You can only take high speed trains from Paris to Marseille station, but both the regular TGV InOui services and low-cost, but more basic, Ouigo services share the route.
It's particularly worthwhile to click on the Train Guides below so that you can compare the two train services.
However, if you need to arrive at a specific time you will often have to take one train service or the other.
The Ouigo services can plug gaps between the TGV InOui departures.
Note that these trains to Marseille depart from the Gare de Lyon in Paris.
Final Destination: Marseille or Nice or Menton
Most trains also call at: Avignon TGV and Aix-en-Provence TGV
The fastest trains of all are non-stop between Paris and Marseille, the trains which are usually scheduled to depart at 09:07; 10:07; and 17:07)
In terms of distance travelled this is one of the longest non-stop European journeys by high speed trains.
Mon - Thurs = 11 x trains per day
Friday = 13 x trains
Saturday = 11 x trains
Sunday = 13 x trains
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 months ahead of the travel date - but bookings can open sooner when SNCF is running a promotion.
If tickets aren't on sale yet for your travel date, you can sign up to the ticket availability notification service on Oui.SNCF.
When looking for tickets on Oui.SNCF tick the 'direct trains' box, on Trainline tick the 'fastest journeys' box.
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.
Expect to pay more for this journey between the beginning of June and mid-September - particularly if you will be travelling on a Friday or Saturday.
Note that cheaper, but more basic Ouigo trains now operate on this route from Paris Gare De Lyon to Marseille.
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey,
Rail Pass Users:
If you will be travelling with an InterRail or Eurail pass, you will have to pay a reservation fee prior to boarding these TGV trains, more info is available on our guide to using rail passes in France.
If you'd rather not pay the fees, then the alternative routing is to take TER trains - though you'll be travelling for more than eight hours.
The route is:
(1) Paris to Lyon
(2) Lyon to Marseille
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
Oui.SNCF | from €41 | |
Download the Oui.SNCF app | from €41 | |
SaveATrain | from €41 | |
Happyrail | from €41 | |
Omio | from €41 | |
Trainline | from €41 | |
RailEurope | from €41 |
The low-cost, but more basic, Ouigo trains, now provide a direct alternative to these InOui trains for a journey from Paris to Marseille.
That's because *there are now 3 x Ouigo trains per day from Paris Gare De Lyon to Marseille.
In terms of distance travelled this is one of the longest non-stop European journeys by high speed trains and you should be travelling at more than 270 km/h for more than 90% of this trip.
The train will head on to the high speed line around 10 mins into the journey and won't leave it until it reaches the outskirts of Marseille.
The route becomes more scenic on the final 30 - 40mis of the ride, when the train will be travelling across Provence.
Final Destination: Marseille
When making a train journey from central Paris to Marseille, you now have a choice of travelling by standard TGV InOui trains or by these Ougio trains.
So you can now opt to save money, but have a much more basic on board experience, and travel on a Ouigo.
Also if you'll need or want to arrive in Marseille between 15:15 and 18:45, you'll have to take these trains.
That's because from 11:39 to 15:39 they now plug a 4 hour gap between the departures of those alternative TGV InOui trains from Paris Gare de Lyon to Marseille.
3 x trains per day
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings open: 6 months ahead* of the travel date, usually
*Tickets for the alternative service of TGV InOui trains are usually made available 4 months ahead, so if you look up this journey more than 4 months ahead on Oui.SNCF, you will only see these Ouigo services, but they are not the only option on this route.
How tickets can be booked and used for a journey by a Ouigo train, differs from booking tickets on a TGV (InOui) service.
What is particularly worth being aware of when booking tickets for journeys by Ouigo train services is:
(1) 1st class/Premiere tickets are not available.
(2) Reservations are included when booking, as they are on TGV InOui trains, but you can opt to pay a surcharge to select a specific seat (more info is available on the Ouigo 'Train Guide').
(3) You cannot book or collect tickets for Ouigo trains at stations.
(4) Additional fees apply if you want access to a power socket, or to travel with additional luggage; click the Ouigo 'Train Guide' to access more info on the luggage allowances on Ouigo trains; they're more restrictive than on TGV InOui trains.
Though these factors, and more, are why you can make big savings by opting to travel by these Ouigo trains and not on the standard TGV InOui trains..
Eurail and InterRail Pass Users:
Rail passes cannot be used on Ouigo trains, but if you will be travelling with a 2nd class pass, our guide to using rail passes in France, explains why taking a Ouigo train can be worth considering.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
Oui.SNCF | from €19 | |
Ouigo | from €19 | |
Trainline | from €19 |
If you do opt to travel from Paris to Marseille by these Ouigo trains, you should aim to be at the Gare De Lyon, 30 mins before the train is due to depart.
And that's because you need to pass through 'reception' before boarding a Ouigo train, staff need to verify that all passengers are abiding by the 'rules' of travelling on a Ouigo train, no additional un-booked luggage, no bikes etc.
These Ouigo trains travel on the same high speed line between Paris and Marseille which the alternative TGV InOui trains take.
So you should be travelling at more than 270 km/h for more than 90% of this journey.
The train will head on to the high speed line around 10 mins into the journey and won't leave it until it reaches the outskirts of Marseille.
The route becomes more scenic on the final 30 - 40mis of the trip, when the train will be travelling across Provence.
Sign up to receive the latest travel news stories and to hear about what we've been working on for you.
This is one of more than 1000 journey guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.