The direct trains between Madrid and Marseille have been removed from the new rail timetable which will be in place after December 11th and into 2023.
The French national rail company SNCF and the Spanish rail company Renfe have opted to terminate their partnership which jointly managed the service of high speed trains between France and Spain.
As a result the long-standing direct trains between Madrid and and Marseille have been withdrawn, without any adjustment to any other train times, to provide an equivalent indirect journey on a similar schedule to what had been available.
1 or 2 x connections per day
No ticket agent will seemingly offer this end-to-end journey on single booking, but Trainline will sell a Madrid to Barcelona journey and a Barcelona to Marseille journey via Nimes.
Both journeys will typically be available from four months ahead of the travel date.
Final Destination: Barcelona-Sants or Figueres
The train which typically departs Madrid at 06:30 is due into Barcelona Sants at 09:20 and a train which departs Madrid at 07:00 and is non-stop to Barcelona where it usually scheduled to arrive in Barcelona at 09:30.
Both of these trains aren't seemingly available on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The train on to France will typically be departing from Barcelona at 10:32.
A daily train to Barcelona usually departs from Madrid at 09:30 and is due to arrive into Barcelona at 12:37, nearly two hours before the departure of a train on to France.
This train is scheduled to depart from Madrid-Charmartin at 07:15 on Mon-Fri only.
This train is second class/Turista class only.
Note that this train departs from Chamartin station in Madrid and NOT from Atocha station - which is where the AVE trains to Barcelona to depart from.
Final Destination: Barcelona Franca
This train also calls at: Barcelona Passeig Di Gracia
If you'll be headong to central Barcelona, don't leave this train at Barcelona Sants station, remain on the train until it arrives at the next station Passeig Di Gracia.
Final Destination: Paris Gare De Lyon
The connecting time between trains in Nimes will typically be around 1hr 5mins.
The connection at Nimes is suggested because there are brasseries and cafes right by the station, which are suitable places to await the onward train.
Or there will be the option of waiting for the onward train on the voie (track/platform), the train from Marseille will typically arrive on the same voie that the train on to Marseille will be departing from.
Between Barcelona and Perpignan the train travels on a high speed line.
2. Between Perpignan and Montpellier the train follows the coast, don't expect incredible seascapes, but there are some nice views as the train threads through the marshes - particularly north of Perpignan.
The videos were filmed from a train travelling in the opposite direction.
Final Destination: Marseille-St Charles
Take the connections which are typically available on any day, but Tuesday and Wednesday and the arrival time into Marseille will typically be at 16:37.
Or if you take the usually available daily connections, the arrival time into Marseille will be around 21:30
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