Flight-free from the UK to Europe
Foot passenger ferries to Europe
UK to Ireland
Map of UK Ferry Routes to Europe
Scotland to Europe
North of England to Europe
Wales to Europe
Southwest England to Europe
UK to France
UK to Spain
UK to Italy
UK to Greece
UK to Morocco
Sleeper trains
in UK
Train travel to Europe:
Eurostar Route Map
Under 5 hours
by train from London:
Amsterdam
Brussels
Cologne
Ghent
Lille
Paris
Utrecht
Arrive same day by train from London:
Antwerp
Avignon
Barcelona
Basel
Bayonne
Bordeaux
Brive
Geneva
Hamburg
Interlaken
Lausanne
Marseille
Milan
Munich
Nantes
Nice
Toulouse
Turin
Valence
Zürich
Winter Trains to French Alps
Require overnight stopover from London:
Lisbon
Naples
Rome
Sicily
Venice
Train + Ferry:
How to travel by train from London to Marseille, France
Travel by train from London to Marseille in just over 6 hours by taking the Eurostar to Lille and then a simple same-station change of trains to continue south to Marseille in the south of France.
A city without too many airs, Marseille has a life and energy that more manicured destinations lack. The spectacular old port at its centre is surrounded by pavement cafes, restaurants and bars, and overlooked by an iconic hilltop church.
Detour into the old quarter of Le Panier or the hippyish Cours Julien and you’ll find atmospheric architecture, bustling markets and some of the country’s most down-to-earth inhabitants.
Flight-free travel from London to Marseille:
Journey Time: fastest from 6 hours 19 mins
Sample timetable: Depart London 11.04am, arrive Marseille 6.49pm
Changes: 1.
Transfer: Platform change at Lille Europe
Frequency of Departures: 21/day
Carbon emissions: 16.22kg (flight would be 94.73kg)*
Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.
How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation
If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.
On Board Eurostar
For ticket types (Standard, Plus and Premier) and information on what it's like on board, see our Guide to Eurostar
What's the journey like?
There's just a quick same-station change of platform at Lille Europe station to catch the onward connection. From the Eurostar platform arrival, go up the stairs (or lift) to the main concourse from where the onward TGV trains depart.
Miss your connection?
Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.
Stopover in Lille 🏠
If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Lille while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near Lille Europe railway station.
Hotels near Lille Europe Railway Station 🚉
B&B Hotel Lille Centre Grand Palais (see below) and Le Chat Qui Dort are just a few minutes walk from Lille Europe Station (where Eurostar arrives). Rooms from about €100 per night. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Lille Europe
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
B&B Hotel Lille Centre Grand Palais is a comfortable budget hotel very conveniently situated in a quiet residential neighbourhood close to the Lille-Europe station. The 127 rooms are slightly small, but size is mitigated by keen pricing and useful add-ons such as free wifi. The hotel has recently earned Clef Verte accreditation for its measures in conserving energy and water.
On arrival at Marseille St Charles station
Bienvenue à Marseille! Marseille has an excellent public transport network. From Marseille Saint Charles train station there are trams, metro and buses that take you around the city centre and to the main harbour and port, see: Marseille public transport timetables and routes (French only).
Marseille’s handy City Pass is an allin package including free entry to many of the city's museums, a boat trip to the Château d'If, a trip on the Petit Train, reductions on certain other excursions, and unlimited travel on the buses, metro and trams. It is valid for one (€22) or two (€29) days. See Marseille Tourism for more information. From outside the station, you can pick up a bike from the city’s bike hire scheme Le Vélo.
Hotels in Marseille
Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚
Hotel Bellevue is in the Old Port of Marseille overlooking the busy harbour and Notre Dame de la Garde, just a few minutes’ walk from the city’s main railway station and a stone’s throw from the ferry departure point for services to several ports on Corsica and Algeria. It was the first hotel in the city to be certified by Green Key and has a magnificent, listed iron staircase.
Alternatively, there are lots of hotels near to the Marseille St Charles station, see below:
More about Marseille
Various eco-districts are also in development across the city, with renewable energy, greywater recycling schemes, tree planting projects and bike paths part of the plans. The most high profile of these lies within the Euroméditerranée district; a 480-hectare urban renewal project between the commercial harbour, the Vieux Port (Old Port) and the TGV station.
The city is gradually moving towards a more sustainable future. With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, many public buildings in the city are being equipped with solar panels; it's said there are more roofs here than in any other city in France.
For more information about where to stay and eat in Marseille, as well as local attractions and other things to do in the city, see Green Traveller's Guide to Marseille.
