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Distance between cities

Barcelona to Marseille distance

Barcelona and Marseille are 339 km (211 mi) apart in a straight line and 506 km (315 mi) apart by road: about 5 hr 30 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A9 and the AP-7. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.

By the All Map Tools Team

Map from Barcelona to Marseille: the straight line and the driving route
By road
506 km (315 mi)
Driving time
5 hr 30 min
Straight line
339 km (211 mi)
  • Driving route
  • Straight line
  • Straight-line midpoint
  • Halfway by road
Straight line vs driving distance

Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.

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The figures

Figure Value
Straight line 339 km (211 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid
By road 506 km (315 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM)
Driving time 5 hr 30 min no stops, no traffic
Road detour +49% 1.49 times the straight line
Average speed 92 km/h (57 mph) along the route, without stops
Bearing 50° (northeast) leaving Barcelona toward Marseille
Midpoint 42.3509° N, 3.7550° E near Cadaqués (Girona)
Halfway by road Near Narbonne (Aude, France) 253 km from each city by road
Time difference None both share the same time
Population Barcelona: 1,731,649 · Marseille: 877,215 INE population register, January 1, 2025; GeoNames

Barcelona to Marseille by road

The fastest driving route is 506 km (315 mi) long and takes about 5 hr 30 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the A9 (225 km), the AP-7 (136 km), and the A54 (71.9 km).

Of the 506 km, 160 km are in Spain and 346 km are in France. That’s an average of 92 km/h (57 mph). Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) recommends a break every two hours or 200 km: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 6 hr 10 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.

Straight-line distance and bearing

In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Barcelona and Marseille are 339 km (211 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.

The road is 49% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 149. That’s a big detour: the fastest route strays quite far from the straight line. Of the 34 Spain–Europe driving pairs in this series, it ranks 3rd for detour (the average is 31%).

From Barcelona, Marseille lies to the northeast (bearing 50°), and from Marseille, Barcelona lies to the southwest. The straight line reaches Marseille on a bearing of 52°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.

Halfway between Barcelona and Marseille

Halfway along the straight line, 169 km (105 mi) from each city, is the point 42.3509° N, 3.7550° E. It falls in the water; the closest place is Cadaqués (Girona, pop. 2,918), 40.0 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Roses (Girona, pop. 20,365), 48.8 km away.

By road, the halfway point is 253 km (157 mi) from each city, near Narbonne (Aude, France, pop. 50,776), 2.4 km away. The two midpoints are 109 km apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.

Time zone and flight

Barcelona and Marseille share the same time all year: both are on Central European Time.

No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.

The two cities

Barcelona has 1.7 million people (INE population register, January 1, 2025) and Marseille 877,215 people (GeoNames).

Frequently asked questions

How many kilometers is it from Barcelona to Marseille?

339 km (211 mi) in a straight line and 506 km (315 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A9 and the AP-7).

How long is the drive from Barcelona to Marseille?

About 5 hr 30 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 6 hr 10 min.

Where is the halfway point between Barcelona and Marseille?

In a straight line, in the water, near Cadaqués (Girona). By road, 253 km from each city, near Narbonne (Aude, France).

Are Barcelona and Marseille in the same time zone?

Yes: both are on Central European Time all year.

Which direction is Marseille from Barcelona?

Northeast: the straight line leaves Barcelona on a bearing of 50° (0° is north and 90° is east).

Measure it yourself on the map

The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.

Similar pairs

The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.

More distances from Barcelona

All distances

Sources