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Voykit pocket guide · France
Toulon
Give Toulon 2 nights as a base for the Var coast and Porquerolles, not as a Riviera highlight: the old port and Mont Faron are a half-day, the sea is the reason to come.
Toulon is a working naval city between Marseille and Nice, with France's second-largest military harbour sitting beside a yacht marina. The old town is compact and walkable, the beaches at Mourillon are 20 minutes from the centre, and the cable car up Mont Faron gives the view that explains the whole bay. Most travellers use it as a cheaper, quieter base for the Var coast: Hyères, Porquerolles, Bandol and Saint-Tropez are all day-trip distance. Two nights covers the city; three or four lets you add islands and beaches.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, crowded, peak prices); Nov–Mar is quiet and windy
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €100–160 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | €1.50–3 |
| Sandwich or snack | €5–9 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €14–20 |
| Dinner, mid-range, per person | €25–40 |
| Beer, café or bar | €5–8 |
| City bus single ride | €1.50–2 (check) |
| Train Toulon to Marseille, one way | about €12.60 full fare (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TLN · Toulon–Hyères
- 18 km (11 mi) east of the city; bus to the centre runs a few times a day, last departure around 19:30, otherwise taxi about €60 (check)18 km (11 mi) east of the city; bus to the centre runs a few times a day, last departure around 7:30 PM, otherwise taxi about €60 (check)11 mi (18 km) east of the city; bus to the centre runs a few times a day, last departure around 19:30, otherwise taxi about €60 (check)11 mi (18 km) east of the city; bus to the centre runs a few times a day, last departure around 7:30 PM, otherwise taxi about €60 (check)
- MRS · Marseille-Provence
- About 100 km (62 mi) west; TGV or bus links onward to ToulonAbout 62 mi (100 km) west; TGV or bus links onward to Toulon
- NCE · Nice-Côte d'Azur
- About 150 km (93 mi) east; train along the coast to ToulonAbout 93 mi (150 km) east; train along the coast to Toulon
Typical fares
- Airport bus TLN to centre
- about €1.40, last departure around 19:30 (check)about €1.40, last departure around 7:30 PM (check)
- Taxi TLN airport to Toulon
- around €60 (check)
- Train Toulon to Marseille
- about €12.60 full fare, 45 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable: old town, port and Place de la Liberté are within 15 minutes on foot. Réseau Mistral runs the city buses and the harbour ferries; a single ride is cheap and a day pass is worth it if you use three or more. The cable car (téléphérique) climbs Mont Faron; bus 40 also reaches it. Trains from Gare de Toulon run hourly to Marseille (about 45 min) and regularly to Nice (about 1 h 30 min).
See and do
Known for
- Vieux Port and the marina
- Mont Faron cable car and memorial
- Mourillon beaches
- Naval base and Musée de la Marine
- RC Toulon rugby
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Porquerolles | Ferry from La Tour Fondue near Hyères; bus or car to the pier first | About 2 h |
| Bandol | Train from Gare de Toulon, about 20–30 min | About 45 min |
| Saint-Tropez | Bus or car via the coast; summer traffic is heavy | 1.5–2.5 h |
| Saint-Raphaël | Train from Gare de Toulon, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Fréjus | Train to Saint-Raphaël, then bus or a short taxi | About 1.5 h |
| Bormes-les-Mimosas | Train to Hyères, then bus up to the village | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Vieux Port / Centre
- Walk to the harbour, old town and market; best for a short stay without a car.
- Mourillon
- Beach quarter south of the centre; quieter, 15–20 min by bus from the port.
- La Seyne-sur-Mer
- Across the bay; cheaper rooms, ferry or bus into Toulon.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- The Mistral blows almost daily; it makes 0 °C feel several degrees colder and whips up the sea.
- The naval base is a restricted military zone: do not photograph through the gates.
- Summer afternoons on the exposed beaches are hot; carry water and shade.
- Some port-side restaurants have no posted prices: ask before you sit.
Toulon is a normal French city: watch bags around the station and port, avoid empty streets late at night, and respect the naval base perimeter. The bigger practical risks are the Mistral wind, summer heat and heavy coastal traffic.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Toulon yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Vieux Port and the marina
- Mont Faron cable car and memorial
- Mourillon beaches
- Naval base and Musée de la Marine
- RC Toulon rugby
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Toulon official tourism office: toulontourisme.com/en/
- City of Toulon: toulon.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Toulon, revision 5323452 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323452
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Toulon
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries have embassies in Paris and consulates in Marseille; check your own before you travel.
Service is included by law in French cafés and restaurants; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/toulon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.