Genève / Geneva to Marseille by train

Final Destination: Marseille
This train no longer travels beyond Marseille to Nice

The train also calls at: Valence TGV and Avignon TGV

Aim to be at Geneve a minimum of 15 mins before departure, you may have to pass border control before boarding this train
It is the only direct train between Switzerland and the south of France.

As referenced on the guide to changes in European train times for 2020 this service will now only be scheduled to depart from late June to around mid-August.

Book early and save: Yes

In 2023, from July 3rd to August 27th this train is scheduled to depart from Geneve at 08:41.

Oui.SNCF can refer to Geneve station as GENEVE CORNAVIN.

Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey, but rail pass users will need to be pay a reservation fee prior to boarding.

However, if you have a rail pass you can avoid the comparatively expensive rail pass supplements/reservation fees on this direct Lyria train by taking a combination of two TER trains on routes via Lyon-Part Dieu or Valence-Ville.

When the direct train from Geneva to Marseille isn't available, or if it's timings won't suit, the fastest option is to make a transfer in Lyon-Part Dieu station between TER trains from Geneve and TGV trains on to Marseille.
The journeys with an end-to-end time of between 4hr 15min - 4hr 30min typically have a comfortable transfer time between trains of around 45mins.
Usually all but three of the end-to-end journeys per day fall within this pattern.
The discrepancies in the total journey time depend on the time between trains in Lyon, which typically vary from a non-guaranteed 18 mins to around 1hr 45mins.

Seats cannot be reserved on the train from Geneve to Lyon, but reservations are mandatory and therefore included when booking tickets, on the TGV train on from Lyon to Marseille.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but bookings can open sooner when SNCF is running a promotion.

When booking 2nd class tickets only one type of ticket will be available per departure, discounted 'Prems' tickets or 'Seconde' tickets; though the price of Seconde tickets are also typically cheaper when they are first placed on sale.
When booking 1st class tickets there will be a choice of Premiere tickets and Business Premiere tickets.

The two key T&Cs of booking Prems, Seconde, or Premiere tickets are:

1. Up until two days prior to departure, these types of tickets can be refunded for no additional charge (big tick), but a €15 fee will be payable for making a refund in the two days prior to departure.
2. It's also possible to exchange tickets to an alternative departure on the same journey, but you will have to pay any difference in price between the cost you paid and the cost at the time of the exchange.

Though if you book Business Premiere tickets, the key T&Cs are that tickets can be exchanged and refunded free of charge up to 30 minutes after departure, so if you get to the station just too late to miss the train you were originally booked on to, you won't lose out financially.

Travelling with Eurail and InterRail passes:

Avoid the mandatory rail pass reservations of at least €10 which are payable when taking the TGV trains, by making the journey on two x TER trains.
There is usually a journey option which:

• typically departs Geneve at around 09:15
• around an hour between trains in Lyon
• arriving into Marseille at around 16:15