Conference venue, dinner
& transportation

Conference venue

A photo of the conference center and the Parc du Pharo taken by Leo Michel-Dansac.

The 2025 COSMOS-Web conference will take place in the AMU Gastaut amphitheater in Parc Emile Duclaux from May, 19 2025 at 9:00 am to May, 23 2025 at 6:00 pm. To get to the conference venue, just walk along the "Quai de Rive Neuve" road starting from Vieux-Port and then uphill along "Boulevard Charles Livon" until you reach the park entrance. After that, keep going uphill following the "Allée Médecin Colonel Eugène Jamot" road on the left-hand side. Facing you, you should see the Palais du Pharo, on your right the park, and on your left the conference building.

Note that for security reasons, we are not authorized to enter or leave the building from the main entrance. Instead, keep following the road up to this point. Please always wear your badge before going in and out so that security can check your identity easily.

Getting to Marseille

A white icon representing an airplane.

Marseille can be easily accessed via its "Marseille-Provence" airport located in the town of Marignane. Once at the airport, the easiest way to get downtown is to take the L091 (also spelled leCar 91) direct bus to the "Saint-Charles" train station. It takes about 30 min from end to end and the bus stops at the bus station located right next to the train station. From there you can either take one of the two metros or walk to Vieux-Port in roughly 10 min. L091 buses run every 10 or 20 min from 04:05 am to 01:50 am from the airport to the train station, and from 03:30 am to 01:15 am from the train station to the airport.

At the airport, the starting point of the bus route is located here. Over there, you should find a machine selling one-way (for 10€) or return tickets (for 16€). However, note that you can also directly pay with your credit card when getting into the bus. If you require an invoice, we recommend to use the machine. You can also book your bus ticket in advance on this website. Otherwise, an alternative is to take an Uber or a taxi at the airport. The ride is about 28 km long and should cost around 70€.

Note that there is also a train station a bit away from the airport that also runs local trains to and from Marseille. However, we highly recommend to take the bus rather than the train.

Another way to get to Marseille is by train. The main train station downtown is "Saint-Charles" which is about 10 min walking-time to "Vieux-Port" and is also the main hub for both metro lines. Note that if you get to France via "Charles de Gaulle" airport, there is a train station that can be accessed from the airport and allows you to take a high speed train to Marseille. The trip is direct and typically lasts for 4 hours from end to end. Other major cities that are directly connected to Marseille by high-speed trains are Lyon (1h40-long trip) and sometimes Bruxelles, Belgium (more than 6h).

Note that there are three main categories of trains in France: high-speed trains called "TGV", slow trains called "Intercité", and local trains called "TER" (or "RER" in Paris and its surroundings). Besides, there are two options for high-speed trains: "OUIGO" and "INOUI". "INOUI" trains are the standard option. They allow you to carry two large bags (up to 70 x 90 x 50 cm) plus one handbag (up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm) without extra cost. The downside is tickets can be a bit expensive. Though rarely respected by French citizens, it is mandatory that all bags should be labeled with your contact information. If you were to forget your bag in the train or in the station and it were not labeled, this would trigger the intervention of a deminer team and might lead to the destruction of your bag and all of its content. So, do not forget you bag in the train (same applies to airports though) !
On the other hand, "OUIGO" are the low-cost high-speed train alternative. The cheapest tickets allow you to carry one bag (55 x 35 x 25 cm) plus one handbag (36 x 27 x 15 cm). If you want more comfort, an extra luggage, or a dedicated outlet to charge your computer, you will have to pay extra. Importantly, for "OUIGO" trains, you have to get there in advance as you are not allowed to jump into the train at the last minute. Also note that the main difference between 2nd and 1st class for both "INOUI" are "OUIGO" are more space and comfort, and therefore fewer people in the wagon. Typically, 2nd class seats for these trains are comfortable enough but can sometimes be located in noisier environments than 1st class seats.

If you are interested in taking the train, you can make a reservation through the SNCF-connect website. You do not need to create an account to book a ticket as it will be sent to you via email. Whatever the train, you have to buy a ticket in advance. You might need to scan the ticket's QR code to pass the gates prior to getting into the train and you may further be asked to show you ticket to a controller during the trip.

