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All of the most frequent journey options on the Lille to Marseille route
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Lille to Marseille by train
You can only take high speed trains across France from Lille to Marseille, but both the regular TGV InOui services and low-cost, but more basic, Ouigo services share the route.
It's particularly worthwhile to click on the Train Guides below so that you can compare the two train services.
Routes you can take to go from Lille to Marseille
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Option 1: taking the regular InOui services
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
5hr 15min (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
Mon - Sat = 3 x trains per day
Sunday = 4 x trains
Is the journey from Lille to Marseille direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.
Is the journey scenic?
Not particularly, though virtually all of the journey is on a high speed line
What other tourist locations do these trains call at?
Valence and Avignon
When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Marseille-St Charles from Lille-Europe on this journey option?
- Around 10:45 on Monday to Saturday
- Before 12:25 on Sunday
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to travel on from the station in Marseille?
It is connected to the city centre and harbor area by the Marseille Metro - See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay in the neighborhood
When is the usual approximate latest departure from Lille-Europe to Marseille TGV on this journey option
- After 17:00 on Saturday
- Before 18:25 on Monday to Friday and Sunday
Departs from Lille Flandres station on Sunday
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to get to the station in Lille?
Lille Europe station is within a 15 min walk from the heart of the city and it also served by both lines of the Lille Metro.
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay in its neighborhood.
Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Lille to Marseille trains?
Yes, and they can be purchased from a choice of booking agents - see below.
Click on the 'Good to know info' to access a guide to how rail tickets are managed in France, plus step-by-step guides on how to make a booking.
How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for these Lille to Marseille trains?
Up to 6 months in advance, but it varies according to when / if SNCF has a promotion in place; see the Ticket Information.
What are the child ticket terms for these Lille to Marseille trains?
The adult rate is charged for all travellers aged 12 and over.
Children aged 4-11 pay half fare
Does the ticket for these Lille to Marseille trains include assigned seats?
Yes - See the Train Guide in the Journey Information for insights on how to board the train.
Do rail pass users need to book reservations for these Lille to Marseille trains?
Yes - See the rail pass guide for France for info on the multiple booking options.
Is catering available on the Lille to Marseille trains on this journey option?
Yes, there is a bar/bistro car.
See the Train Guide in the Journey Information.
What else is good to know about French rail travel?
Check out the guide to travelling by train in France.
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on SNCF Connect ticket sales. SNCF Connect doesn't charge booking fees and is the online booking service of the national rail operator in France. It also sells tickets for direct high speed trains between France and Belgium, Germany, Barcelona, London, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
SNCF Connect Guide
SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.
Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.
And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.
Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.
SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store
SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Other Ticket Providers
Save A Train Guide
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Marseille
All trains also call at: Avignon TGV
Most trains also call at: Aix-en-Provence TGV
You can also now opt to travel from Lille to Marseille by Ouigo trains.
They're (much) cheaper than taking these standard InOui trains, but the on-board experience is more basic.
You also need to be at the station 30 mins prior to departure of Ouigo trains, so that you'll have time to pass through Ouigo reception.
Though those Ouigo TGV trains take the same high speed lines as these TGV InOui trains.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
On Mondays to Saturdays an additional TGV InOui service is typically scheduled to depart Lille at 06:45, but it diverts off of the high speed route in order to call in Douai and Arras, so it has a longer journey time of around 5hr 45mins.
Though it does depart from Lille Flandres station, which is closer to the city centre.
.
Aside from the 40 min detour to serve Lyon station, these trains spend the entire journey on a high speed line, but it is primarily the speed that gives this journey its wow factor.
It's not a particularly scenic train ride, aside from the final 30 mins of the journey through Provence, so having something to watch or read with you is recommended.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 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:
- 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.
- 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.
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 these TGV trains.
The price is dictated by demand per departure, so book ahead and try and be flexible re: your departure and arrival times, as trains leaving earlier or later can be cheaper.
This is a route on which the most heavily discounted 'Prems' tickets tend to sell out relatively quickly.
Seat Reservations:
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.
Route Information
Option 2: Save money by taking the more basic Ouigo services
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4hr 35 min - 5hr 5mins (approx)
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
3 x trains per day
Is the journey from Lille to Marseille direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.
Is the journey scenic?
Not particularly, though more than 95% of the journey is on a high-speed line.
What other tourist locations are along the route from Lille to Marseille?
Valence and Avignon
When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Marseille-St Charles from Lille-Flandres on this journey option?
Before 16:15 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy it to travel on from the the station in Marseille?
It is connected to the city centre and harbor area by the Marseille Metro - See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay in the neighborhood
When is the usual approximate latest departure from Lille-Flandres to Marseille-St Charles on this journey option
Around 15:20 daily
Source = European Rail Timetable
How easy is it to get to the station in Lille?
Lille-Flandres station is within a 10 min walk from the heart of the city and it also served by line 2 of the Lille Metro.
(https://www.ilevia.fr/cms/institutionnel/metro-et-tramway).
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay in its neighborhood.
Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Lille to Marseille trains?
Yes
How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for the Lille to Marseille train for this journey option?
Typically up to 6 months ahead, but it varies according to when /if SNCF has a promotion in place; see the Ticket Information
What are the child ticket terms for these Lille to Marseille trains?
The adult rate is charged for all travellers aged 12 and over.
A price of €8 is charged for children aged 11 and under.
Does the ticket for these Lille to Marseille trains include assigned seats?
Yes, more info on the seat selection is available on the 'Train Guide' on the Journey Information guide below
Do rail pass users need to book reservations for these Lille to Marseille trains?
Rail passes are not valid on Ouigo services.
