Transportation in Marseille

Marseille's core network is the two-line metro (M1 and M2) that cross the city centre every few minutes and link up with the modern tram lines T1, T2 and T3 at key hubs like Castellane and Gare Saint-Charles. Buses fill the gaps. But the real insider move is the RTM "Pass XL" day ticket: it covers metro, tram and most buses and costs a fraction of what you'd spend on taxis. Skip the single-ride paper tickets. The queues at machines are longer than the rides themselves. For the airport, the dedicated shuttle bus (navette) runs direct to Gare Saint-Charles in about 25 minutes and is the cheapest option. If you land late, the last departure is easy to miss, when that happens, the official taxi rank outside Terminal 1 is the only reliable fallback. Insist on the meter and avoid the unlicensed drivers who circle the baggage claim.