Getting from Marseille Airport to the City
Wait. Marseille's airport isn't even in Marseille?
Getting from Marseille airport to the city isn’t a difficult task. There are many ways to get to Marseille’s city center from the airport. It all depends on your budget, your time frame, and the amount of luggage you have (or kids!).
Marseille airport is actually not in Marseille, and instead in a neighbouring city called Marignane. Historically the airport was called the Marignane airport, or the Marseille-Marignane airport. For all my travel and airline nerds, the IATA airport code is MRS.
Marseille airport is 27km from the city center. This means that it doesn’t take that long to get from the airport and the city center. Fortunately the journey between Marseille and the airport isn’t that long as I spent just over two years working at Marseille airport, and made the journey from the city center daily!
Despite Marseille airport not actually being located in Marseille, it is very simple to transfer between the airport and the city center.
Here are six ways to get from Marseille airport to the city center!
1. L91 Bus Shuttle "Navette Aéroport"
The easiest way to get to and from Marseille airport from the city center is by the bus L91.
The L91 airport service (Navette Aéroport) is available every day of the week, including weekends and public holidays.
It runs every 10 minutes between 07h55 and 20H15, every 20 minutes between 4h10 and 7h30, as well as every 20 minutes between 20h30 and 01h30. Check the schedule at the official lepilote site here.
The journey usually takes between 25-55 minutes depending on the time of day, and traffic. The L91 is a direct bus service, with no stops between Marseille’s city center (Gare Saint Charles) and the airport.
The L91 bus has airconditionning, free wifi, seat-belts, overhead reading lights, and USB charging ports. The bus does not have a toilet aboard. All luggage goes under the bus in the storage compartment. Only small handbags, or small backpacks are permitted in the main seating cabin. The bus is a coach, and as such, the number of passengers is limited by the number of seats available.
Getting to Marseille from the airport – Locating L91
To get to Marseille’s city center (Gare Saint Charles) from the airport, you’ll need to head to the Gare Routiere (bus station) which is located near Terminal 2. The bus L91 leaves from quai 6, and the tickets are bought online, or at the ticket office, in the middle of the bus station.
If you are traveling early/late (before/after the ticket office opening hours), tickets can also be bought from the bus driver. Please have exact change!
Getting to the airport from Marseille – Locating L91
To get to the airport from Marseille’s city center, you need to head to Gare Saint Charles (Saint Charles Train Station), and go inside the building to the Gare Routiere (bus station). Tickets for the L91 bus can be bought online or at the ticket office which is inside the main train station building just next to the buses at this bus station. The L91 leaves from quai 13 and 14.
If you are traveling early/late (before/after the ticket office opening hours), tickets can also be bought from the bus driver. Please have exact change!
L91 bus ticket prices:
- Single Ticket = 10 EUR
- Single Return Ticket = 16 EUR
- Single Ticket with RTM ticket (transfer to bus/metro/tram in Marseille) = 10.90 EUR
- Single Return Ticket with RTM Ticket (transfer to bus/metro/tram in Marseille)= 17.40 EUR
- Single Youth Ticket (12 – 25 years old) = 7 EUR
- Single Child Ticket (6 – 11 years old) = 5 EUR
- Children under 6 years old = FREE
- 10 Single Tickets = 60 EUR
- For holders of the Marseille Transport Pass Integral = FREE
Advantages with taking the L91 Bus
- Direct service between Marseille airport and the city center.
- A regular schedule which operates frequently and all year round.
- Can buy tickets online, in advance.
Disadvantages with taking the L91 Bus
- Tickets are rather expensive.
- The route is subject to delays if there are traffic jams on the roads in peak times.
- The bus is quite often full, especially with arriving flights in peak times.
2. Regional Express Train (TER)
Marseille has many train stations: Saint Charles, La Blancard, L’Estaque, La Pomme, and more.
However, if you wish to transfer between Marseille’s city center and the Marseille airport by train, you will need to choose Saint Charles, and Vitrolles as your two stations. Vitrolles is the closest train station to Marseille’s airport, whilst Saint Charles is the main train station in Marseille. Vitrolles station is mainly serviced by the Regional Express Trains (TER).
The journey between Marseille Saint Charles train station and Vitrolles, is approximately 20 minutes.
Tickets can be bought online, through the SNCF connect website, at the blue ticket machines inside the train station, or at the ticket office inside the train station (not the same ticket office as the bus ticket office!). If you have a reduction card, and travel off peak, often the tickets are cheaper than the bus L91.
