Marseille / The verdict
Marseille airport to the city: which way?
Take the A1 airport shuttle to Saint-Charles: it runs every 10 minutes in the day, lands on metro lines M1 and M2 and costs 15 EUR single or 26 EUR return since the July 2026 hike. Budget travelers get the cheaper LeBus 13 plus TER train combo; taxis stay the 50 to 80 EUR fallback for groups and late arrivals.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Marseille story
Marseille is France's oldest city and its least polished: a working port first and a postcard second, where the rewards are the Vieux-Port at dusk, the painted lanes and laundry lines of Le Panier, MuCEM's dark lattice sitting on the water, Notre-Dame de la Garde's 360 panorama over city and sea, and above all the Calanques, limestone fjords where a boat drops anchor inside a cove for the swim of the trip.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: A1 airport shuttle (runner-up: TER train via LeBus 13)
Take the A1 airport shuttle to Saint-Charles: it runs every 10 minutes in the day, lands on metro lines M1 and M2 and costs 15 EUR single or 26 EUR return since the July 2026 hike. Budget travelers get the cheaper LeBus 13 plus TER train combo; taxis stay the 50 to 80 EUR fallback for groups and late arrivals.
Go if
- Solo travelers and pairs landing between about 4am and 1:50am who want one simple leg to the center.
- Anyone staying near Saint-Charles or the Vieux-Port: the shuttle drops you on metro M1 and M2.
- Budget travelers willing to trade a transfer for the cheapest reported ride: the LeBus 13 plus TER combo.
Skip if
- You land after about 1:50am: the shuttle has stopped and a metered taxi is the only way in.
- You carry bulky luggage and hate transfers: take the direct shuttle or a taxi, not the train combo.
- You are driving straight out to Provence: a rental car from the airport beats doubling back through Marseille.
The options
A1 airport shuttle Go
Most arrivals: solo travelers, pairs and anyone staying near Saint-Charles, the metro or the Vieux-Port.
Good
- Every 10 minutes from 7:00 to 20:00 and every 20 minutes at the edges, roughly 25 to 50 minutes to Saint-Charles.
- 15 EUR single and 26 EUR return since July 2026, with youth 12 to 25 at 7 EUR and children 6 to 11 at 5 EUR.
- Drops you at the Saint-Charles bus station on metro M1 and M2; the 16 EUR shuttle plus RTM single adds one city trip.
Watch out
- The 1 July 2026 hike to 15 EUR makes it one of France's priciest airport links per local news.
- It still lands at Saint-Charles, a hill and a metro stop or two from the Vieux-Port.
- The run is on the A7 road: reports put worst-case rides near 50 minutes in rush traffic.
TER train via LeBus 13 It depends
Budget travelers who do not mind a two-leg ride and anyone catching a train onward to Arles or Avignon.
Good
- Cheapest reported combination: 1.20 EUR for the LeBus 13 shuttle plus a distance-based TER fare.
- Up to 73 TER trains a day reach Saint-Charles in about 15 to 23 minutes, immune to A7 jams.
- The airport station also runs direct TERs toward Arles and Avignon, useful if Marseille is not the stop.
Watch out
- Two legs with bags: shuttle up the hill, then a train; allow 45 to 60 minutes door to door.
- Trains run about hourly where the shuttle runs every 10 minutes, and the last Saint-Charles TER leaves around 22:00.
- The exact TER fare is not published on the airport or operator pages; you see it at the machine or app.
Taxi or ride-hail It depends
Groups, heavy luggage, arrivals after the last shuttle and anyone who wants door to door.
Good
- 24/7 official rank in front of Terminal 1; about 25 to 40 minutes to the Vieux-Port.
- Regulated regional tariffs keep the meter predictable; reports put airport-to-center rides at roughly 50 to 80 EUR.
- Only option after the last A1 at about 1:50 and before the first city departure at 3:30.
Watch out
- Most expensive choice by far: roughly three to five times the shuttle for a solo traveler.
