Marseille Metro (Métro de Marseille) — Map, Lines, Route, Hours, Tickets

Marseille Metro Information

The Marseille Metro is a very regular, clean and cheap means of public transport in the city, and is also fully integrated into the overall transport network. The fact that it is fully air-conditioned is good news for commuters and visitors to the city during the summer months. Announcements on the network are currently in both French and English.

The entire Marseille Metro network is criss-crossed by a system of two tram lines and up to thirty different bus routes. L’Estaque, which is a small town in its own right but is largely considered by the French population to be an arrondissement of Marseille, can be reached by any train travelling from Marseille Saint Charles station in the direction of Miramas.

The city’s main station, Marseille Saint Charles, has stops for both lines, while further down the network, in the southern suburb of Castellane, there is another intersection for the two lines.

One aspect of the metro service that the Nighthawks found extremely annoying was the early ending of the daily services. This also contributed greatly to the lack of nightlife in Marseille. However, with the extension of services in 2013, this scenario is slowly but surely changing for the better. The system is 21.5 km long with 28 stations. It has a daily ridership of 210,000 & an annual ridership of 76.7 million as in 2012.

This transport system is commonly known as the Métro. It is a very busy system, with 708,000 passengers using its services every day. Although it does not operate 24 hours a day, it does operate from 5:00 to 1:00 (M-D). It should be noted that the fare for a single journey is €1.70.

Although it lacks certain amenities such as air conditioning, the ability for passengers to walk between platforms, driverless trains and screen doors on platforms, it more than makes up for this with its efficiency of service.

The Métro has a commendable average speed of 35km/h and can reach a maximum speed of 80km/h. The entire operation is competently managed by RTM.

Marseille Metro Map

Map of Marseille Metro showing different lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it or download the Marseille Metro map in PDF format.

Marseille Metro: A Guide to Its Lines and Stations

The Marseille metro system consists of two distinct lines with a total of 28 stations. These two lines are known as Line 1 and Line 2. Here’s a breakdown of the stations on each line:

Line 1: Stations on this line include La Fourragère, Louis Armand, Saint Barnabé, La Timone, La Blancarde, Castellane, Baille, Vieux-Port – Hôtel de Ville, Estrangin – Préfecture, Saint Charles, Colbert – Hôtel de Région, Cinq Avenues Longchamp, Réformés Canebière, Saint Just – Hôtel de Département, Chartreux, La Rose, Frais Vallon and Malpassé.

Line 2: This line includes the following stations: Bougainville, Désirée Clary, National, Jules Guesde, Joliette, Noailles, Saint Charles, Castellane, Notre Dame du Mont – Cours Julien, Rond Point du Prado, Périer and Sainte-Marguerite Dromel.

A Glimpse into Some Key Stations

Bougainville: Located on Boulevard Ferdinand de Lesseps, Bougainville station serves the neighbourhoods of Saint-Mauront, Crottes and Canet. It was designed by architects André Mascarelli and Pierre Garnier.
Malpassé: An elevated station, Malpassé takes its name from the district in which it is located. It offers parking facilities for commuters.
La Rose: As one of the termini of line 1, La Rose station offers parking services. A nearby attraction is l’Avenue de la Rose, which has a shopping centre and a post office.
Colbert – Hotel de Région: This station, which has an island platform, was inaugurated on 11 March 1978. It takes its name from the neighbouring Hotel de Région. Nearby attractions include Belsunce and Jules-Guesde Plaza.
Saint Charles: Serving as the central hub for the Marseille Metro, Saint Charles is one of two stations that facilitate connections between the two lines. The station is housed in a seven-storey building designed by Jean Nogaro. Buses and trains from various operators operate in the station area. The nearby University of Aix-Marseille is a major attraction.
Estrangin – Préfecture: Located in the Préfecture des Bouches-du-Rhone, Estrangin – Préfecture station is close to several attractions, including the Saint-Ferréol shopping centre and the Estrangin-Pastré Plaza.
Vieux-Port – Hôtel de Ville: This station has two levels: a ground floor with the entrance, escalators and ticket counters, and an underground level for train operations. The station is characterised by an island platform and houses works of art by Pierre-Alain Hubert. The nearby town hall is an important landmark.
Castellane: Marked as one of the two stations that allow connections between lines 1 and 2, Castellane station is located below the historic Place Castellane, with a fountain and obelisk built around 1774. The station, which serves as a terminal for both lines, was designed by architects Georges Rainant, Gabriel Carta and Roland Carta. The station’s unique aesthetic is characterised by its predominantly purple décor, with the line 1 platform featuring yellow tiles and the line 2 platform featuring white tiles. Commuters can access the station from any of the four entrances scattered around Place Castellane.

