Marseille Metro Information
Marseille Metro is a very regular, clean and cheap means of public transportation in the city that is also fully integrated to the overall transportation network. The fact that it is completely air-conditioned makes for good news for the commuters and visitors planning on visiting the city during the summer months. The announcements inside the network are at present carried out in both the French as well as the English languages.
The entire Metro network of Marseille is criss-crossed by a system of two tram lines and as many as thirty different bus routes. L’Estaque, which is a small town in its own right but largely regarded as an arrondissement of Marseille by the French population, can be reached by any train that runs in the direction of Miramas from the Marseille Saint Charles Station.
The main train station in the city, Marseille Saint Charles, features stops for both these routes while further down the network in the southern suburb of Castellane, there is another point of intersection for the two lines.
An aspect of the Metro service that the nighthawks found to be grossly annoying was the early conclusion of daily services. This also heavily factored in Marseille having an underpowered nightlife. However, with the extension of services in 2013, that scenario is slowly but surely taking a turn towards improvements. The system length is 21.5 Km with 28 stations. It takes a daily ridership of 210,000 & annual ridership of 76.7 million as in year 2012.
Marseille Metro Lines
There are two underground lines that serve the Metro network in Marseille. The Blue Line- M1- runs roughly along an east-west direction before returning back in a broad loop line. The Red Line- M2- is one that roughly runs in a north-south direction.
Marseille Metro Hours
The timings of the Marseille metro are pretty much the same on all days. It begins operations around 05:00 am in the morning and runs till approximately 01:00 am, the next morning. The frequency of the trains, however is subject to variation. From a minimum headway of around 4 minutes to a maximum headway,somewhere close to 12 minutes
For a more detailed information on the timings, frequency and schedule of any particular station, on either of the lines, you can visit the official website at: http://www.rtm.fr/en/travellers-guide/getting-around/schedule
Note: The metro lines are line M1 and M2, respectively.
Marseille Metro Fare
Tickets can be bought from cafes at subway stations. The metro tickets allow unlimited access to trams and buses with initial use of 1 hour time period. The base price of ticket is 1.50 Euros, this is the fare of a 1 Trip ticket. After 1 hour re-entry can’t be done on the same ticket. A 2 Trip ticket costs double, at 3 Euros. A multi journey ticket is best option it covers buses , metros and trams and costs 13 Euros per 10 trips. There is a card known as the Group Card 4 Pax, this ticket allows a group of 4 to travel for a consolidated fare of 4.80 Euros. For those who are frequent users of the public transportation system in Marseille, 24 and 72 hour tickets are also available. They both cost 5.20 Euros and 10.80 Euros, respectively.
For more information with regard to the fares, tickets and cards, you can visit the official website at: http://www.rtm.fr/en/travellers-guide/buy-tickets/occasional-travel
Marseille Metro Map
Map of Marseille Metro showing various lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it or Download Marseille Metro Map in PDF.
Marseille Metro Parking
Park and ride facilities are available at most of the stations of the Marseille metro. However, a fee may have to paid to avail these services. Those who hold the Pass XL permanent, get to use the facility for 30 days for free. Others have to make payment through a transportation card. For the first 3 hours it costs 30 cents for every 15 minutes. For those who use the facilities for 3-12 hours, it costs 10 cents for every 15 minutes. Ultimately, for those who use the service for 12-24 hours it costs just 30 cents for every hour.
For more information on the park and ride facilities offered by the metro, you can visit the official website at: http://www.rtm.fr/en/travellers-guide/getting-around/park-and-ride
Marseille Metro Rules and Tips
The Marseille metro has strict rules when it comes to the issue of tickets. A fine can be imposed on anyone who gives their tickets to a third person. It is advised to handle your ticket with care, till the very end of the trip. For safety purposes, more than 250 officers patrol the area for all the 24 hours of a day. Cameras are installed in all trains, busses and trams for surveillance purposes.
For more information on the rules and tips to be followed, you can visit the official website at: http://www.rtm.fr/en/travellers-guide/getting-around/rules-and-advice.