- Night, Sunday and holiday kilometers bill at the highest regulated band.
- Ride-hail pickup zones are less predictable than the marked taxi rank.
Official taxi ranks and airport accessPre-book a fixed-price airport pickuppartner site
Rental car It depends
Travelers driving straight out to Provence, the Luberon or the Calanques rather than into Marseille.
Good
- All major desks sit in the arrivals car park with fast motorway access onto the A7.
- Right tool when Marseille is just the landing point and the plan is a regional road trip.
Watch out
- Driving and parking in central Marseille are a liability, not a shortcut; reports call the center a poor match for a hire car.
- Fuel, tolls and city parking erase any saving versus the 15 EUR shuttle.
- One-way drop fees apply if you return the car elsewhere.
| Criterion | A1 airport shuttle | TER train via LeBus 13 | Taxi or ride-hail | Rental car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official fare | 15 EUR single, 26 EUR return; 7 EUR youth | 1.20 EUR shuttle plus a distance fare, about 6 to 8 EUR reported | Metered, about 50 to 80 EUR reported | Daily hire plus fuel, tolls and city parking |
| Journey time | 25 to 50 min, road dependent | about 45 to 60 min with the two legs | 25 to 40 min | 25 to 40 min to a car park |
| Frequency | every 10 min daytime, 20 min off-peak | shuttle about every 12 min, TER about hourly | rank on demand | desk hours vary by company |
| Operating hours | about 3:30 to 1:50 | shuttle roughly 6:30 to 20:00, TER to about 22:00 | 24/7 | 24/7 at the car park |
| Where it drops you | Saint-Charles bus station, metro M1 M2 | Saint-Charles rail station | any address | central car parks only |
| What reports flag | price jump makes it dear but still the default | cheapest combo, needs a transfer | predictable meter, steep fare | pointless inside Marseille, right for Provence |
What it costs
- A1 airport shuttle, adult single: €15 (every 10 minutes 7:00 to 20:00, every 20 minutes at the edges; about 25 to 50 minutes to Saint-Charles). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- A1 airport shuttle, adult return: €26 (a 16 EUR single plus RTM or 27 EUR return plus RTM variant adds one city transit trip each way). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- A1 airport shuttle, youth 12 to 25: €7 (children 6 to 11 pay 5 EUR and under 6 ride free). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- LeBus+13 shuttle, airport to Vitrolles-Aeroport station: €1.20 (about every 12 minutes on weekdays; the TER rail fare to Saint-Charles is separate and distance based). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Taxi, regulated flag fall plus per-km day rate: €2.22 (flag fall 2.35 EUR and 8 EUR minimum; one-way trips bill the higher kilometer band and nights and Sundays 2.88 EUR; reports put airport to center at 50 to 80 EUR). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 12 traveler reports (Apr 2025 to Aug 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 2 were negative.
What people like
- 4 of the logged reports call the A1 the simplest option: bags on racks, a direct run to Saint-Charles and a metro change on arrival.
- 2 of the logged reports praise the 10-minute daytime frequency, rare for a French airport bus.
- 2 of the logged reports say the LeBus 13 plus TER combo is the cheapest way in, well under the shuttle fare.
What people complain about
- 3 of the logged reports flag the July 2026 fare hike to 15 EUR, one calling it among the priciest airport links in France.
- 2 of the logged reports note the shuttle still ends at Saint-Charles, which means a metro or a walk on to the Vieux-Port.
- 2 of the logged reports warn the road leg stretches to about 50 minutes in rush-hour traffic.
How to do it right
- Take the A1 shuttle from the airport bus station between Terminals 1 and 2 to Saint-Charles bus station, quays 13 and 14; 25 to 50 minutes, every 10 minutes in the day.
- Buy A1 tickets at the Saint-Charles counter, on board or online; the 16 EUR shuttle plus RTM single adds one onward metro trip.
- For the TER, ride LeBus 13 from the airport bus station up to Vitrolles-Aeroport Marseille Provence station, then a regional train to Saint-Charles in 15 to 23 minutes.
