How to take the rail journey from Marseilles to Rennes

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Marseille to Rennes by train

Routes you can take to go from Marseille to Rennes

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?

Journey guides for travel to Marseille

Route Information

Station Guides

Marseille St Charles station viewed from the terrace, a great area in which to wait for a train

Marseille-Saint-Charles Rail Station Guide

Rennes Rail Station Guide

Travel Time (approx)

5hr 34min - 5hr 46min

Frequency

Daily

Travel Info

Monday to Friday: 1 x train per day
Sat/Sun: 2 x trains per day

Is the journey from Marseille to Rennes direct?
Yes, there is no need to make a connection when taking this route.

Is the journey scenic?
Not particularly, though more than 80% of the journey is on a high speed line

What other tourist locations are along the route from Marseille to Rennes?
Lyon and Le Mans

How easy is it to get to the station in Marseille?
Marseille St-Charles is served by both of the Metro lines in Marseille, lines A and B.
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay by Marseille-St Charles

Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for these Marseille to Rennes trains?
Yes, and they can be purchased from a choice of booking agents - see below.

How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for these Marseille to Rennes trains?
Up to 4 months in advance

What are the child ticket terms for these Marseille to Rennes 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 Marseille to Rennes 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 Marseille to Rennes trains?
Yes; see the rail pass reservation guide for the options on how to book.

Is catering available on the Marseille to Rennes trains?
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.

Travel Information

Final Destination: Rennes

These trains will also call at: Massy TGV and Le Mans

These trains usually depart from Marseille at:

08:31 on Saturday and Sunday only
14:36 daily

If the timings of these direct trains don't suit, there are multiple other daily journey options, but they all involve taking a train from Marseille to the Gare De Lyon, and then another TGV train from the Gare Montparnasse to Nantes.

The optimum route between the two Paris rail terminals is to Metro Line 14 (direction Olympiades) to Bercy and then transfer there to Metro line 6 (direction Charles de Gaulle Etoile).

There are several options for making the transfer from Gare De Lyon to Montparnasse, but this option has 3 advantages:

Line 14 has step free access at Gare De Lyon;
The interchange at Bercy is comparatively straightforward;
At Montparnasse, line 6 is located closest to the exit from the Metro station.

This is a direct journey

You will be travelling on one of these trains...

TGV InOui (Duplex) Train Guide

Journey Features

High Speed (partial journey)

Good to Know

The afternoon departure will be joined to another train heading to Nantes for the journey between Marseille and Le Mans.
Check the coach number on your ticket, your seat will be located in a coach that's heading to Rennes.

So when taking the afternoon train - at Marseille St Charles you will also on the departure screens a train heading to Nantes, leaving at the same time and departing from the same voie/track as this train heading for Rennes

The train will spend 90% of the journey on high speed lines - the only significant part of the journey that isn't high speed is the comparatively slow passage through the suburbs to the south of Paris.

Le viaduc de Chamborigaud from a Nimes - Clermont Ferrand train

The general guide to French rail travel Discover what's good to know about riding the trains, using the major stations, booking tickets and travelling with Eurail and InterRail passes.

Tickets

These trains usually depart from Marseille at:
08:36 on Saturdays and Sunday and 14:36 daily, so target these departure times when looking up this journey.

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings usually open: up to 4 months ahead of the travel date - see the ticket guide for more info.

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

Exchanges and refunds are free up to 7 days before departure.
If you want to amend your booking in the 6 days before departure you must pay an amendment fee of €19 per person per person for an exchange or a refund.
In the 30 minutes before departure, refunds cannot be requested and exchanges are only allowed for the same journey later that day. The same amendment fees apply to the exchange.
If you arrive at a station too late to make a train you were booked on to, you won't get your money back on your original purchase and will have to book an entirely new ticket, which will be at the most expensive last minute price.

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.

Though if you are happy to travel via Paris and make the connection between the Gare De Lyon and the Gare Montparnasse, you can usually save money by taking that route.
So if you want to see those alternative options, leave the 'Direct Trains' box un-ticked.

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