Interchange Facilities

The Marseille metro offers numerous connections with the Marseille tramway, the TER Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (TER PACA) regional train, the Marseille bus, the Ferry Boat ferries and the Navette Maritime de Marseille ferries. Here is an overview of the connections available at each station on Line 1:

La Fourragère: Access to Cartreize buses, along with buses 7, 7B, 7T, 9, 10, and 509.
Louis Armand: Served by buses 10 and 67.
Saint Barnabé: Connectivity with buses 7, 7B, 7T, 9, and 10.
La Timone: Services from buses 12, 12B, 12S, 40, 52, 54, 72, 91, and 540.
La Blancarde: Offers bus 67, TER PACA’s trains, and tramways T1 and T2.
Castellane: Interchange with Tramway T3, buses 18, 19, 21, 41, 50, 54, 73, and 74, and Metro Line 2.
Baille: Accessible by buses 54 and 540.
Vieux-Port – Hôtel de Ville: Served by a broad range of buses including 31, 32, 41, 49, 55, 57, 60, 61, 70, 80, 81, 82, 82S, 83, 89, 97, 509, 518, 521, 526, 530, 533, 535, 540, 582, and 583.
Estrangin – Préfecture: Accessible by buses 41, 54, and 583.
Saint Charles: Interchange point for Metro Line 2, buses 49, 52, 82S, 521, 533, TER PACA’s trains, Cartreize buses, the TGV high speed train, and the LER Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur bus.
Colbert – Hôtel de Région: Provides connectivity with buses 31, 32, 70, 89, 97, 521, 526, 530, 533, and 535.
Cinq Avenues Longchamp: Tramway T2, and buses 6, 7, 7B, 42, 42T, 81, 509, and 582 serve this station.
Réformés Canebière: Accessible via Tramway T2, and buses 33, 34, 49, 52, 81, and 509.
St Just – Hôtel de Département: Served by buses 42, 42T, 53, 72, and 81.
Chartreux: Services from buses 42, 42T, 67, and 72.
La Rose: Access to buses B3B, 1, 1S, 2, 3, 4, 4B, 5, 11, 27, 42, 42T, 142, 142J, 143, 144, 144J, 145, and B3.
Frais Vallon: Accessible by buses 6, 27, 39, 42, 42T, and B3.
Malpassé: Connectivity with buses B3A, 37, 38, 39, and B3.

On Line 2, the Marseille Metro offers the following connections:

Bougainville: Services from Cartreize buses, and buses B2, 25, 28, 30, 36B, 38, 70, 72, and 535.
Désirée Clary: Access to bus 70, 526, and 535.
National: Served by buses 88, 89, and 530.
Jules Guesde: Offers connectivity with buses 31, 32, 49, 70, 89, 97, 521, 526, 530, 533, 535.
Joliette: Accessible by buses 35, 49, 55, 82, and tramways T2 and T3.
Noailles: Served by buses 8 and 509, and tramways T1 and T2.
Notre Dame du Mont – Cours Julien: Accessible by bus 74.
Rond point du Prado: Connectivity with buses 19, 21, 22, 22S, 23, 41, 44, 45, 72, 83, and 521.
Périer: Served by buses 19, 21, 41, 73, 74, 86, and 521.
Sainte-Marguerite Dromel: Services from buses 15, 15S, 16, 16S, 16T, 17, 24, 24B, 24T, 46, 46S, 47, 48, 48T, 73, and 518.

Connection to the airport

The nearest metro station to Marseille airport is Saint Charles. To get to this station from the airport, you can take the Navette Aeroport – Gare Saint Charles bus. The ticket costs €8.50 and the journey from the airport to Saint Charles station takes about half an hour. Buses run every 20 minutes.

Schedule, calendar, and timetables

1) Frequency of Departures:

Monday to Friday: Trains depart every four, five, or six minutes.
Saturdays: The interval between trains is between five and six minutes.
Sundays: Trains depart every 9, 10, 11, or 12 minutes.

