Read more about Paris and Toulon.
Toulon is one of the most important naval bases in France and the main naval port in the Mediterranean. Located on the French Riviera between Marseille and Hyères, it was here that the entire French fleet sank in 1942 to escape German forces. It is a major transport hub for the south of France, with good train connections from the north to the south of France, ferries to Corsica, and a sprawling international airport. There is a good photo museum and a great weekend market. Shop there, then have a drink or light lunch at the port.
Paris to Toulon by train
TGV high-speed express trains to Toulon depart from Paris Gare de Lyon (20 boulevard Diderot, Paris 12) throughout the day.
Metro lines to and from Gare de Lyon
- Line 1 – La Defense to Chateau de Vincennes
- Line 14 – Saint Lazare to Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand
For buses, see the Paris bus map.
From Paris Gare de Lyon to Toulon
- Direct trains direct TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon train station Toulon take 3 hours 51 minutes
- Trains with changes from Paris to Toulon train station:
TGV to Marseille and then change to the TER high speed express train to Toulon which takes 4 hours 56 minutes.
TGV to Avignon, then change to the TGV for Marseille, then the TER high speed express train to Toulon which takes 4 hours 56 minutes.
From Lille, which connects with Eurostar from the UK, Paris and Brussels.
- TGV trains direct from Lille to Toulon train station make a stop in Aix-en-Provence and 5hs take 44 min.
- Trains with changes from Lille to Toulon train station:
TGV from Lille to Marseille train station. Here you change to the TGV or high speed express train TER to Toulon. Both take 4 hours 44 minutes.
From the TGV Charles de Gaulle 2 train station
- Direct trains to the station of Toulon take 4 hours and 34 minutes.
- Trains with changes:
TGV from Charles De Gaulle to Marseille train station; change to the TER high speed express train to Toulon. 4 h 56 min.
TGV from Charles de Gaulle to Aix-en-Provence train station; change to the TGV to Toulon. 4 h 42 min.
Other connections to Toulon by TGV
- Popular direct TGV connections include Hyeres, Lille Marseille, Metz, Nice, and Ventimille (for Italy).
- Toulon has good high-speed express train connections (not TGV) with major French cities such as Marseille, Bordeaux, Les Arcs
- Check out the main TER services on the TER website.
Toulon train station is in place de l’Europe, a few minutes walk from the city center.
The bus station ( gare routiere ) is at Albert 1er place, just opposite the train station.
Book your train ticket
- From the US, Book with Rail Europe
- From the UK, book with voyages-sncf (formerly Rail Europe UK)
Getting to Toulon by plane
Toulon-Hyeres Airport is 23 km (14 miles) east of Toulon. In the summer season there are regular international flights. All of the following airlines offer cheap international flights.
- London City Airport takes 1 hour 50 minutes by CityJet.
- London Stansted takes 1 hour and 50 minutes on Ryanair.
- Oslo, Norway, takes 2 hours and 50 minutes, on Ryanair.
- Rotterdam, The Netherlands, takes 1 hour 55 minutes on Transavia.
- Tunis takes 2 hours in Nouvelair.
- Brussels (all year round with additional flights in summer) lasting 1 hour and 50 minutes on TUI Fly.
Domestic flights within France include:
- Paris-Orly takes 1 hour on Air France.
- Nantes takes 1 hour and 35 minutes on Volotea, which offers cheap international flights on all its routes.
- Bordeaux takes 1 hour and 20 minutes in Volotea.
- Strasbourg takes 1 hour and 30 minutes in Volotea.
- Brest takes 1 hour and 50 minutes on TUI Fly, which offers cheap international flights on all its routes.
From the airport, a regular airport shuttle bus goes to Toulon train station, which takes 30 minutes, and to Hyères, the port and the train station, which takes 10 minutes.
See more about local and airport routes
Getting to Toulon by car
Paris to Toulon is 841 kms (522 miles), taking around 7 hours and 30 minutes, depending on your speed. There are tolls on the highways. The A50 motorway passes through the center of Toulon, connecting the city with the A57 which joins the A10, going along the French Riviera to Italy to the east. To the west, the A50 goes to Marseille, connecting with the A52 to Aix-en-Provence and the A54 to Nimes. There are excellent connections from Toulon to motorways throughout France and Paris.
Connections to Toulon by ferry from Corsica
There are regular ferries from Toulon to Ajaccio and Bastia in Corsica with different ferry companies, taking from 6:30 to 10:30. Take a look at the various options at Direct Ferries.
Toulon Tourist Office
12, Louis Blanc place
Tel.: 00 33 4 94 18 53 00
Website
Car rental
For information on how to rent a car under the return lease scheme, which is the cheapest way to rent a car if you are in France for more than 17 days, try Renault Eurodrive’s buyback lease.
Getting from London to Paris
- By train (Eurostar)
Eurostar between London, Paris and Lille - By bus / coach Eurolines offers a cheap service from London, Gillingham, Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris Gallieni. Six coaches a day; 2 all night; Travel time is 7 hours. The Eurolines stop is located at the Paris Gallieni bus station, 28 ave du General de Gaulle, right next to the Gallieni metro station, near Porte de Bagnolet (metro line 3, final stop).
Eurolines website for French travel - IDBus also operates between London and Lille and London and Paris. IDBus also runs from Lille to Amsterdam and Brussels.