Is catering available on the Lille to Marseille train on this journey option?
No
What else is good to know about French rail travel?
Check out the guide to travelling by train in France.
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on SNCF Connect ticket sales. SNCF Connect doesn't charge booking fees and is the online booking service of the national rail operator in France. It also sells tickets for direct high speed trains between France and Belgium, Germany, Barcelona, London, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
SNCF Connect Guide
SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.
Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.
And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.
Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.
SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store
SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
Other Ticket Providers
Travel Information
Final Destination: Marseille
When making a train journey from Lille to Marseille, you now have a choice of travelling by standard TGV InOui trains or by these Ougio trains.
So you can now opt to save money, but have a much more basic on board experience, and travel on a Ouigo.
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Something not particularly obvious, is that the fastest Ouigo service is quicker than the TGV InOui trains on this Lille to Marseille high-speed route, because it doesn't divert off the direct path in order to call at the main city centre station in Lyon; though this journey time saving will be negated by the need to be at the station 30 mins before the Ouigo train departs.
And that's because you need to pass through 'reception' before boarding a Ouigo train; staff need to verify that all passengers are abiding by the 'rules' of travelling on a Ouigo train, no additional un-booked luggage, no bikes etc.
Though a plus of taking a Ouigo for Lille to Marseille train journey can be that these Ouigo trains depart from the main city centre station, Lille Flandres.
While the quicker of the alternative TGV InOui services depart from Lille Europe station.
These Ouigo trains take the same route as the TGV InOui services.
Tickets
Online bookings usually open: 6 months ahead of the travel date
Tickets for the alternative service of TGV InOui trains are usually made available 4 months ahead, so if you look up this journey more than 4 months ahead on SNCF Connect, you may only see these Ouigo services, but they are not the only option on this route.
What is particularly worth being aware of when booking tickets for journeys by Ouigo train services, is that:
- Premiere/1st class tickets are not available.
- Reservations are included when booking, as they are on the TGV InOui trains, but you can opt to pay additional fess, or book a more expensive type of ticket to select a specific seat (more info is available on the Ouigo 'Train Guide').
- The more expensive type of tickets also include an additional luggage allowance, click the Ouigo 'Train Guide' to access more info on the luggage allowances on Ouigo trains; they're more restrictive than on a TGV InOui train.
- You cannot book or collect tickets for Ouigo trains at stations.
- The two key T&Cs of booking either of the two types of ticket available for journeys by Ouigo trains are:
- The tickets are not refundable.
- Exchanges to alternative departures are possible until 1 hour before the beginning of the boarding procedure, but they incur a fee of €10 per passenger, with any price difference between the old and new ticket(s) also added to this fee.
Though these factors, and more, are why you can make big savings by opting to travel by these Ouigo trains and not on the standard TGV InOui trains.
Eurail and InterRail Pass Users:
Rail passes cannot be used on Ouigo trains, but if you will be travelling with a 2nd class pass, our guide to using rail passes in France, explains why taking a Ouigo train can be worth considering
Route Information
Via stations: Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris Nord and Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon
Option 3: travelling via Paris
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
5hr 5min - 5hr 45min approx
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
up to 6 x connections per day
Purchase Tickets
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on SNCF Connect ticket sales. SNCF Connect doesn't charge booking fees and is the online booking service of the national rail operator in France. It also sells tickets for direct high speed trains between France and Belgium, Germany, Barcelona, London, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
SNCF Connect Guide
SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.
Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.
And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.
Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.
SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store
SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Trainline ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option for: Comparing different train services; Booking international journeys with connections; Travelling between the UK to destinations beyond Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris - and for international travellers who don't reside in western Europe.
Trainline Guide
ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.
Exclusive for New Customers: Receive a 10% discount by using the code 24NOV on any purchase with a maximum total price of £100, until 28 November 2024 (11:59 pm CET). Limit one coupon per qualifying booking. Cannot be combined, transferred or exchanged.
Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Travel Information
The Lille to Marseille journey via Paris is more frequent than the direct trains, so it can become the logical choice if you need to depart Lille at a time when no direct trains will be available for more than two hours.
Though the Paris option is inevitably a slower end-to-end journey - and it involves having to make the transfer across the French capital from the Gare Du Nord to the Gare De Lyon.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Lille Flandres and Paris Gare Du Nord / Paris NordYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Most of the TGV InOui services from Lille to Paris depart from Lille-Flandres station, but there are typically additional services from Lille-Europe station at around these times:
- 07:50 on Monday to Friday
- 08:50 on Sat / Sun
- 10:50 daily
- 12:05 on Sunday
- 13:00 on Monday to Friday
- 13:40 on Saturday
- 15:40 on Saturday
- 16:50 on Sunday
- 17:50 daily
- 18:50 on Monday to Friday
- 19:50 on Saturday
- 20:50 on Sunday
Train 2
Between Paris Gare de Lyon / Paris Lyon and Marseille-Saint-CharlesYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
In terms of distance travelled this is one of the longest non-stop European journeys by high speed trains and you should be travelling at more than 270 km/h for more than 90% of this trip.
The train will head on to the high speed line around 10 mins into the journey and won't leave it until it reaches the outskirts of Marseille.
The route becomes more scenic on the final 30 - 40mis of the ride, when the train will be travelling across Provence.
Please support ShowMeTheJourney
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: 4 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:
- 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.
- 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.
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 these TGV trains.
The price is dictated by demand per departure, so book ahead and try and be flexible re: your departure and arrival times, as trains leaving earlier or later can be cheaper.
This is a route on which the most heavily discounted 'Prems' tickets tend to sell out relatively quickly.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
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