Getting Around in Southern France

Getting around in southern France is relatively easy. Public transportation is very reliable, it goes to most destinations and it doesn’t cost much. All the major cities in Southern France are connected by train. Once you get to the city of your choice, you can switch over to the bus system. 

Bus Service

Bus service in Southern France runs Monday to Saturday on a frequent basis. Most buses do not run on Sundays. 

Rail Service

Rail service will get you to your destination much faster. Marseille and Nice are the big transportation hubs in the area, and if you want to wander outside of Southern France, you can do that easily. Trains are run by the National Rail Service, and rail passes can be purchased that allow 3 days of unlimited travel over a 30 day period, or 4 days for those under 26. 

Rental Cars

There are many companies in Southern France that rent cars. You'll need a passport, driver’s license and credit card to rent, and must be age 21 for some companies and 25 for others. You may have to display an International Driver’s License for some car rental companies as well. Car rentals are taxed by the government at 19.6%.  Sometimes there is insurance that costs extra, at about $20 to $30 per day. In Europe, most cars have a standard transmission and it's seldom that they have anything with an automatic. Speed limits are 81 mph on expressways and 62 mph on national highways. Country roads are limited to 56 mph, and in town the speed is 37 mph. 

There are many ways to get where you want to go in Southern France, including public transportation that's both easy and readily available.