- Official taxis queue in front of Terminal 1 on the metered regional tariff; confirm the meter runs before leaving.
- Landing at Terminal 2 (MP2)? Both terminals share the same airport bus station for shuttles; check screens before walking.
- After about 1:50 the last A1 has gone and before 3:30 the first city departure has not run; overnight arrivals take a taxi.
The trap to avoid
The trap is budgeting off old pages: the A1 fare jumped from 10 to 15 EUR on 1 July 2026 and plenty of 2026 guides still quote the old price. Second trap: treating the airport train as a rail link from the terminal. There is no platform at the airport; the TER requires the LeBus 13 shuttle up the hill, and after about 1:50 the only way into Marseille is a metered cab.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
Marseille Provence Airport sits 27 km northwest at Marignane, and the A1 shuttle to Saint-Charles is the pick for most arrivals. It runs every 10 minutes between 7:00 and 20:00, every 20 minutes at the edges, from about 3:30 out of the city and until about 1:50 back from the airport, and it lands you on metro M1 and M2. Since 1 July 2026 the single costs 15 EUR and the return 26 EUR, a jump local news called one of the priciest airport links in France, yet still half of what a taxi costs.
The budget pick is the TER train. A LeBus 13 shuttle links the terminal forecourt to Vitrolles-Aeroport station in about 10 minutes for 1.20 EUR, and regional trains run to Saint-Charles in 15 to 23 minutes most of the day. The combined trip is the cheapest reported way in and dodges the A7 jams, but it adds a second leg with luggage and the trains run about hourly where the shuttle runs every 10 minutes.
Taxis and ride-hail sit at the other pole: door to door in 25 to 40 minutes from the official rank in front of Terminal 1, on regulated per-kilometer tariffs that logged reports put at roughly 50 to 80 EUR to the center. Worth it for groups, heavy luggage and late arrivals; poor value solo at noon. A rental car only makes sense if you are driving straight out of Marseille.
Timing and tickets
Buy the shuttle ticket at the Saint-Charles counter, on board or online; a 16 EUR single plus RTM variant adds one city transit trip. The A1 starts 3:30 from Saint-Charles and the last airport departure is about 1:50; outside those hours a metered cab is the only way, and one-way kilometers bill the higher band.
Book or check times
A1 shuttle timetable and faresA1 shuttle, airport pageTrains and the LeBus 13 to Vitrolles stationOfficial taxi ranks and airport access
We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict. How this works
Pre-book a fixed-price airport pickuppartner site
Questions
Is there a train from Marseille Provence Airport to the city?
Not from the terminal itself. A LeBus 13 shuttle links the airport bus station to Vitrolles-Aeroport station in about 10 minutes for 1.20 EUR, then TER trains reach Saint-Charles in 15 to 23 minutes.
How much is the Marseille airport shuttle in 2026?
15 EUR single and 26 EUR return since 1 July 2026, up from 10 and 16 EUR. Youth 12 to 25 pay 7 EUR, children 6 to 11 pay 5 EUR and under 6 ride free. A 16 EUR single plus RTM variant adds one city transit trip.
How do I get from Marseille airport to the city late at night?
The last A1 leaves the airport about 1:50 and the first city departure is 3:30. Outside that window the official taxi rank in front of Terminal 1 is the only option, on the regulated meter.
Taxi or shuttle from Marseille airport?
Shuttle for solo travelers and pairs: 15 EUR versus roughly 50 to 80 EUR on the meter. Taxi for groups of three or more, heavy luggage or door-to-door needs; it is the only choice overnight.
Is a Marseille transit pass valid on the airport shuttle?
Metropole transit subscriptions cover the A1 and the LeBus 13 leg to the rail station. For visitors, the 16 EUR shuttle single plus RTM ticket adds one city trip, which covers the metro onward.
Pack for it
Gear verdicts from our sister site, Real Buyer Experiences: