Public transport in Marseille is efficient, with two metro lines, three tram lines and dozens of bus lines.
However, travelling to touristy areas in particular often means very crowded buses and sometimes it can be more pleasant to walk.
Public transport tickets
Fares are the same for all types of transport provided by RTM - i.e. metro, trams and city buses.
RTM tickets cannot be used on the intercity buses "Le Car" and "Le Pilote", nor on regular trains.
All tickets are valid for all lines in Marseille for their entire length for the CIEL zone (the whole of Marseille including the Calanques National Park). Other zones are only applicable for monthly or annual fares.
Prices and ticket types
In Marseille, you can use single tickets for 59 minutes, all-day or multi-day passes.
| Ticket type | Price | Payment method |
|---|---|---|
| 59 minutes* | 1,70 eur |
Paper ticket (+ 0,10 eur) |
| 24 hours | 5,20 eur | Paper ticket |
| 72 hours | 10,80 eur | Paper ticket |
| 7 days | 15,50 eur | Paper ticket |
*The 59-minute ticket is valid for any number of transfers, but the metro can only be used once.
How to use the tickets?
Payment with your own contactless card is only possible for single fares for 59 minutes. In Marseille, daily limits do not work when paying with a contactless card, so if you will be travelling more than 4 times, it is worth buying a paper day ticket for 5,20 eur.
Paper tickets must be attached to a reader inside the bus or tram immediately upon boarding.
In the metro, the ticket is attached to a yellow reader on the turnstile, not to a machine that looks the same as the readers in the bus or tram. The reader, which is used on the bus and tram for both card payment and ticket attachment, is very illogically used on the metro only for payment with the contactless card itself.
Where do I pay for tickets?
Fares are valid on all RTM buses, trams, the metro and the Vieux-Port ferry. However, on the ferry, only all-day and multi-day fares are valid and not the 59-minute ticket.
Where to buy tickets?
Paper tickets and cards can be bought at ticket machines where you can pay with coins and contactless cards.
Vending machines can be found in all metro and tram stations and at the most important bus stops.
If you are in Marseille outside the centre and do not have a day ticket, you can buy a single non-transferable ticket from the bus driver for 2 eur.
The mobile app for buying tickets in Marseille is not yet working.
City pass
If you want to visit the Mucem Museum and the fortress Chateau If in one day, it's worth buying a CityPass.
There are also 2-day and 3-day options, but these are no longer worth the price.
| Type of pass | Price |
|---|---|
| 24 hours | 29 eur |
| 48 hours | 39 eur |
| 72 hours | 47 eur |
What is included in the city passport?
- Unlimited travel by public transport (tram + bus + metro + ferry across the harbour)
- 1 entry to Mucem
- 1 entry to Chateau If
- 1 round trip from Vieux-Port to the island If with Le Bateau
- 1 tourist train ride
Maps and connection search
Find your route from a specific stop to your destination easily without the hassle of searching maps and timetables. You can use several websites to search for connections.
- Website rtm.fr
- RTM mobile app on Google Play / App Store
Maps of the transport network will also be useful:
- Maps of individual lines: rtm.fr/plans
- Map of the entire network in pdf format: api.rtm.fr/rtm_plan_reseau
- Interactive network map: carte-interactive.rtm.fr
Metro
The metro in Marseille has two lines and is mainly used by tourists to get to St Charles station and the stations where buses run to Calanques National Park.
Book a hotel near a metro station
As the metro is the most popular means of transport in Marseille, we have compiled detailed information in a separate chapter on the Marseille Metro.
Buses
Buses run to the most touristic sights and will be a very useful means of transport when visiting Marseille.
Routes and timetables
Most bus routes run at intervals of 12-15 minutes, with the busier ones running once every 8-10 minutes and the less frequent ones once every 20-30 minutes.
Expect delays of 5-10 minutes may be common due to heavy traffic in the city centre.
The most used bus routes for tourists are as follows. Click on the line number to see a map of the route:
- B1 - a very busy line from Castellane Metro to Calanques National Park.
