Getting Around Toulon
Toulon is a compact Mediterranean city whose historic heart sits right beside its great harbour, and much of what a visitor wants to see can be reached on foot. For longer hops, the city is served by a public transport network, a main railway station, taxis, and an airport to the east.
Walking
The old town is the most rewarding part of Toulon to explore on foot. It lies between the port, the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Cours Lafayette, and it is a pedestrian area of narrow streets, small squares and many fountains. Toulon Cathedral is in this quarter, and the celebrated Provençal market is held every morning on the Cours Lafayette, selling local products. Because the historic centre is pedestrianised and the sights are clustered together, walking is the natural way to get around the centre.
Public Transport: Réseau Mistral
The metropolitan bus and ferry network is operated by Réseau Mistral. This is the umbrella name to look for when you want to use local buses or the harbour ferries within the city and its surrounding area.
Rail
Toulon's main railway station, the Gare de Toulon, is on Place de l'Europe. It has hourly links to Marseille and regular links to Nice, making the train a practical option for day trips along the coast. The station is also a useful orientation point: the city's bus station, the Gare routière, is on Boulevard Tessé, a short walk away.
Buses
Local buses are run by Réseau Mistral. For travel beyond the city, the regional bus network is managed by Varlib, and its services use the Gare routière on Boulevard Tessé, about 200 metres to the left as you come out of the train station. The bus station is open Monday to Saturday in the morning and evening, and on Sundays from morning until early evening.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available in the city and are the fallback option when public transport has stopped running — for example, if you land at Toulon-Hyères airport on a late-night flight after the last bus has gone. In that situation a taxi into Toulon is the practical choice.
Arriving by Boat
Toulon is a large harbour and receives ferries operated by Corsica Ferries from the Corsican ports of Ajaccio, Bastia and L'Île-Rousse. There is also an international service from Civitavecchia, near Rome. Advance booking is advised in all cases. The ferry terminal is at 2 avenue of the Marine Infantry.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Toulon-Hyères regional airport (TLN) lies east of Toulon and mostly serves flights to other French and European cities. Airlines flying there include Air France from Brest, Nantes, Paris-Orly and Strasbourg; Condor from Frankfurt; Scandinavian Airlines from Copenhagen; Swiss International Airlines from Geneva; Transavia from Rotterdam; and TUI from Brest and Charleroi.
To reach the city from the airport, a bus runs from the train station to the airport four times a day for a low fare, with the last bus leaving for the airport at 19:30. If you arrive on a late-night flight after the buses have finished, you would need to take a taxi instead.
By road there are two ways to drive from Toulon-Hyères airport into Toulon. You can follow the highway, which is free and fast but not very interesting, or take the coast road, which takes longer but is nicer and can help you avoid traffic jams on the highway during rush hour.
Two other airports serve the region if your plans take you further afield: Marseille-Provence lies to the west of Toulon and Nice-Côte d'Azur to the east.
Arriving by Car
The main roads run east to west and west to east. There are highways from Nice (A57) and from Marseille (A50). Note that you will have to pay a toll to travel on these highways beyond the suburbs of the town.