Cathédrale de la Major in Marseille (photo © Olga Demchishina / dreamstime.com).
Cathédrale de la Major in Marseille (photo © Olga Demchishina / dreamstime.com).
Along the Côte d'Azur
The train journey east from Marseille towards the Italian border is superb. The route has a grand, almost cinematic appeal when seen from the comfort of a TGV, but suddenly becomes more intimate when you experience it from one of the slower TER services which stop off at lesser stations en route. Many trains on this route are double-deckers, so grab a place upstairs and on the seaward side (ie. on the right as you leave Marseille), sit back and enjoy the view.
MAP Double click on the map (or double tap on mobile) to zoom in. You can connect onto other routes in places shown in red. Change to a layer showing a more familiar road map view by clicking on the menu at the top right of the map. Get back to the original view by clicking on the house icon shown in the top left menu on the map.
Whether you are making a long grand tour or just planning a couple of weekend breaks, Europe by Rail is the perfect guide. The book describes over 52 key routes in detail. Together, they span mainland Europe and – brand new for this 16th edition – now also the British Isles. Find out more about the guidebook below.
