Car Rental in Marseille

Why rent a car in Marseille?

Marseille is a great destination to rent a car. The city is large, interesting, and diverse, and many other fun destinations in Provence are within driving distance. Having your own ride gives you the freedom to explore them all.

Top ways to enter Marseille

• Marseille Airport: This international airport serves flights to and from many destinations in Europe, as well as North Africa, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the French overseas territories. 
• Toulon Airport: About an hour’s drive east of Marseille, Toulon Airport is mainly active during summers and hosts flights to and from Paris, Belgium, Denmark, United Kingdom, Algeria, and other destinations. 
• Nice Airport: The third busiest in France, Nice Airport is about two hours drive east of Marseille.
• By public transportation: If you’re arriving in Marseille by ferry or train, you can conveniently pick up a rental car at the Marseille Port or at the Marseille-Saint-Charles Railway Station.

City facts

• With a metropolitan population of almost 1.9 million people, Marseille is the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region and the second largest city in France.
• The main language of the city is French, but there are many other diasporas in Marseille that also speak their own languages, such as Arabic, Turkish, Italian, Portuguese, and others. The knowledge of English varies, but many people working in the service industry have at least some knowledge of it.

Top sights and activities

• Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde. Marseille’s own Notre Dame, the great church overlooks the rest of the city and is an important feature of its skyline. Although not especially old – its construction was finished in 1897 – it quickly became a symbol of the city; according to a local legend, fishermen used to drag their boats inland to have them blessed in the church. Nowadays, it ranks among Marseille’s most visited (and most photographed) landmarks.
• Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations. Located in an old castle where footbridges connect two parts of it, this museum is one of the best of its kind in Europe. With expositions reaching back into antiquity, MuCEM explains the fascinating and diverse history of the city – Marseille has been inhabited for over 2,600 years – and the wider French Mediterranean region. The museum was opened in a purpose-created building in 2013, the year when Marseille was the European capital of culture.
• Old Harbor (Vieux Port). Still full of fishermen selling a fresh catch, the old Marseille port is one of the most busy parts of town and a great place to feel the local atmosphere and meet the locals. The nearby Pharo Palace, as well as the Canebière Avenue that begins at the port are also interesting to explore.
• Abbey of St. Victor. While Notre Dame is one of the most visually impressive houses of prayer in Marseille, the Abbey of St. Victor is arguably the most historic one. Founded as a monastery in the 5th century by a monk who came from Egypt, the abbey is one of the oldest Christian sites in present-day France. During medieval times, the abbey suffered from attacks by Vikings and Arabs but continued to fulfill its primary function until the 19th century. Nowadays, it is a popular tourist site.
• Bouillabaisse. As Marseille is a port city, it has some fantastic seafood options. One of the most famous dishes to come from Marseille is bouillabaisse, a fish stew. Good bouillabaisse has at least 5 types of local fish.
• Use this handy guide to find more of the best things to do in Marseille.

Traffic and parking

• The speed limit in cities is 50 km/h, although in certain areas, the speed limit may be reduced to 30 km/h. Unlike inter-city roads, the urban speed limit is unaffected by weather.
• Outside cities, as of July 2018, the speed limit depends on the type of road. Highways are limited to 130 km/h, 4-lane expressways to 110 km/h, and 2-or-3-lane roads to 80 to 90 km/h. During the rain the limits are respectively lowered to 110 km/h, 100 km/h, and 80 km/h. The general speed limit is lowered to 50 km/h during heavy fog or other cases of bad visibility.
• The insurance and car documentation needs to be in the car whenever you’re driving.
• If you’re the driver, you need to have your passport or ID card with you at all times.
• As of 2018, hands-free mobile phone use is banned in France and the fines are hefty.
• The legal alcohol limit is 0.05% for experienced drivers and 0.02% for novice drivers.
• The emergency number is 112.

Toll roads

Most of the main highways in France (autoroute in French) are toll roads. Their names start with letter A and you can recognize them by a red number sign. The fare for taking a toll road depends on the specific route, the distance length, as well as the type of your vehicle - trailer cars and caravans have to pay more than regular cars. You can pay by a credit card or by cash. You’ll be given a ticket that you have to keep while on the toll road.

Some rental cars are equipped with toll road transporters and can use the automatic toll road payment booths (Télépéage). Ask your rental car provider to find out if they offer cars with toll road transporters.

See the official French toll road website for more information. Use the website's toll road calculator to find out exactly how much you’ll have to pay for using the toll roads on your planned route. 

Ideas for day trips

• The Calanques fjords. Located right outside Marseille, you can spend the whole day exploring these small, but unique fjords or simply finding a nice place for relaxation.
• Verdon Natural Regional Park. Home to Verdon Gorge river canyon and the turquoise blue Lake of Sainte Croix, Verdon Natural Park can be reached via a two-hour drive or a taking 30 more minutes taking the more scenic route. Another green area to visit near Marseille is Alpilles Natural Regional Park.
• Allauch and Plan de Cuques. These two countryside villages located in the hills near Marseille are a great place for leisurely relaxation and offer beautiful views of the nearby city and the Mediterranean Sea.
• Arles. A small and fairly sleepy place ignored by most foreign visitors, Arles can be an absolutely fascinating destination if you scratch beneath the surface. Attractions include the remains of an amphitheater, baths, and other Roman sites; a number of interesting local museums; and Espace Van Gogh (the famous Dutch painter spent a very prolific year in Arles in the 1880s, creating 300 paintings and drawings). Arles also offers easy access to its neighboring vineyards, wetlands of Rhone delta, and Mediterranean beaches. The drive from Marseille takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Most popular cars

The most popular rental cars in France are the Renault Twingo, the Volkswagen Polo, and the Ford Fiesta. The most popular rental car types are economy, followed by compact and mini.

Further destinations

• Nice. A bit less industrial and more glamorous than Marseille, Nice is at the heart of the French Riviera, one of the most famous beach holiday destinations in Europe. While many of the region’s nicest beaches are actually outside the city borders, Nice itself is very much worth your time, not least for its splendid promenade and many heritage sites, some of which date back to Ancient Roman times. The drive from Marseille takes just under 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Paris. The City of Light is at times seen as something of a rival of Marseille, but travelers with time on their hands could do worse than take the eight-hour drive through much of the country to visit the famous capital. From world-class museums to heritage architecture and some of the best places to eat on the continent, the attractions of Paris are simply too many to even attempt to list. 
• Lyon. Another sometime rival of Marseille, challenging the port city to be considered the second-largest city of France, Lyon is known for its classy architecture, countless cultural institutions, and highly specialized (and highly delicious) local cuisine. Of equal importance is its continental location in the eastern part of the country, offering access to the magnificent French Alps. The drive from Marseille to Lyon takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Car rental prices in Marseille

• Medium cars - from $42 per day
• Small cars - from $33 per day
• SUVs - from $38 per day
• Premium cars - from $72 per day
• Vans - from $74 per day
• Station wagons - from $68 per day
• Convertibles - from $196 per day
• Large cars - from $46 per day

Money-saving and other tips

You can do a number of things to get a good car rental deal in Marseille:

• Compare rates of different rental car providers
• Book your rental car well in advance
• Plan your route before you go
• Know your fuel and mileage requirements
• Visit on the month when the rental prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting Marseille is the cheapest in April when renting a car is about 52% cheaper than the yearly average and whole 65% cheaper than renting a car in July.