We will be arriving in Marseilles in the early afternoon (by air), and travelling on to Arles for the night. Is there a way to travel between the two locations (airport and Arles) without going by train or bus? Is there a reliable car service, or might we do it by taxi? Would the cost be prohibitively expensive?
Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Washington DC
27122 posts
It seems to be over 40 miles, so I guess it depends on what you mean by "prohibitively". Google tells me there are multiple companies providing transfers to Arles, but I've never used a service like that. The prices I see online are all "from XX €", which does make one wonder.
There are direct trains from the airport to Arles that take less than 40 minutes. The fare is €12.30. There are departures every hour or so; you'd probably end up waiting a while.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23269 posts
Why the aversion to train or bus? We make the run via train last fall. It was easy. Does require a bus shuttle to the train from the airport.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta
35 posts
We're Ok with the train, but some are afraid it will be too tiring after a long flight to have to juggle luggage and etc.
Posted by
northern CA
2460 posts
The inside of the Marseilles train station is well-organized and clearly laid out; the outside is a messy tangle of access roads and ramps and underpasses. And the Arles train station is pretty simple; 15-minutes walk gets you into the historic center.
So maybe you should be comparing the cost of a hired car ride all the way to the cost of two short taxi rides plus the train fare, rather than just the train fare. Maybe check and see if there is an Uber-equivalent, because taxi drivers ( I think ) have to get special permission from their dispatchers to take parties outside the immediate environs.
Posted by
4520 posts
The airport has its own small train station also called Vitrolles, there is no need to go the other direction to the main station in Marseille.
Note that the ATM in Terminal 1 has a nasty DCC scam going on, like a 15% mark up.
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
2026 posts
It was a few years ago, but we easily left the airport, took a short shuttle, and then the train to Arles.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4044 posts
The Provence airport outside Marseille is compact and easy to traverse. Its useful website will show various means of access, including this quite clear description of catching the regional TER train to Arles.
http://www.marseille-airport.com/access-car-parks/access/trains
It involves a very short bus shuttle, included in the ticket, to the local station (certainly no need to go to Marseille itself.) The train is not fancy but easy enough to use unless you are weighed down with a whole safari's luggage. Cost for a flexible ticket is around 12 euros; no seat reservations.
The alternative would be taxis or a private chauffeur's van, either costing a large amount of money considering the distance, at least 70 kilometres according to Google Maps.
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
Note that the ATM in Terminal 1 has a nasty DCC scam going on, like a 15% mark up.
Does that mean it offers no choice, or is it just a trap for the unwary?
I remember using the ATM at the Marseilles airport a number of years ago, and it was normal. Maybe that was before the invention of DCC.