Getting to/from Vitrolles train station and the airport
To get to Vitrolles train station from the airport, or from the airport to the train station at Vitrolles, you’ll need to take the shuttle bus (le bus+13) from the gare routiere in front of Terminal 2. The bus leaves from quai 5.
This bus used to be free for those with a train ticket, however they have recently introduced a small fee. Tickets can be bought from the bus driver. Please have exact change!
The bus journey takes approximately 5 minutes, and runs very regularly (including public holidays and Sunday). You can check out the timetable here.
If you are coming to Marseille airport from another city by train, this option can help save time getting to the airport (for example if you are coming from Avignon, or Lyon), as it bypasses the need to head to Saint Charles and then take the L91 bus!
Bus+13 Ticket Prices
- Single Ticket (for the entire Bus de l’Etang de Berre network) = 1,20EUR
- Book of 10 Tickets (can be shared with family/friends/return trip etc) = 9 EUR
- Free for holders of the Pass Métropolitain
Advantages of Vitrolles train station
- Simplifies life if you are travelling from a nearby city on train – no need to pass by Saint Charles and take the L91
- Cheap tickets between Marseille and Vitrolles if you have a train reduction card, or travel off peak.
Disadvantages of Vitrolles train station
- Have to take a short bus ride to transfer between the airport and the train station
- Can’t buy bus tickets in advance online
3. Taxi
Marseille city center is approximately 25 minutes by road from the airport. If you wish to take the road, and avoid the L91, or you have to travel when the L91 service isn’t running, you can get a taxi to/from Marseille airport.
At Marseille airport there is a dedicated taxi rank between Terminal 1A and Terminal 1B. Always make sure to use official taxis to ensure you pay the agreed rate, and to avoid being scammed. Prices are fixed by the official taxi companies.
You can also grab a taxi to take you to the Vitrolles train station, or anywhere else your heart desires!
Taxi cost between Marseille and the airport
- Official costs are between 50 and 70 euros depending on the time of day
Advantages of taking a taxi
- Can be picked up / dropped off from your desired location
- May be more cost efficient than the L91 bus if travelling in a small group
- Can be pre-booked
Disadvantages of taxing a taxi
- Expensive if travelling alone
- Subject to traffic jams on the road
- Limited luggage space in the taxis, unless pre-booked
4. Ride Share - Uber, Blablacar...
If taxi’s aren’t your thing, and you want to transfer between Marseille and the airport, you can instead get a Uber or another private ride sharing service. Prices vary depending on time/day/demand. This is rarely the most cost effective ride sharing option to/from Marseille airport.
A more cost-effective ride sharing option to/from Marseille airport and the city center is blablacar. This is a ride sharing service where people offer seats in the cars for a journey they are already taking. Fees are minimal, and is usually rather cost effective. The down side is that there is less flexibility in timing, as you are on someone else’s schedule.
5. Rental Car
If you have a rental car for your holiday in Marseille, or the south of France, there are many hire car companies based at the airport in front of Terminal 1. By booking a car here, you can avoid taking public transport into Marseille, and start your adventure straight from the airport! The rental car companies are located between Terminal 1A and Terminal 1B (shown on the map as the car symbol with the key).
Be warned though, driving in Marseille requires a certain level of patience, and defensive driving experience!
6. Get picked up / dropped off by friends or family
For those who are lucky enough to know people in Marseille, you can ask to be picked up or dropped off from Marseille or the airport. Out the front of Terminal 1A and 1B there are two carparks which feature up to 30 minutes free parking. Outside Terminal 2, there is a short term parking which offers 15 minutes free.
You can leave and come back in for a total of 2 times in these free short term parkings. On the 3rd passage, you will be charged parking fees.
There is also a dedicated express drop off section in front of Terminal 1 which allows 8 minutes free parking, with fees being charged for overstays.
To avoid parking fees, tell your friends or family your flight number and let them follow you on this Flight Radar application and website! The app is much more accurate than the airport websites, and uses real time data. As someone who has worked in the airport industry for almost 3 years, this is a resource we often used when we needed to see how long planes were delayed by! As a disclaimer, I am receiving no monetary profit from promoting Flight Radar – it’s just something I love!
If your friends or family arrive early to pick you up from the Marseille airport, depending on the time of day they can wait near the Vitrolles train station. The side streets are free parking and will only be a minute or two to the airport.
Don’t park on the round about or side streets at the airport.
The car will be towed.
