Car Hire Marseille Saint Charles Train Station

If you are heading to the south of France, you’ll find Marseille, the largest city on the Mediterranean coast, the perfect starting point. Whether you are looking for a weekend getaway in the sun, heading to the French Riviera beaches or planning a Cote D’Azur road trip, Marseille is the ideal gateway for a drive across the South of France or Provence. Collect your Avis hire car at Marseille Saint Charles Train Station and get ready to start your adventure.

Marseille has a rich history dating back 2600 years to the time of settlers from ancient Greece. Today, its breathtaking coastal setting and waterfront at the mouth of the River Rhone draw millions of visitors as much for its heritage and culture, local cuisine and open air markets.

When you hire a car from Avis to explore this beautiful region, you benefit from quality rental vehicles, free cancellation, speedy car collection, a free loyalty programme and much more. Our flexible cancellation policy means you can change or cancel your booking for free up to 48hrs before the day of your rental.

You’ll find our friendly team at Marseille Saint Charles Train Station just outside the rear entrance to the station. The office is located in Narvik Square on Boulevard Voltaire. To collect your car, you’ll be heading to the car park reserved for rental cars following the signs for Avis ‘Parking Voitures’ to be guided to your car.

Marseille Saint Charles Train Station is the main railway station in Marseille serving bus as well as rail passengers. First opened in 1848, around 15 million passengers pass through the station every year.  There are several trains to and from Paris each day - a journey of 3hr20min – plus Eurostar services and international connections to destinations including Geneva and Rome.

Close to the centre and Old Port, the station is on a hill connected to the city by an impressive staircase featuring 104 steps providing a grand entrance and vista over the Marseille skyline.

While the city’s main attractions are close by, if you’re short on time to explore, you’ll find all the services you need within the station concourse from shops and restaurants to information services and left luggage.

If you are driving in Marseille for the first time or have just arrived in France, make sure you familiarise yourself with French driving rules before picking up your car. Some key road rules in France include driving on the right and overtaking on the left. Be aware that low beam headlamps must always remain on. Mobile phones can only be used as a built-in audio device. It is forbidden to use headphones or earbuds. In built up areas be aware that bus lanes are reserved exclusively for buses, bicycles and taxis.

What are the age requirements for hiring a rental car in Marseille?

The minimum age to rent a car in Marseille and the rest of France is 21. Age restrictions also vary by vehicle and some selected car groups are not available to drivers under the age of 25.

There is currently no maximum age for hiring a rental car, so long as you have had a full, valid, licence for at least 1 year. Some additional steps may be required for those who are over the age of 75 on the date of the scheduled return.

Can I pick up my rental car in Marseille and return it to another location?

One-way car rental with Avis makes it easy to go from A to B without driving full circle. That means you can collect your Avis hire car from Marseille and then return it to another Avis office whether that’s in France or another country in Europe. Many of our Avis locations offer a 24-hour drop-off facility, which makes a one-way car hire hassle-free and very user-friendly. Simply check out our many available one-way journeys and start planning your route. When you are ready to book, just specify your destination in the booking panel and we will arrange it for you.

Is it worth hiring a car in Marseille?

While many parts of Marseille are easily walkable or can be reached by hopping onto the city’s public transport including trams and buses, it is worth hiring a car to travel across and outside the city. Renting a car at Marseille Saint Charles Station gives you the freedom and flexibility to enjoy independent travel as well as offering the chance to explore further afield and even plan a South of France road trip.

What is parking like in Marseille?

Wherever you plan to stop in Marseille, you’ll find parking is plentiful across the city. From the port area to the precincts of Marseille Saint Charles station to the city’s main sports venue, the Stade Orange Velodrome, there are an array of options including multi-storey, surface level and on street parking. If you’ve hired from us and want to pop back to the city to explore, there are also numerous park and ride facilities on the edge of Marseille.  

The drive from Marseille Saint Charles Station into the centre of Marseille is 1.2km via Rue Colbert and takes around 5min depending on the time of day.

Authentic is a word often used to describe Marseille – local Marseillais residents rub shoulders with visitors in enjoying all the city has to offer, from the bustling Old Port where you can watch the fishermen bring in their catch, to the vibrant, cobbled Le Panier (basket) whose cool narrow hilly streets beckon on warmer days. The city has a rich history and culture waiting to be discovered in its museums and galleries.

The top recommended places to see in Marseille include the Romanesque Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde Basilica, the Palais Longchamp with its aqueducts and the 20th century architectural masterpiece Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse’ (radiant city), a UNESCO world heritage site.

Perfectly positioned with road trips beckoning in any direction, you could choose to head to the lavender fields and medieval hilltop villages of Provence or join the coast road and drive east towards the glittering Cote D’Azur. Chic destinations like St Tropez and Cannes are around a 2hr drive along the A50 and D98.

For something completely different, head west along the coast road to the city of Martigues, often described as the Venice of Provence for its network of canals and bridges. The city is just a 30min drive from Marseille on the A55 so a perfect place to stop for coffee before you drive on further west into the Carmargues National Park, a nature lovers’ paradise and unique wetland region known for its lakes and beaches, flamingos, bulls and wild horses. Take the N568 across the open bridge into the park and within 50 mins you’ll be in Arles one of the main towns in the Carmargues just in time to enjoy a typically Provençal lunch – perhaps featuring the red rice of the Carmargue - before exploring the city’s Roman past and soaking up the landscape that so inspired the work of Vincent Van Gogh who created around 300 paintings here.