Marseille is the second-largest city in France and a perfect starting point for day trips by train from Marseille around Occitanie and Provance. Marseille is well-connected with the rest of the France by regional and high-speed trains.
In the article, I briefly described the places that can be reached by regional trains in less or about two hours. If you will choose TGV, you can quickly get to Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Lyon. However, these trains are significantly more expensive than regional trains. Journey time from Marseille to Paris by TGV trains is more than 3 hours. Currently, there are direct trains from Marseille to Bruxelles (on certain days).
Day trips from Marseille by train
Train Marseille – Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence – a charming city founded in Roman times, located about 30 kilometres north from Marseille. It is a typical Provencal city with many narrow, winding streets fulfilled with restaurants and cafes. The Cours Mirabeau is a main avenue through the city centre – it runs from east to west the city centre and is lined by impressive houses from 17th and 18th century. The city is also known for its fountains. North of the Old Town is situated the Cathedral of the Holy Saviour built on the site of the former Roman Forum. In the city centre is worth-see an interesting residential district Quartier Mazarin. There are many museums, most important of them are: Tapestry Museum, the Museum of Old Aix, Le Musee Granet devoted to the art and archaeology in Aix and Natural History Museum.
Train Marseille – Cannes
Les Arcs-sur-Argens – a historical village with many stone old houses and narrow streets. The railway station Les Arcs Draguignan serves the village of Les Arcs and a town of Draguignan with small Old Town. Both places are worth of short visit.
Frejus – a calm ancient town where you can see the Old Town which is situated around the Place Formagé. On the place you can find two main landmarks of the town: the cathedral of Saint Léonce and town hall. Remains of the Roman aquaduct, theatre and thermes are situated close to the city centre. An interesting is also the Church of Saint Maximinus from 15th century. Not all trains stop at Frejus station.
Saint-Raphaël – a popular lively seaside resort separated from Frejus by the River Pédégal. The city has four large sandy beaches – one of them in the city centre. The small Old Town is located next to the harbour. The resort is fulfilled with cafes, restaurants and hotels. Important monuments are Church of Saint-Raphael and the Church Notre Dame de la Victoire, visitors can see also Museum of Louis de Funès and Archaeology Museum. Modern bus station is adjacent to the railway station.
Cannes – a city located on the French Riviera, famous for the annual prestigious Cannes Film Festival. There are some monuments and Le Suquet (Old Town) but most tourists spend their time on the seaside promenade La Croisette which stretches along the Mediterranean coast, lined with luxury hotels, boutiques, and restaurants. Cannes boasts several beautiful sandy beaches, many hotels and villas. You can take a ferry to the Lérins Islands (trails), St. Marguerite Island (the Fort was converted into Sea Museum) and St. Honorat Island (church and abbey).
You can continue your journey to the Antibes and Nice but journey time from Marseille is more than 2 hours.
Train Marseille – Avignon
Note: According to the timetable not all trains towards Avignon Centre station stop in Arles.
Arles – a charming compact city where many artists have lived, including Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. The main higlights are dating back to the Roman times and most of them is listed as a UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Most famous is Roman amphiteatre, worth-visit are also Roman Theatre, the Alyscamps – a large Roman necropolis, the Thermae of Constantine on the edge of the city and remains of Barbegal aqueduct. In the Museum of Arles and Provence visitors can see many Roman artefacts. Romanesque Church of Saint Trophime and cloister are also popular among tourists. The Museum Arlaten is dedicated to the history of the city and region.
Avignon – one of the most famous cities in France, known as the “City of Popes”. The historical centre of Avignon is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The symbol of the city is Pont d’Avignon and Palais des Papes – the palace complex served as the residence of several popes during the 14th century. Its imposing grand halls and intricate frescoes draw millions of visitors each year. The well-preserved medieval Old Town is surrounded by the original fortified city walls. There are many churches and impressive buildings, so there is a possible to plan one-day trip to Avignon, but if you want to explore the city, you will need two or three days.
Train Marseille – Toulon
Cassis – a small fishing port and resort with colorful houses and picturesque port. Close to the town is located Calanques National Park and stunning cliffs.
Toulon – an average medium-sized city, largely destroyed during World War II. It is known as a naval base of French army. You can visit Old Town, a popular seaside resort of Le Mourillon in neighbourhood and take a cable car to the Mount Faron. Toulon has a several interesting museums, for example Museum of the French Navy, Museum of Old Toulon and Region, Museum of Natural History of Toulon, Museum of Art, Memorial Museum to the Landings in Provence, Mediterranean Center of Art, Museum of Asian Arts, and Museum of Photography.
Train Marseille – Nimes
There is possible to organize day trip from Marseille by train to Nimes and Montpellier, but you need to change regional trains at Arles train station.
Nimes – a beautiful city often called “the French Rome”. There are interesting monuments from Roman Times: well-preserved amphitheatre, the Augustan Temple, Temple of Diana, and ancient aqueduct Pont du Gard, and Roman Temple “Maison carrée”. Tourists can also visit the cathedral and Museum of Fine Arts. Only the Magne Tower remained from the original city fortifications.
Montpellier – a vibrant city renowned for educational institutions and football club. You can see the Place de la Comédie – the heart of the city, not large Old Town, Cathedral of Saint Peter, Musée Fabre with an impressive collection of paintings and sculpture. The important landmarks of the city, for example iconic Porte du Peyrou, a triumphal arch a statue of Louis XIV and the Aqueduct Saint-Clément, are visible from the Promenade du Peyrou. Montpellier has the oldest botanical garden in France.
Related articles:
Train travel in France – a comprehensive guide
