Marseille

Marseille is a popular holiday destination on the South Coast of France. It is often frequented by cruise ships and featured in the 2024 Olympics as the site of the sailing competitions. Jonny and I visited for the Rugby World Cup in 2023, but being our first holiday abroad together (thanks COVID), we made the most of it and spent a good portion of our time sight seeing.

There is easily enough to do in Marseille to fill a couple of days away. We found the centre of the city fairly nice, however there were a few downsides to staying here and I must admit it wasn’t my favourite European hot spot. Having said this if you’re touring France or making a pit-stop on a cruise I would recommend getting out and about around the city centre to appreciate the best Marseille has to offer.

Getting there…

Jonny and I flew in to Marseille from Manchester. You can fly directly from England, however it was much more cost-effective for us to change over in other airports. We did book our flights a little last minute though so if you were organised and booked in advance you would likely get a much better deal.

From the airport you can either get a taxi into the city, or hop on a bus. The bus terminal is directly in front of the airport and the buses are clearly signposted. There is a direct shuttle bus that goes to the central train station and back again. You can use contactless to purchase your tickets on board so no need to pre-book.

Where to stay?

This is where we derailed our trip a little bit. Again, we booked our accommodation last minute. There are plenty of Air BnBs and budget friendly hotels in the city centre. We were quite limited in our options but did find a fairly nice apartment. The issue was although it was described as being on a main bus route, it was quite far out of the city centre and the buses stopped running pretty early. As a result we really struggled getting back and forth and ended up paying extortionate taxi fees. Book your accommodation early and book it in the city centre!

What to do?

The main sights in Marseille can easily be seen in a day, with the surroundings days used to explore a little further afield. We managed to see and do almost everything we had planned, even with the rugby taking up half of a day. Getting around between sights was easy as well. There are a variety of scooters around that you can take advantage of to save time walking. I would highly recommend using them!

Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde

The Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde sits at the highest point in the city. It is an iconic structure providing an excellent viewpoint of everything below. The Catholic structure is the most visited tourist attraction in Marseille. A small train takes visitors up and down the steep hill but if you’re energetic like Jonny and I you can walk up. Looking down on the Vieux-Port below in the stunning weather, it’s easy to see why this is such a popular tourist destination.

Abbey of St Victor

The Abbey of St Victor is a short walk or scooter ride downhill from the Basilica. Not only does it provide a fabulous view of the Vieux-Port, visitors can also take the time to explore the crypts and learn about the history of the building.

Vieux-Port

Vieux-Port is the go-to tourist location for food, drink and souvenir shops. Although there are certainly cheaper places to eat in the city it is worth taking some time out to sit in one of the restaurants or bars overlooking the marina. This is also where you can buy tickets and board boats to Chateau D’If, Frioul and Ratonneau should you wish to take a trip out to one of these islands.

We grabbed a drink and some lunch in one of the restaurants and continued around the port to come across the stunning view point pictured above, looking up towards the Basilica.

Fort Saint-Jean

Fort Saint-Jean is one of the most visited location in Marseille. Free to enter, it has multiple levels to explore and learn about its history. From the 12th century where it was an integral part of the crusades, all the way up to World War II where it became a German ammunition storage facility, countless important events have taken place here. Guided tours are essential in learning all there is to know about the fort.

MUCEM

The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations is accessed by crossing over from Fort Saint-Jean to the upper courtyard and cafe. From here you can make your way down through the levels of the museum, learning about various different aspects of 21st Century civilizations. I have to admit the exhibits were a little random but it was interesting, nonetheless. Tickets can be purchased on the door at a reasonable price.

It is also worth exploring the stunning architecture by walking around the outside of the museum too!

Cathedral La Major

The Cathedral La Major is one of the most beautiful buildings in Marseille. It is famed for being the only cathedral to have been built within the 19th century, the first stone being laid by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte. Entrance is free, and beneath the vaults have been transformed into a collection of restaurants, shops and cafes. We also took advantage of the large square outside by visiting on some scooters late into the evening. Enough space to really have some fun!

Le Panier

The Panier District is the oldest region of the city. Take some time to wander aimlessly through the narrow street. Choose a nice cafe to sit in and people watch. There are also some lovely shops to take a look in while you pass through. We enjoyed strolling through in the September sun and admiring the quaint scenery and street art as we passed by.

Cours Julien

Cours Julien is home to the most beautiful pieces of street art in Marseille. It’s a vibrant part of the city and a fantastic place to take some time to explore. The bars and restaurants in this area are some of the best and most reasonably priced for tourists. It is easy to spend hours here exploring the colourful surroundings.

Chateau d’If

Chateau d’If is one of the absolute must-see tourist attractions in Marseille. It is the prison upon which the novel The Count of Monte Cristo was based. As well as being able to tour the prison itself there is a small cafe to sit in and enjoy views of Marseille.

Getting to the prison is fairly easy. The best way to do it is to buy a CityPass from the Tourist Information Office. Depending on which pass you buy it includes the boat journeys to and from the island and admission to the prison. There are other benefits to the pass. It allows access to MUSEM, passage to Frioul amongst other discounts. Definitely worth it if you’re in the city for a couple of days!

Take the pass to the ticket office at Vieux-Port and use it to get boat tickets to the island itself. Boats depart regularly from the port. I would allow for half a day to make the most of the trip so look up the departure times before your visit!

Other Recommended Sights

We were on a very tight timescale in Marseille as we were only really there for the Rugby World Cup. As a result we missed out on some prominent tourist attractions. If we had more time I would definitely have visited them.

Palais Longchamp is one of the absolute must-see tourist attractions and I am completely gutted we did not get time to visit. Originally built to bring water to the city of Marseille, it now provides a visitors with the opportunity to wander around its beautiful and scenic gardens. It also boasts museums within the palace itself.

The Porte d’Aix is the triumphal arch of Marseille. It is similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, however instead of being completely surrounded by roads, there is a small landscaped garden to wander around.

Passage to the Frioul islands is included in the City Pass mentioned above. Visitors can enjoy the crystal clear waters and relax on the sandy beaches.

In a similar vein to escaping to the Frioul islands, I would also highly recommend kayaking in the nearby Calanques National Park. We were planning to walk down to the port of Sormiou from our accomodation to hire some kayaks. Time unfortunately got away from us but this is on the to-do list if we go back!

Where to eat?

We visited numerous cafes and restaurants whilst in Marseille, however I would highly recommend sitting down in the Biere Academy. You can order pizzas here at a reasonable price that come from a restaurant around the corner and are delivered straight to your table. They’re piping hot on arrival too! As the Rugby World Cup was on we chose a table right in front of the television (outside in the street) and watched England in their opening game with a pint and a pizza each.