Marseille Day Trips by Train and Boat
Marseille Day Trips by Train and Boat
The fastest escape from Marseille is a 25-minute train ride to a harbour with a limestone cliff behind it. Most of the good day trips run from Saint-Charles station and need no car.
Cassis and the Calanques by boat
Direct TER trains run from Saint-Charles to Cassis about every 30 minutes, taking 25 minutes, with fares from about €8. A local shuttle bus links the station to the village and harbour in roughly 10 minutes. Above the town, Cap Canaille drops 394 metres to the sea.
Boats leave from the harbour quays for the calanques without any hiking. Listed circuits are 1 hour for 3 calanques at €21, 1 hour 20 for 5 at €25, 1 hour 50 for 8 at €29 and 2 hours 20 for 9 at €33. Fire-risk rules apply from 1 June to 30 September: on red-alert days boats still sail but cannot land, and land access to the massifs is forbidden. Check the Calanques National Park site before any summer visit. Sugiton and Pierres Tombées need a free reservation on busy summer dates, and for 2027 dates the park site is the place to look. The Cassis tourist office lists the current boat operators.
Aix-en-Provence
Trains and the express coach take 30 to 40 minutes from Saint-Charles, with a train fare of about €10.90. Walk the plane-lined Cours Mirabeau, visit Cézanne’s studio on the hill, and try a calisson, the almond sweet of Aix.
Arles
The train takes 50 to 55 minutes, with fares from about €11 and often €13 to €20. The Roman amphitheatre, the antique theatre and the Van Gogh trail are all walkable from the centre, and Frank Gehry’s silver tower for LUMA rises at the edge of town.
Avignon
A TGV reaches Avignon in about 35 minutes, with advance fares of about €14 to €28. The Palais des Papes costs €16 alone or €19.50 with the Pont d’Avignon, and online time slots are worth booking. See palais-des-papes.com for current hours.
The Camargue
The wetland delta is about 80 km west and works best with a car or a guided tour. Pink flamingos, white horses and black bulls roam the lagoons, and the Pont de Gau bird park charges about €8 for adults. If you prefer a driver, compare Camargue day tours from Marseille and check pickup points first.
Practical points
Buy rail tickets through SNCF Connect and keep an eye on your bag in the station hall at Saint-Charles. Fares vary by ticket type, so treat the figures above as a guide.
For the city side of your stay, see the multi-day trips page and the 4-day Marseille itinerary .
Tip: take the early train to Cassis, ride a boat circuit before lunch and be back at Saint-Charles before the evening rush.