Now, the distance between two popular French cities can be covered in just 3 hours and 20 minutes.
The French capital Paris has been connected by a new direct high-speed train to the port city of Marseille in the south of the country, which has been growing in popularity among tourists in recent years.
According to the Daily Express, the operator of the service was the Italian railway company Trenitalia, which was named the best in Europe last year. The first train on the Paris-Marseille route departed on June 15, 2025.
The train covers approximately 750 kilometers between the cities in just 3 hours and 20 minutes on average, and ticket prices start at 23 euros. For comparison, a car trip between Paris and Marseille takes about 7 hours.
Trains on this route will depart from Paris between 5:55 a.m. and 7:04 p.m., and from Marseille between 6:52 a.m. and 6:49 p.m.
The train route will run between Paris’s Gare de Lyon and Marseille’s Gare Saint-Charles, with stops in Lyon, Avignon, and Aix-en-Provence.
The new service from the Italian company is a direct competitor to the route offered by France’s national state-owned railway company, SNCF. Increased competition could lead to better prices for travelers, according to experts.
“The new Paris-Marseille service further expands the Frecciarossa network in France, also meeting the needs of those seeking a fast, comfortable, and more environmentally friendly way to travel. Trenitalia France’s offer will increasingly cater to those who choose trains for work, study, leisure, and tourism,” said Mark Caposciutti, CEO of Trenitalia France.
In addition, Trenitalia plans to launch two new flights from Paris to Lyon in France and Milan in Italy in the near future.
