Aix on your own?

Has anyone done Aix on your own? We are in Marseilles the day of their big street market and I'd love to go but don't think it's necessary to pay for a tour- unless it's that difficult to get to - then obviously it is necessary! :) Any input??

Has anyone done Aix on your own? We are in Marseilles the day of their big street market and I'd love to go but don't think it's necessary to pay for a tour- unless it's that difficult to get to - then obviously it is necessary! :) Any input??

What is your plan? Rent a car and drive? Hire a cab? Take the bus?

It should be quite do-able on your own, unless it's a very short port stop.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Marseille,+France/Aix-en-Provence,+France/@43.4125006,5.2254995,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x12c9bf4344da5333:0x40819a5fd970220!2m2!1d5.36978!2d43.296482!1m5!1m1!1s0x12c98da304b91259:0x5cb953bec8b688a3!2m2!1d5.447427!2d43.529742

http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/en/destination/plan-your-trip/brochure/

http://www.provencelive.com/practical/daily/market/

I am also thinking of diy to Aix. Their tourism office has inexpensive (9 Euro) walking tours at 10 a.m. a few days per week and its also an easy city to walk around. A taxi from Marseille port to Aix costs about 65 to 70 Euro, which is not bad especially if you can share among four people.

An alternative is the train or bus, but depending on the day you'll be there, it might not be that much cheaper than the taxi (depending on how many people are with you). I don't know if its true or not, but I've read that the free shuttles out of the port only run on the weekend. So if you have to wait for and then pay for a shuttle out of the port, then take the metro or walk to the train/bus station, and then pay for the train, it might make more sense to take a taxi.

We are there from 9-6 so I don't think time will be an issue. I wasn't sure is others have gone to Aix on their own, how it was done- train or bus or teleport 😜 My concern was if train or bus is the best route, if there would be a lot of transfers. If cabs are readily available and willing to drive there from the port, I'd be more inclined to that over spending a few hundred on a tour. I've never been to Europe so this is all unchartered water (pun intended) for me.

How long is the train ride from Marseilles to Aix en Provence ? Thanks !!

The local trains called TER take about 25 min and will take you to the better located Central station in Aix. These trains are cheap and have a no reservation policy. There are faster TGV trains (about 15 min) but they require advance reservations and take you to a different TGV station which is not as convenient. So we recommend the local (TER) trains. The bus station happens to be located right outside the St Charles Train Station (Marseille) and one could also grab a bus which just takes a little longer then the TER train.

Hank

Thanks a lot for your input !

Last question, How far is the train station from the drop off (port shuttle) ?

Cost ?

Thanks !

thechamp555

I misspoke in the earlier post and the regional TER trains are actually 48 min (one way) with a few slower trains (they make more stops) taking about an hour. The train fares vary and can run in the 15-20 Euro range. However there are often lower cost fares (even God cannot figure out SNCF fares) and SNCF (the French Railroad) usually gives nice discounts (around 25%) to Seniors. The last time we grabbed a senior fare (in Le Havre) we asked the ticket clerk how old one had to be to qualify for the senior fare (I think it might be 60) and he just smiled and gave us the fare (and never answered our question).

It would normally be just about 1 mile from the old harbor (the usual drop off) to the train station. It is a relatively easy walk but there are also some local buses (not sure of the route number) or it would be a quick (and inexpensive taxi ride). If you can find another couple that is going to the station then it makes a lot of sense to simply share a taxi from the port to the St Charles Train Station. The cost per person would not be much different then what some cruise lines are now charging for their shuttles.

I want to add a caution to anyone using French trains. When they developed their high speed TGV trains they had to build a lot of new track and special stations. So many towns that are served by the TGV (such as Avignon and Aix) have two stations...one for the regular trains (often called TER) and the other just for the fast TGV. While the TER stations are generally located close (or in) the city center, the TGV stations are usually located somewhere in the outskirts. This means that if you use the faster (and more expensive) TGV you will often need to take a shuttle from the TGV station into town. While the shuttles can be free (or low cost) the time it takes can often take away the time advantage offered by the faster train. So for relatively short routes many folks prefer the slower TER trains.

Hank

Thanks for all the info, it is appreciated !

Most locals here take the bus shuttle not the train. The TER trains are slow, unreliable (often on strike) and at times susceptible to crime. The bus takes around the same time, apart from during rush hours, is very reliable and runs every five minutes. The bus station is close to the Aix central train station.

At the Marseille end, the train and bus stations are adjacent. As I previously posted, the walk from the Old Port to the station is about 15 minutes, but it's all uphill. The climb at the end is quite steep, so I recommend the metro or a taxi.

Senior rail fares are available for the over 60s. You don't have to be French. Be advised that there are two Senior tariffs. The cheaper one is for people who have previously bought a Senior + card, so you need to go for the higher fare.