
Planet Rail
Biarritz by First Class Rail
London to Biarritz by Eurostar and TGV first class rail
Planet Rail · Tailor-made rail holiday
London to Marseille by Eurostar and TGV, five days independent.

Planet Rail's five-day independent package delivers you from London to the Mediterranean by rail without an escort. You depart London St Pancras by Eurostar Standard Premier, enjoying a light meal and drinks as the train crosses the Channel to Paris. A short private taxi ride takes you to the Gare de Lyon, where you board the high-speed TGV towards Marseille. The train climbs through the changing landscapes of Burgundy and Provence, reaching speeds near 200 mph before arriving in Marseille's great port city. You then have three full days to explore at your own pace: the historic Vieux Port waterfront since 600 BC, Le Panier's narrow streets winding uphill, and the Byzantine Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde Cathedral with its panoramic coastal views. On Day 4 you may venture to the fishing village of Cassis and the Calanques, limestone fjords with hidden beaches (cost extra). Your hotel choice is the four-star Grand Hotel Beauvau or five-star InterContinental Marseille - Hotel Dieu. On Day 5 you reverse the journey, taking the TGV back to Paris and Eurostar home to London.
Across 4 checks, this price has held at £1,195 every time.
Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 4 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.
The operator's published day-by-day is incomplete (day 1: the operator offers a choice of hotels for this night; the town comes from its heading and the options are listed separately). Day counts and hotel changes are not calculated from it.
Begin at the beautifully restored London St Pancras International station and travel by Eurostar through France to Paris, with a light meal and drinks served on board in Standard Premier service. On arrival, a private taxi transfer conveys you to the Gare de Lyon to board the high-speed TGV to Marseille at speeds approaching 200mph, through the changing landscapes of Burgundy and Provence. The train pulls into Marseille St Charles station; make your own way on foot or by taxi to your hotel for the next 4 nights, in the heart of Marseille on the Vieux Port.
Hotel options: Marseille (Grand Hotel Beauvau or InterContinental Marseille – Hotel Dieu)
Wander around the Vieux Port area, Marseille's focal point since roughly 600 BC, and marvel at the French architecture along the quais overlooking the docks and their fishing and pleasure boats.
Explore Le Panier (Old Town), a warren of a district winding up the hill north of the Vieux Port and said to be the oldest urban quartier in France, and the striking Byzantine architecture of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde Cathedral, with excellent panoramic views along the coastline.
Venture further afield to Cassis, a picture-postcard fishing village home to the eponymous liqueur, and the Calanques, fjord-like limestone formations famous for crystal-clear waters and hidden beaches and grottos (payable locally). In the evening, enjoy dinner at one of Marseille's seafood restaurants.
Return to Marseille St Charles station to say farewell to the French Riviera and board the TGV for the journey back to Paris. A private taxi transfer takes you to the Gare du Nord to board the Eurostar for London, with a light meal and drinks served on board, arriving into London St Pancras.

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