A Long Weekend of Marseille Day Trips

Three days extends the 2 day Cassis-and-Aix weekend with a third gateway trip, Avignon, about an hour door to door by TGV plus a shuttle bus into town, built around the Papal Palace. All three destinations run on direct trains from Marseille Saint-Charles, no car needed yet. See the 4 day version to add Arles onto this same route.

Book these before you go

Day 1: Cassis, the calanques boat and the hike almost nobody takes

Take the train from Saint-Charles to Cassis, 30 to 45 minutes, then a short bus or a 20 to 25 minute downhill walk from the station to the actual port, since the station sits inland from the village. Book the standard boat circuit past Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau, roughly EUR 21 to 33, for the fastest look at the limestone inlets the Parc national des Calanques was created to protect in 2012.

If a slower day appeals more, skip the boat and walk instead: the Port-Miou to Port-Pin trail is a genuinely doable 1 to 1.5 hour round trip along the cliffs, free, and quieter than the harbor queue suggests. Neither route needs the Sugiton reservation system, that free timed booking applies only to the Calanque de Sugiton itself in the 2026 summer window; check current rules on calanques-parcnational.fr if a Sugiton hike is on the list instead.

Day 2: Aix-en-Provence, past the postcard boulevard

The train to Aix runs about 30 minutes, with more than 20 departures a day, so no advance booking is needed. Walk the Cours Mirabeau once for the fountains, then head to the Atelier des Lauves, Cezanne’s actual studio, kept close to how he left it in 1906. If the day lands on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, the produce and antiques market along the Cours Mirabeau is worth the extra hour.

Check current hours before you go on aixenprovencetourism.com , since the Cezanne sites keep shorter hours than the town’s cafes do.

Day 3: Avignon, worth the shuttle bus from the TGV station

The TGV to Avignon runs about an hour door to door, with a wrinkle: it drops you at Avignon TGV, a station outside the old town walls, so budget a short shuttle bus into Avignon Centre before reaching the Palais des Papes itself. Buy the Palace-plus-bridge combo ticket rather than the palace alone, EUR 17 in 2026, since the extra few euros buys the Pont d’Avignon view back at the palace across the Rhone.

Budget at least 1.5 to 2 hours inside; Europe’s largest Gothic palace takes longer than the ticket price suggests. Check current hours and the exact rate change on palais-des-papes.com before you go.

This long weekend at a glance

Day Focus Travel time from Marseille Rough daily cost
1 Cassis calanques boat or the Port-Miou to Port-Pin hike 30 to 45 min by train EUR 35 to 60
2 Aix-en-Provence, the Atelier des Lauves and Cours Mirabeau About 30 min by train EUR 25 to 45
3 Avignon’s Palais des Papes and the Pont d’Avignon About 1 hour, TGV plus shuttle EUR 40 to 60

Is 3 days enough to add Avignon to a Marseille trip?

Yes, if the Papal Palace is the main draw. A full day covers the shuttle bus, the palace and bridge combo, and a walk through Avignon’s old town without rushing. It doesn’t leave room for Arles or the Camargue, both of which need a 4th or 5th day.

Do you need a car for this long weekend?

No. All three days run on direct trains from Saint-Charles, Cassis, Aix and Avignon are the gateway destinations on this list that don’t require a car, unlike the Camargue and the Luberon further into the family.

Buy the Avignon combo ticket (EUR 17) online before the trip, since current-year hours can shift around local events. Reconfirm all three train times on sncf-connect.com the night before, weekend regional schedules shift slightly from weekday ones.