8 days · Provence by train

8 Days in Provence by Train: Avignon, Arles & Marseille

Stay inside Avignon’s walls or near the central station. Go to Arles for the Roman city, then trade the Rhône for the harbor in Marseille.

Sailboats fill Marseille’s Old Port below a long row of waterfront buildings. — Vieux-Port, MarseillePhotograph by Maël Leseney · Unsplash License

7 nights in France

Where you unpack

For travelers who want a palace, Roman sites and a Mediterranean city without driving between them.

Paris · arrival1 night: Pick the room around your arrival and the next morning’s departure from Gare de Lyon.
Compare hotels near Paris Gare de Lyon
We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
Avignon3 nights: Compare the historic center for evenings with the area by Avignon Centre for the Arles train. The TGV station is a separate location.
Compare hotels near Avignon Centre station
We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
Marseille2 nights: Stay near the Old Port if that’s where you’ll spend the day. Check the ride to Saint-Charles with bags and the building’s lift if you need one.
Compare hotels near Marseille’s Old Port
We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
Paris or the departure airport1 night: Choose the last room based on the terminal and airport trip, after checking which station your return train serves.

Dots show geographic locations. Blue connects rail stops. Arles is a day trip from Avignon. The long-distance legs from Paris to Avignon and Marseille to Paris are listed below. Check dated directions with the operator. Land: Natural Earth.

The daily route

Day by day

Day 01 · Paris

Land in Paris and leave the clock alone

If you flew overnight from the US, count the day you land as day one. Get to the hotel, leave your bags if the room is still being cleaned, and take a walk near where you’re sleeping. Save the first timed ticket for tomorrow. Check your airport and terminal before choosing the train or a car.

Île-de-France Mobilités · Paris airports

Day 02 · Avignon

Go south from Paris Gare de Lyon

Search for Avignon TGV, then check the local train to Avignon Centre if your hotel is near the old town. The shuttle ride is short. The wait and the walk with bags still take time. Keep the first evening to dinner and a look around.

SNCF · Paris to Avignon TGV SNCF · Avignon Centre and the TGV shuttle

Day 03 · Avignon

Give the Palais des Papes the morning

Start at the palace before adding anything else to the day. Read the visitor information for the entry time, route and access. The bridge is a separate decision. If your group has had enough by lunch, leave the afternoon for the streets around the palace.

Palais des Papes · opening days and tickets

Day 04 · Arles · return to Avignon

Take the train to the Roman city of Arles

Use Avignon Centre for the regional train you select. From Arles station, make the amphitheater your first visit if it’s open, then choose either another monument or a long break. Confirm the return train before adding an evening meal in Arles.

SNCF · Avignon to Arles Arles Tourism · Roman and Romanesque monuments

Day 05 · Marseille

Unpack in Marseille, then go down to the port

Look for a direct train from Avignon Centre to Marseille Saint-Charles. Check your route to the hotel before leaving the platform. Walk the Old Port after settling in, and use the first afternoon for Fort Saint-Jean if tomorrow falls on a closure day and today’s hours allow it.

SNCF · Avignon to Marseille Saint-Charles Mucem · Fort Saint-Jean access and opening days

Day 06 · Marseille

Spend one full day at the Marseille waterfront

Start around the Vieux-Port, then decide whether to make the Mucem and Fort Saint-Jean your main visit. The museum normally closes Tuesdays. If it’s closed, keep the harbor and the Panier walk as the main plan and choose an indoor stop only after confirming it’s open.

Mucem · Fort Saint-Jean access and opening days

Day 07 · Paris

Return north before your flight day

Search Marseille Saint-Charles to Paris and check the exact arrival station on the ticket. For a service to Gare de Lyon, budget the trip onward to your room separately. Keep dinner flexible so the route has room for a delayed train.

SNCF · Marseille Saint-Charles to Paris Île-de-France Mobilités · Paris airports

Day 08 · Departure

Leave from the airport on your ticket

Read the airport code and terminal from the airline confirmation. Plan the journey from the hotel door and use the airline’s check-in guidance. Look up any engineering work or service changes before you go to bed.

Île-de-France Mobilités · Paris airports

Choose what to see

Decide which visits to keep

Compare the stops that fit a half-day and the ones worth building your schedule around.

Read the regional sightseeing guide

The parts to time

Transfers at a glance

Paris Gare de Lyon → Avignon TGV: About 2¾–3 hr on selected direct trains. Check the dated service and leave time for the separate local transfer.
Avignon TGV → Avignon Centre: About 6 min on the local train. Add the wait and the walk from Avignon Centre to your room.
Avignon Centre → Arles: About 15–20 min on selected trains. Read the actual station on both tickets and check the return before leaving.
Avignon Centre → Marseille Saint-Charles: Roughly 1¼–1½ hr on selected directs. Check that your departure is from Centre rather than TGV.
Marseille Saint-Charles → Paris: About 3–3½ hr on selected direct trains. Confirm the Paris arrival station and leave room for the airport or hotel transfer.

Before paying

What to book first

Choose the overnight buffer near Paris before booking the return train.
Find your Avignon room using the correct station. Check the arrival from Avignon TGV and the next morning’s trip from Avignon Centre separately.
Place the palace visit and Mucem around dated opening calendars. Confirm the Arles return train before choosing how late to stay.

Free printable

Three pages to save before you fly: passport and EES/ETIAS status, the proof the border police can ask for, cards and phones, driving rules and the bookings worth making early. Every line links an official source, checked November 9, 2026.

See what’s inside

Research desk

Sources and date checks

Checked November 9, 2026. Rail times are examples for planning. Recheck opening days, direct trains, tour stops and rental arrangements before booking.