Les marches de St Charles - 100M2

It’s up on a hill, with the metro below and a bus stop right beside it. The station itself is small and has only a few shops. Some sell Marseille-specific things like soap and cream, and those are worth a look.

I like this station. It can be busy, but arriving there gives you an immediate feel for the south, with blue skies, nice weather, and lots of people in holiday mode. There are cafes and shops, and the terrace looking over the city is fantastic.

There are plenty of amenities and lots of seating inside and outside, with good connections to other cities. The station is very clean, but there’s no air conditioning. We visited in June 2025, and although there were outdoor seats, the sun had made them far too hot to sit on.

Getting back up to the station from Vieux Port at the end of my holiday was always going to take effort, whichever of the many routes I chose. A longer but less steep route would be a welcome option. Leave lots of time and stop for breaks. I love French transport systems, which show exactly what underinvestment and privatization did to transport in the UK.