How to take train from Venice to Marseille
 

First time in Europe. We will be going to Marseille to visit some friends in September after our cruise that ends in Venice. So we would like to take the train from Venice to Marseille. Would it be best to book a train ticket now on the internet or buy on the day itself? And which train company should I go for? Any suggestion please. Thank you!

Are you aware it's at least an 11-hour train journey??

Fly to Marseille (same airport as Aix), or even Avignon (a short train ride to Marseille).

You change trains in Milano and in Nice, which might be two possible places to stop and break this up.

>>> So we would like to take the train from Venice to Marseille.
Does it have to be a train? How did you reach this decision?
It is indeed a 11 hour trip, the fastest one via Milano. Flights, even via Paris, etc, would be faster.

>>> Would it be best to book a train ticket now on the internet or buy on the day itself?
You can find this out yourself. Go to www.trenitalia.com, plug in Venezia S. Lucia (practically next to the cruise boat stop) - Marseille-Saint-Charles. Look at a trip tomorrow for the last minutes rate, look at a trip on October 31st for an advance rate. From price point of view, which is "best" to you? Like plane tickets, discount tickets lock you into that train on that day only. If you change your plan, you lose your money. Is it still "best" for you? Some take no commissions, some take more, some take a lot.

>>> And which train company should I go for?
Which train companies are you thinking about? For this route, there aren't multiple train companies. There is only Trenitalia. There are many RESELLERS of Trenitalia tickets, however.

As above and with the minimum of two changes (Milan and Nice) but it CAN be done and is, frankly, a bit more straightforward than I would have expected.

You could make it easier by taking the non-stop Easyjet budget flight from Venice to Nice and take the train onward from there OR you could do the whole thing in about five hours with one change in Paris.

Go here for the budget flight possibilities: www.skyscanner.com

Train you leave at about 8:30AM and arrive at about 7:30PM. Skyscanner shows no reasonable flights to Marseille. A flight to Nice and a train is not a good option. The Easyjet flight arrives at 1:40PM, and it looks to me that the earliest train you can catch arrives in Marseille ant about 6:30PM. Of course overnight in Nice that would be a better option, a 2.5 hour train ride the next day.

So, what IS the problem with spending an hour or so on a plane and leaving later in the day and getting to Marseilles an hour earlier?

Nothing wrong at all. IMO just a lot more effort--at the airport 2 hours ahead, then getting out of the airport and downtown and waiting around for the train.

Only possible train connection:
Venezia SL dp 11.50 - Milan 14.25/15.10 - Marseille ar 22.42
Overnight train: Venice dp 19.20 - Dijon ar 6.42, dp 9.21 - TGV - Marseille ar 12.46
By plane: VCE dp 12.50 - MRS ar 19.45, change at CDG

It isn't an "effort" to get to the airport 2 hrs ahead if your total travel time is shorter, I don't understand that remark. Why is time at an airport an effort but time on the train is not an effort? I guess it is a little effort to get to Venice airport vs. train station, but not sure in what way--exhaustion? Changing trains is an effort to me.

I think a lot of people don't really understand there are budget flights in Europe that aren't that expensive nor how far apart some distances are in Europe. MRS is an easy airport, not that large. Although you do have to take the bus or train from there to Marseille, so that adds about a half on, but isn't expensive at all. I suspect the OP doesn't know how long that train trip will be.

Fly. No brainer. It's not an "effort" to spend a bit of time at an airport versus a bit of time at a train station and then an 11-hour train ride. I'm a huge supporter of train travel in Europe, but I would never contemplate taking a train from Venice to Marseille - madness, IMO.

There are non-stop flights from Venice to Marseille via Volotea air. Flight is short and cheap. Volotea is a Spanish airline.
Check other sites besides sky scanner. Farecompare is one. Look for all low cost airlines flying out of Venice.
Look at other low cost companies like Ryanair to see where they fly.

The airports in both Venice and Marseille are easy to navigate and very close to city with easy and fast transportation from each of them into the city, about 1/2 hour at each end of trip.

Listen to StCirq and Christina. Definitely, fly.

I vote for www.volotea.com/en - flies Mo-Th-Fr-Su for anywhere from USD41 to 157.
But if you prefer the train, take the 07:50 Frecciarossa 9708 from Venezia-Santa Lucia to Milano (arr. 10:25), change to the 11:10 Thello 142 for Nice-Ville (arr. 16:00), change to the 16:51 TER 17490 and get into Marseille St. Charles at 19:29.
Or take a longer break in Nice-Ville and take the 17:24 TER 6806 that arrives at Marseille St. Charles at 19:59.
Book according to your preference.

Volotea flies only 4 times weekly (at 11.10, but not on Saturdays, when cruise boats usually arrive). If your datas match, it will be the best solution.
The 7.50 train however seems to be much too early if you arrive the same day by cruise boat at the stazione marittima.

http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/choose-your-outbound-journey

There is more than one connection thru Milan to Marseilles

When WILL they invent the transporter?! =D>

Thanks everyone. Looks like we will be flying.
Yes, Im aware that it will be an 11-hour trip by train but I thought since we are not bound by time and not in a hurry, it would be more so of an "experience" to take the train. But now, considering all your suggestions and information provided it would be best to fly. Its better for us to use those times to do toher activities than sitting on the train for along period of time.

Thank you!!!