A few months ago I looked up train rides from Aix-en-Provence Centre to Marseille Saint-Charles.
There were quite a few.

Now it's a bus ride from Aix Gare Routiere to Gardanne and Ter the rest of the way to Marseille.
Am I searching correctly?

No if my search on www.bahn.de/en - great German Railways site for schedules of all European trains says for late July there is a bus substitution for short part of journey - perhaps because of track work - no problem you just off train and on buses and back on train. Someone may know if that is for track work or permanent - likely the first.

Yes checking for early September those TERs go direct Aix Centre to Marseilles St Charles so looks like temporary bus substitution over work site. Seems no alternative though there may be direct buses.

I guess the rail strike being over means I can't complain about bad luck.

The ride is about 20 minutes longer now.

Yes, I also use the German system.

Interesting that the schedules on both sites are somewhat different. The German site has the ride about 20 minutes longer.

TGV trains from Aix TGV station take just 12 minutes. Strike over? Don't count on that - my French friend is going back in a week and worried about strikes still.

It isn't track work, the center of Aix is all torn up right around the train station and I'm not sure any trains are going from it. They are doing all kinds of work in the center of Aix in several places, and around the train station, they are redoing some stuff and will bring in a deluxe bus service eventually (Aix Express). But the trains not running is supposed to last only until Sept or so.

I'd just take the TGV, it's only about 15 minutes. I think the bus from the gare routiere in Aix to the TGV (line 40) is still running. You have to transfer anyway and have to go to the bus station if you did the bus+TER. That navette runs about every half hour.

Regarding train strikes, today was a strike day for 2 of the unions. Participation was 6%.

participation was 6% but what % of trains were cancelled or affected? Support is dwindling obviously.

Taking TGV from Aix TGV - best book in advance I guess as those trains can be full?

"Interesting that the schedules on both sites are somewhat different. The German site has the ride about 20 minutes longer."

The Bahn site often disagrees with Trenitalia in Italy and SBB in Switzerland, so I've gotten used to looking at Bahn for general info and then searching on the specific country's national railway site for exact timetable info. Maybe it's because we usually drive in France and I don't have much experience on French trains, but I find the SNCF site less easy to use and understand.

Yes, use German site for quick general info usually and check with national rail sites - Germans obviously are fed info from those sites so not sure why discrepancy but again for what times trains genrally run and to where www.bahn.de/en is so easy to use for novice users -maybe others are too but German site if for all of Europe.

How much time should I allow from the time the #40 Navettes arrives at the TGV station to buy a ticket and get on the train?
Is 15 minutes enough?

You better buy that ticket ahead of time as those Paris to Nice trains I think are not unusually full - could buy day before at in-town Aix station too but I'd book ahead.

Really just take the TER connection - and can buy cheap ticket - TGVs may cost much more and then you should book (reservations required before boarding) well in advance - but I guess see if can book day you want and navettes I believe will be guaranteed to rendezvous with TGVs in time as everyone on them is catching one.

Wow!!! Palenq. That was a double negative and I have no idea what you meant.

Do you mean those trains are usually full?

The problem is that I don't know for sure we'll want to go to Marseille and if we do I don't know the time we'll go.

Maybe we'll decide while we're in Paris and I'll buy the tickets there.

Palenq,
I was just thinking the same thing. Less hassle taking the TER. The length of the trip is only 15 minutes longer. And we don't have to make decisions in advance.

I meant trains are not, uncommonly, full and no SRO. TGVs. TERs can always board (well in zillions of trips I've only seen one TER too full to squeeze one more body on before they (barely) closed the doors - but that was because of some stoppage on the line that reduced trains during a morning rush hour Les Aubrais to Paris -heavy commuter line - so unless something werid yes just hop on, only after composting your own ticket, bien sur!

How does composting work if you start on a bus and then transfer to a train. Or visa versa.

I'm pretty sure that any bus substitution and train are considered on entity and are treated if were all train - think of the bus as a train substitute which it probably but bahn.de says bus starts 800 m from station at Gare Routiere - bus station where there may or may not be composting machines - but there is 10 minutes change over at Gardonne (sp) where I would simply look for composteurs and also watch what other passengers do. Now the Aix train station clerk should probably speak some English so ask.

800 M is a long way. How do I find out in which direction?
It's a 900 m walk to the Fountain. I guess in which direction 800 m is important.

And where would I buy the tickets?