A white icon representing a train.

Conference dinner

Slideshow of pictures of Casa Delauze taken by Stephane Arnouts.

The conference dinner will take place on Wednesday May 21, 2025 at Casa Delauze from 07:00 pm to 12:00pm. Only people who paid the dinner fee of 80€ during online registration will be allowed in. The evening will start by a cocktail on the terrace outside and then will be followed by dinner inside. We will share to everyone the menu as soon as we have it.

Getting to the conference dinner

Moving around Marseille

How do I get to the conference venue ?

There is neither metro nor tram line going to the conference venue. The simplest solution to get there is to walk around 15 - 20 min from "Vieux-Port" all the way to "Parc Emile Duclaux". Alternatively, one can take the bus from Vieux-Port and get down at "Le Pharo" bus stop which is located right next to the park entrance. Bus options are 82, 82S, and 83. There should be a new bus arriving every 10 min or so. Note that buses can be quite crowded when getting on at "Vieux-Port", in which case it might help to get on one stop ahead.

Getting to LAM for May 23, 2025

For those wishing to come to the "Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille" (LAM) for the working groups on the last day of conference on May 23, 2025, you can easily get there from downtown by taking the M1 metro line in direction to "La Rose". Go all the way to the last stop (i.e. "La Rose"), then, downstairs, turn right, go to the other side of the bus lane to take the B3B bus in direction to "Technopôle de Château-Gombert", and get down at the Technopôle Centrale Marseille bus stop. A new bus arrives every 15 min or so and you can use the same ticket as in the metro to validate the transfer. Alternatively, you can also walk from the metro terminus to LAM and back, though we do not recommend to walk alone passed nightfall.

For security reasons, always wear your badge at LAM and do not walk unattended in the corridors.

Everything there is to know about moving around Marseille

In Marseille, there are two metro lines M1 and M2 with two transfer stations: the first one at "Saint-Charles" train station and the second one at "Castellane". A new metro arrives every 10 min or so. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as during holidays and important events the metro lines work normally, that is until around midnight. However, note that due to maintenance both metro lines have their last departure at 9:30 pm from Monday to Thursday. Three bus relays are available for those days from 09:30 pm to 00:30 am: BM1A going back and forth from "La Rose" station to "La Timone" station, BM1B going back and forth from "La Timone" station to "La Fourragère" station, and BM2 going back and forth from "Gèze" station to "Sainte-Marguerite Dromel" station.

Three tram lines are available: T1, T2, and T3. These run every 7 min everyday from 05:10 am to 01:00 am.

Finally, a multitude of buses are available. You can find more details here or directly on the interactive public transport map. Some buses only run during the day, others run until 01:00 am. You can find more information here. Finally, two special lines exist: first the 59 bus that runs every 30 min from 09:00 pm to 01:00 am and allows you to ask the driver to stop anywhere within the "Colline de la Garde" area (see linked map), and second the N1 and N2 buses that run from Thursday to Saturday every hour from 01:30 am to 04:30 am and that allow you to ask the driver to stop anywhere along the drive.

All metro, tram, and bus lines are managed by the RTM public company. You can access any of these modes of transportation by buying a unified single ticket. The list of available tickets can be found here. Tickets can be bought from machines at any metro and tram station. As of today, a ticket costs 1.70€ and works for 1h straight (with transfers allowed). One can also buy a ticket directly in the bus at the cost of 2€ per ticket. Note that tickets can be refilled from the ticket machines for 1.40€. Instead of buying a new one, simply place your ticket on the black card holder located below the screen and select on the touchscreen the refill option. Other tickets are available such as 2 trips, 10 trips, 24h pass, and so on. Whenever taking a metro, tram, or bus, always validate your ticket, even when transfering.

Also note that metro, tram, and buses can now be paid directly by credit card. If so, just place your card on the dedicated payment terminals. Always validate your card, including during transfer. If a controler asks for your ticket, just show your credit card. Note however that no invoice can be produced when paying with your card. If an invoice is required, the best option is to buy a ticket directly from a ticket machine and select to get an invoice right after payment is complete.