- You’re required to pay a small fee to enter some of the roads and tunnels in Marseille, including Prado Carénage. Card payments are widespread, but keep some change with you just in case.
- Avoid driving during rush hour. Marseille’s streets can become gridlocked during commuter times in the early morning and late afternoon.
- If you're going to the Calanques, allow plenty of time to get around. Getting from one cove to another means retracing your steps quite a way inland. Morgiou and Sormiou are just a kilometre apart, but driving between them takes 30 minutes.
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Search for the best car hire deals in Marseille
With sea views, an atmospheric old town and a still-active fishing industry, Marseille is one of France's most compelling coastal cities. Enjoy people-watching and fresh seafood at the Old Port, shop in the gritty Noailles district, and hire a car for day trips into Provence and the Camargue.
Fast facts about hiring a car from Marseille Airport
Many of the big-name car hire companies offer cheap rental deals at Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), including Avis, Europcar and Hertz. The drive to Marseille itself from the airport should take around 25 minutes in good traffic. If you're heading inland, you can reach Aix-en-Provence in around 45 minutes.
The car hire desks in Marseille Airport are either at the front of Terminal 1, after passport control and baggage reclaim, or just outside in the car park.
Car hire companies that have desks at Marseille Airport in 2020 include:
- Avis and Budget (Tel: +33 0820 61 16 39)
- Enterprise (Tel: +33 0442 14 24 90)
- Europcar (Tel: +33 0825 35 93 59)
- Hertz (Tel: +33 0442 14 34 66)
- Sixt: (Tel: +33 0484 07 00 62)
Hiring a car in Marseille city centre
If you don't need a hire car from the start of your trip, it's easy to pick one up later in central Marseille. Shop around for deals with big international brands such as Avis, Hertz, Alamo and Europcar, whose offices are clustered near Marseille-Saint-Charles railway station. You’ll also find a few options further out in Rouet along Boulevard Rabatau.
Driving in Marseille city centre
Marseille is a large, busy city that can be daunting to drive around at first. However, much of the 1st arrondissement is laid out in a relatively easy to understand grid, and the roads are well maintained and signposted. Things get trickier in the historic Hotel de Ville area north of the port – it's a classic old town scenario, with lots of narrow, interconnecting one-way streets. Luckily that's a small part of the city, and can easily be done on foot.
As with any city, it’s best to avoid driving around the centre in the early morning and late afternoon. It’s also worth noting that the main road running around the Old Port is one-way, with traffic flowing anticlockwise around the harbour.
Street parking can be very difficult to find in Marseille, especially around Hotel de Ville. You will, however, find several car parks near the city’s popular attractions, offering hourly as well as day rates. If you’re looking to save money, try parking further out or leaving your hire car at your accommodation and using public transport in the city centre.
Recommended day trips from Marseille
Aix-en-Provence
Driving time: 45 minutes
Marseille is in the region of Provence, famed for its stunning scenery and fields of fragrant blooms. Scattered throughout are idyllic towns and cities such as Aix-en-Provence. It has a compact yet charming historical centre filled with meandering alleyways and quaint squares ideal for a day of strolling and discovering.
Calanques National Park
Driving time: 45 minutes
For a unique day by the coast, head to the Calanques National Park. Here it's all about the coves (which, for non French speakers, is what calanque means). Limestone headlands jut out into the clear blue waters of the Med, creating a series of sheltered beaches and rocky swimming spots. Some, such as Calanque de Sormiou, come with small villages attached, allowing you to grab some lunch. Hop between them and finish up at the coastal town of Cassis.
Camargue
Driving time: One hour 15 minutes
It’s well worth a 75-minute drive to see the Camargue Natural Park region, one of southern France's great wild places, with windswept walks and incredible wetland scenery. Wander across remote dune-backed beaches, or take a guided cruise from gateway towns such as Aigues-Mortes and Le Grau-du-Roi. Keep an eye out for the region's legendary wildlife, which ranges from wild horses to flamingos.