2) Opening and closing times: Specific opening and closing times are provided for each station from Monday to Friday. This information is usually displayed in the format: station name, opening time and closing time.

Station Operating Hours

The operating hours for each station on Line 1 and Line 2, from Monday through Friday, are as follows:

Line 1:

La Fourragère: 5:00 am – 12:27 am.
Louis Armand: 5:02 am – 12:29 am.
Saint Barnabé: 5:24 am – 12:54 am.
La Timone: 5:05 am – 12:32 am.
La Blancarde: 5:21 am – 12:51 am.
Castellane: 5:17 am – 12:47 am.
Baille: 5:06 am – 12:34 am.
Vieux-Port – Hôtel de Ville: 5:13 am – 12:44 am.
Estrangin – Préfecture: 5:15 am – 12:45 am.
Saint Charles: 5:10 am – 12:41 am.
Colbert – Hôtel de Région: 5:12 am – 12:43 am.
Cinq avenues Longchamp: 5:08 am – 12:38 am.
Réformés Canebière: 5:09 am – 12:40 am.
St Just – Hôtel de Département: 5:05 am – 12:35 am.
Chartreux: 5:06 am – 12:37 am.
La Rose: 5:00 am – 12:30 am.
Frais Vallon: 5:01 am – 12:33 am.
Malpassé: 5:03 am – 12:33 am.

Line 2:

Bougainville: 4:50 am – 12:34 am.
Désirée Clary: 5:13 am – 12:46 am.
National: 5:14 am – 12:47 am.
Jules Guesde: 5:10 am – 12:43 am.
Joliette: 5:11 am – 12:45 am.
Noailles: 5:07 am – 12:40 am.
Saint Charles: 5:10 am – 12:41 am. (same as Line 1).
Castellane: 5:01 am – 12:46 am. (same as Line 1).
Notre Dame du Mont – Cours Julien: 5:06 am – 12:39 am.
Rond point du Prado: 5:01 am – 12:33 am.
Périer: 5:02 am – 12:47 am.
Sainte-Marguerite Dromel: 5:00 am – 12:32 am.

Cost, Ticketing, and Fare Options

All prices are in euros.

The Marseille Metro offers a variety of ticket options and subscriptions to suit different usage patterns and user categories. These are described below:

Occasional Trip Tickets

Tickets suitable for occasional trips are available in different options:

Single Ride Ticket: 1.70€
Single Ride With Manual Refill: 1.36€
Single Ride Ticket (Sold by the Bus Driver): 2€
City Subscription for 72 Hours: 41€
City Subscription for 48 Hours: 33€
City Subscription for 24 Hours: 26€
Card for Two Rides: 3.30€
Group Card for Four People: 4.90€
10 Trip Card: 13.70€
Ferry – One Ride: between 5€ and 8€
Subscription for 72 hours: 10.80€
Subscription for 24 Hours: 5.20€

Subscriptions

Subscriptions come in different categories as well:

Le Pass XL Permanent: This subscription offers unlimited rides on the metro, RTM buses, tramways, and ferries and requires a minimum of 12 months commitment. The categories under this subscription are:
- Jeune Solidarité: 9.90€ per month
- Pour Tous: 37.10€ per month
- Enfant Famille Nombreuse: 14.70€ per month
- Solidarité: 18.55€ per month
- Jeunes: 18.30€ per month
These subscriptions are automatically reloaded each year and must be stored on the Transpass card.
Le Pass XL 30 Jours: These include:
- Jeune: 36.70€
- Jeune Solidarité: 23€
- Pour Tous: 46€
- Solidarité: 23€
Le Pass XL Annuel: The annual passes are as follows:
- Pour Tous: 446€
- Jeune Solidarité: 119€
- Enfant Famille Nombreuse: 178€
- Jeune: 220€
- Solidarité: 223€

The descriptions for each category under Le Pass XL Permanent subscription are as follows:

Jeune Solidarité: Available for children aged between 6 to 10 years and individuals under 26 years who have won a university scholarship.
Pour Tous: A general subscription that can be purchased by anyone.
Enfant Famille Nombreuse: For members of families with three or more children. For those aged between 11 and 16, proof of belonging to a large family is not required.
Solidarité: For unemployed individuals under 26 years of age. Proof of unemployment or receipt of welfare benefits is required.
Jeunes: For individuals under 26 who are students. They should be enrolled in high school, university, or a vocational training institute and must be at least 18 years old.

