the city center is characterized by narrow one-way streets, with many ups and downs, and parking is very limited. Don't underestimate the heavy city traffic, especially during peak hours and in summer, when the number of tourists in the city increases!

Let's not forget that many areas such as the Old Port, the main boulevard, and Le Panier are ZCR, meaning Zones à Circulation Restreinte, also known as ZPA, protection zones for air and pollution, active in several French cities.

In Marseille, the ZPA is active, an emergency low-emission zone. Both French and foreign drivers may enter the low-emission zone ONLY with a valid Crit'Air environmental sticker. Emergency low-emission zones come into effect when a high level of smog persists for more than three days. In France, there are six types of stickers that indicate how responsible a vehicle is for air pollution. Non-compliance with these rules results in a fine ranging from €68.00 to €375.00. The sticker is valid indefinitely and must be placed in the bottom right corner of the windshield.

You can find all the information about this on the official website for French LEZ (LEZ is the English acronym for Low Emission Zones), while you can request the sticker on the official government website.

Free parking is now rare in Marseille. With more than 15,000 spaces managed by parking meters, street parking has also experienced a price increase in recent years. Only residents and students are entitled to preferential rates.

Private parking spaces are very convenient, also boasting the significant advantage of being covered (managed by specialized companies, garages, hotels) and are generally located near strategic points of the city, such as the airport or the train station. The rate is similar to that of municipal parking and, in many cases, even cheaper. It should be noted that in private parking, there is no surcharge related to pollution.