- 19 - runs south from Castellane metro towards Pointe Rouge and Madrague de Montredon, where you can change to line 20
- 19B - a reinforcement line to line 19 running from Rond Point metro to Pointe Rouge
- 20 - connects to line 19 and goes to Les Goudes at the south-western end of the Calanques National Park by small minibuses
- 60 - runs from the centre to the Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde
- 82 - runs from Catalans Beach and Pharo Lookout around the whole of Vieux-Port via Mucem and La Major Cathedral to the main port
- 82S - runs from Catalans Beach and Pharo Lookout around the whole of Vieux-Port via Mucem and La Major Cathedral to St. Charles Central Station
- 83 - goes from Mucem around the whole of Vieux-Port, via Pharo viewpoint, past Catalans beach and then along the whole coast south to the Rond Point du Prado metro
Most buses run from about 5:50am to 12:30am.
Stops and boarding
Buses are always boarded through the front door only.
When boarding, beep your ticket or your own contactless card at the black reader in the middle of the door. Do not attach your card or ticket to any reader when you get off.
All stops are on signal. You must therefore always press the "Stop" button before exiting.
Trams
The modern but very short tram network consists of three lines running only through the centre.
You can use the tram especially when travelling from the port by boat to Corsica to the centre (lines T2 and T3), to Longchamp Palace (line T2) or from Noailles metro further east to Marseille (line T1).
Trams run from 5:15 to about 0:30 at intervals of about 4 minutes.
You can board through all doors. When you board, you attach your card or ticket to the black reader, nothing is attached when you get off.
Ferries
From the old port, boats of several companies sail to different places in Marseille.
The ferry across the Vieux-Port
The shortest, but very popular with tourists, ferry just across the old port.
The crossing takes about 3 minutes and the boat sails every 20 minutes from 7:30am to 8:20pm.
You can use 24-hour, 72-hour and 7-day passes on the boat or buy a single ticket for 0,50 eur on board from the attendant.
Le Bateau
These boats are sort of included in the public transport system, but there are no 24-hour or 72-hour tickets for them. You must always buy a special fare.
Le Bateau is the cheapest form of boat travel in Marseille and runs on several routes.
You can buy a ticket at the kiosk at the dock, on board the boat (you can also pay by card) or online at lebateau-frioul-if.fr/en/buy.
- Vieux Port – Chateau If – Port Frioul
- Price - 11 eur / return / 1 island (If or Frioul)
- Price - 16,70 eur / return / 2 islands / includes cruise between If and Frioul
- Frequency - 40 minutes
- Timetable: lebateau-frioul-if.fr
La Navette
These boats are part of the RTM transport company and represent a comfortable journey without transfers from the outer suburbs directly to the historic centre. They are widely used by locals and tourists alike.
Even on these services, however, regular public transport tickets do not apply and you must always buy a one-way ticket. Payment is possible with cash or card on board the boat when you board.
- Vieux Port – Pointe Rouge
- Price - 5 eur, or 8 eur route from Vieux-Port to Les Goudes with 1 change
- Frequency - 60 minutes
- Timetable and information: rtm.fr/lanavette
- Les Goudes – Pointe Rouge
- Price - 5 eur, or 8 eur route from Les Goudes to Vieux-Port with 1 change
- Frequency - 60 minutes
- Timetable and information: rtm.fr/lanavette
- Vieux Port – Estaque
- Price - 5 eur
- Frequency - 60 minutes
- Timetable and information: rtm.fr/lanavette
Calanques - If
This shipping company specializes mainly in tourist cruises on two main routes.
- Vieux Port – Chateau If
- Price - 11 eur / return
- Frequency - 60 minutes
- Timetable: calanques-if.com/if-castle
- Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth at the dock just before the cruise
- Vieux Port – Calanques
- Price - 26 eur to 38 eur depending on the type of cruise (duration 2.5 to 3.5 hours - cruises are circular and always return to Vieux-Port)
- Information: calanques-if.com/calanques-national-park
- Tickets can be purchased at the kiosk at the dock and must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance
Tourist train
There are also 3 tourist road train routes in Marseille.
Hop on an open carriage and enjoy a ride through the city with the wind in your face.
- Route 1: Vieux Port - Note Dame de la Garde - Coast - Catalans Beach - Pharo - Vieux Port
- Price - 10 eur
- Frequency - 20 minutes
- Duration - 75 minutes
- Tour 2: Vieux Port - Le Panier - Port - Vieux Port
- Price - 10 eur
- Frequency - 30 minutes
- Journey time - 75 minutes (but includes a 30 minute break in Le Panier)
- Tour 3: on the island of Ratonneau
- Price - 5 eur
- Frequency - according to the boat schedule
- Journey time - 30 minutes
Detailed information can be found on the website: petit-train-marseille.com.