Travel Tips for Marseille Metro

Stay informed: Strikes can sometimes disrupt train services. Keep up to date with the latest news and check for any strikes that may affect your planned journey.
Take safety precautions: Avoid dimly lit areas of stations, especially if you are travelling late at night. Robberies can occur at these times.
Accessibility: People using wheelchairs may find it difficult to board the metro as some trains do not have ramps and some stations do not have lifts. Check the RTM website (www.rtm.fr) to see if the station you are travelling to has the necessary facilities.

Marseille Metro Rules

Please note that train drivers may refuse entry to people with pushchairs as they are only allowed on certain trains.

Parking facilities:

If you wish to use the parking services of the Marseille Metro, the conditions and fees are as follows:

For XL pass holders:

Those with an XL season ticket can use the parking service free of charge, provided they are making a return journey. Please note that your vehicle must be removed from the car park within two hours of your return.

For Transpass Card holders without an XL subscription:

If you only have a Transpass card, you’ll be charged a fee to use the parking service. This fee will be deducted from your Transpass Card credit. The parking service is free if your vehicle is removed within 10 minutes and you cannot park for more than 24 hours. The applicable parking fees are

Up to three hours: 0.30€ per 15 minutes.
Between three and 12 hours: 0.10€ per 10 minutes.
Between 12 and 24 hours: 0.30€ per hour.

Bicycle services:

The RTM offers a bike rental service for those with a Transpass Card or XL subscription. To rent a bike, you must create an online account on the RTM website (www.rtm.fr), log in to your account and subscribe to the bike plan. After accepting the terms and conditions, a fee of €1 can be paid by credit or debit card.

Bikes can be hired at any time of day and the first 30 minutes of use are free. After that, the service costs €0.5 per hour. To rent a bike, use your Transpass Card or XL Card at the card reader on any bike rack.

Interesting Facts about the Marseille Metro

Saint Charles Station: This station has a distinctive turquoise interior that sets it apart from the other stations. It also features two murals – one depicting a steam train and the other a modern train.
Comfortable travel: All trains on the Marseilles metro are equipped with air conditioning during the summer, ensuring a comfortable journey for passengers.

Future Expansions

In an effort to modernise and expand its services, the Marseille metro has several improvements in the pipeline:

By 2023, all of the metro’s carriages will be replaced with automatic trains. At the same time, the platform doors at stations will be upgraded to a height of approximately 1.8 metres.
There are plans to extend Line 2 to include services between Bonneveine and Rond-Point du Prado, with a new station called Gèze to be completed by 2028.
A further extension of Line 2 will see services extended between Saint-Marcel and Saint-Loup, with a further four kilometres of track added by 2025.
By 2035, the total length of the metro will have doubled, significantly improving coverage and connectivity across the city.

Nearby Attractions

Using Saint Charles station as a reference point, there are several tourist attractions that can be reached by metro:

Vieux Port: A 10-minute ride from Saint Charles station. To get there, take line 1 towards La Rose-La Fourragère and get off at Vieux Port after a five-minute ride.

Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica: This 20-minute trip starts with a metro ride on line 1 towards La Fourragère. After 12 stops, get off at Vieux Port and walk towards Vieux Port (Cours Jean Ballard). Then take bus 81 in the direction of Le Pharo and get off at Place la Corderie after three stops. Then walk 760 metres in the direction of Rue Fort du Sanctuaire.

Museé des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Mediterranée (MuCEM): This 15-minute trip starts by taking a line 1 train at Saint Charles station in the direction of La Fourragère. After two stops, get off at Vieux Port and walk to Metro Vieux Port. Then take the 82 S bus to Gare Saint Charles. After five stops, get off at La Major. Then walk 400 metres in the direction of 7 Promenade Robert Laffont.

Saint-Victor Basilica: Start with a 15-minute metro ride on line 1 from Gare Saint Charles towards La Fourragère. After two stops, get off at Vieux Port and walk towards Vieux Port (Cours Jean Ballard). Then take bus 81 in the direction of Le Pharo and get off at Saint Victor after five stops. Then walk to 3 rue de l’Abbaye.

Cathédrale de la Mayor: From Saint Charles station, take the number 2 train in the direction of Bougainville. After two stops, get off at Joliette. Walk 700 metres towards Place de la Major and you will reach the cathedral in 15 minutes.