Marseille Saint-Charles station to La Ciotat: from the train to your door

La Ciotat station is several kilometres from the Old Port and the beaches. From Saint-Charles, a private driver drops you straight at your hotel or rental in about 40 minutes.

The Old Port of La Ciotat and the church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption
The Old Port of La Ciotat · Photo Andrei Koscina / Unsplash

Marseille Saint-Charles stationLa Ciotat

≈ 33 kmDistance

39 minOutside rush hour

Fixed priceTolls and luggage included

VehiclePassengersSuitcasesGuide price
Eco or Electric42≈ €53
Sedan42≈ €63
8-seat Van88≈ €83

Prices include VAT (TTC).

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Pick-up

Name sign at the station, train tracked. How the station pick-up works.

The route

The route takes the A50 motorway to La Ciotat, then down to the centre and the seafront.

Arriving in La Ciotat

Old Port and beaches

Seafront hotels and residences at the exact address, with no bus connection.

Shipyards

Joining a boat: give the yard or vessel name.

Ceyreste

The neighbouring village and hillside villas at the same rate.

La Ciotat from Saint-Charles: the station is far from the harbour

La Ciotat station is several kilometres from the old harbour and the beaches, and the connecting bus does not wait for trains. A private driver from Saint-Charles takes you straight to the harbour, Lumière beach or the shipyards.

The route follows the A50 to the La Ciotat exit, tolls included. On summer Friday evenings the motorway towards Toulon is busy, and the margin is planned in.

Can you drop me at the Île Verte boat pier?

Yes, it is on La Ciotat’s old harbour; boats run in season.

La Ciotat, birthplace of cinema

It was in La Ciotat that the Lumière brothers filmed “The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station”, and the Eden Theatre on the seafront is considered the oldest cinema in the world still operating. The town is also the birthplace of pétanque, invented here in 1907.

The former shipyards, now devoted to refitting superyachts, dominate the Old Port. To the east, Mugel park and the Figuerolles calanque, with its red pudding-stone cliffs, offer swimming and walks; the Île Verte, reached by boat from the Old Port, is the only wooded islet on this coast, and the Bec de l’Aigle rock, shaped like a bird’s head, overlooks the bay.

La Ciotat station or a private driver

La Ciotat TER station is about four kilometres from the centre and beaches. Arriving by TGV at Saint-Charles, a private driver takes you straight to the Old Port, your hotel or your rental, with no change of train.

The Eden Theatre still runs film screenings and hosts a festival of early cinema; on the seafront, a monument recalls the Lumière brothers, whose family villa stood in the Clos des Plages district.

La Ciotat from Saint-Charles station: taxi or private transfer?

For this trip of about 33 km there are two options: a taxi at the regulated fare, or a private driver booked in advance. You pay a fixed fare agreed in advance: from €53 in Eco, whatever the traffic.

Your train is tracked: if it is late, the driver adjusts and is there when you arrive.

More details: taxi or private driver, compared.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a private transfer from Saint-Charles station to La Ciotat?

About €53 in Eco or Electric, €63 in Sedan and €83 in the 8-seat Van, tolls included. The exact price is shown before you confirm and does not change.

How long does the journey take?

About 39 min outside rush hour, for 33 km.

How is the price worked out for a taxi or a private driver to La Ciotat?

A taxi is priced on the regulated meter. GoTransfert charges a fixed fare agreed at booking: €53 in Eco, €63 in a Sedan, €83 in an 8-seat Van.

Book your Saint-Charles Station to La Ciotat transfer