The port of Marseille is the most important transport hub on the Mediterranean coast of France. The main train station, Marseille-St-Charles, enjoys excellent connections with provincial cities across France, with regular departures for Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes, Nice and Strasbourg. Fast TGV trains take just over three hours for the 750-km journey from Paris to Marseille.

On 1 May 2015, Eurostar launched its new direct train from London to Marseille. It is the first time that there have ever been direct scheduled trains from England to the shores of the Mediterranean. In 2019, the direct Eurostar from London to Marseille runs three or four times per week from early May until mid-September.

There are other useful international services, including several trains each day to Brussels and direct services to Switzerland (Geneva), Italy (Genoa and Milan), Spain (Barcelona and Madrid) and Germany (Baden-Baden, Karlsruhe and Frankfurt-am-Main). It’s easy to see why Marseille is a key stop on many itineraries through southern France.

Most visitors to Marseille focus on the Old Town with its historic port district – which is called the Vieux Port. Spend a day or two lingering in and around the old fish market and the waterfront which boasts a fine range of cafés and seafood restaurants. Culture vultures make for the striking new Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (MuCEM). With boat trips out to the islands in the bay and excursions east from the city along the rocky limestone coast, Marseille makes a perfect base for a few days exploring western Provence. The city is also a good jumping-off point for excursions into the Alps, with direct regional train services to Gap and Briançon.