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Paris to Toulon by train
Taking the train journey from Paris to Toulon, from where ferries to Corsica can be boarded
During the day you can only take high speed trains when travelling from Paris to Toulon, 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.
However, if you need to arrive at a specific time you will often have to take one train service or the other.
The Ouigo services can plug gaps between the TGV InOui departures.
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Routes
Option 1: travel on the regular InOui services
Journey Summary
3hr 47min - 4hr 13min (approx) (inOui)
Daily
Travel Information
Note that these trains to Toulon depart from the Gare De Lyon in Paris.
Final Destination: Nice or Toulon or Hyeres or Menton
Connecting to the ferry port:
The Corsican Ferries depart from the Gare Maritime and bus line 3 (direction Mourillion) links the station to the ferry port; the buses are frequent during the day and the journey only takes 10 mins.
Mon - Thurs 5 x trains per day
Friday = 8 x trains
Saturday = 7 x trains
Sunday = 4 x trains
On this route there are additional departures in the summer months.
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date.
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.
Expect to pay more for this journey between the beginning of June and mid-September, particularly if you will be travelling on a Friday or Saturday, as the most heavily discounted tickets inevitably sell out faster at times of particularly high demand.
You will also see other alternative connections between Paris and Toulon, which involve changing trains at Marseille St Charles.
However, taking these direct trains is generally cheaper - particularly if 'Prems' tickets are still available for these direct trains - but cheapest of all will be taking a Ouigo train from Paris to Toulon,
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SNCF Connect | from €41 | |
| Download the SNCF Connect App | from €41 | |
| Save A Train | from €41 | |
| Happy rail | from €41 | |
| Trainline | from €41 | |
| Rail Europe | from €41 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
The trains which are usually scheduled to depart from Paris at 11:17*; 15:17*; 17:18 and 19:20* are the fastest services of the day.
They are the TGV InOui trains, which take the direct route so do not call in Marseille.
*=these departures aren't available daily year round.
Journey Description
You should be travelling at more than 270 km/h for more than 75% of this journey.
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.
This high speed route becomes more scenic between Valence and the outskirts of Marseille, when the train will be travelling across Provence.
But this is a journey, which saves the best to last - once the train has passed through the suburbs of Marseille and moved on to the conventional tracks.
Between Marseille and Toulon there are some fabulous views over the coast from the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel).
The trains which call at Marseille will reverse direction when they depart from St. Charles station.
Option 2: Save money by taking the more basic Ouigo services
Journey Summary
4hr 1min - 4hr 4min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Nice
When making a train journey from central Paris to Toulon, 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.
2 x trains per day
Tickets
**Online bookings usually open:**up to 9 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
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SNCF Connect | from €19 | |
| Ouigo | from €19 | |
| Trainline | from €19 |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
If you do opt to travel from Paris to Toulon by these Ouigo trains, you should aim to be at the Gare De Lyon, 30 mins before the train is due to depart.
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.
These Ouigo trains travel on the same high speed line between Paris and Marseille which the TGVInOui trains take.
This is a journey of contrasts, between Paris and the Marseille suburbs, the train will travel on the high speed line.
After Marseille the train will slow down, but this gives more of an opportunity to take in the scenery
If your reserved seat is on the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) - once the train has passed through the Marseille area, there are some sea views.
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