Welcome to our Marseille travel guide! We are Lea & Simon – a southwest girl and a northern man – together since 2014 and living in Paris when we aren’t away. Our first big trip together was a seven month road trip in New Zealand in 2018, an adventure that started our travel madness! This trip opened our eyes to the world (its beauty and wealth) but also to our consumption and real needs. We decided to create an Instagram account @foxtrotteurs to share our journey and have kept it running over the years.
We also started a travel blog later on to go deeper into subjects, and continue sharing our experiences and tips with our community. In 2021, we converted a van ourselves and set off on a tour around Europe. The result was 10 months on the road, discovering 27 countries over 46,000 kilometers. It was a chance for us to explore our continent and all of its wonders, as well as immerse ourselves in the local cultures and meet local people by doing WWOOFing and the Workaway system.
All these trips have shown us that the world is a vast place and that we still have so much more to discover that a lifetime wouldn’t be enough. Hence, we try to make the most out of each situation and travel – whether in France or abroad. Getting to travel through France is just as enjoyable for us as some of our international trips. France is simply beautiful!
We’ve had the opportunity to visit a few parts of the country such as the Pyrenees, Normandy, Brittany and the Mediterranean Coast. But we still have more to see! Even though we’re accustomed to the culture here, the great thing is we don’t need to travel far to appreciate the landscapes of France. It’s like we have the world in one country, it’s pretty cool!
How Marseille Exceeded Our Expectations
We decided to visit Marseille when we felt like we needed a bit of sun and it was an excellent choice! We had good weather during our stay and the whole trip was enjoyable. To be honest, we didn’t know what to expect from Marseille because you hear lots of people talking about this city and it’s not always good. But we’re glad we didn’t listen to them because we absolutely loved its vibe! It’s a cheerful, animated and heartwarming place.
Favorite Place in Marseille: Le Cours Julien
If there is one place we remember the most in Marseille, it’s surely Le Cours Julien. It’s a lively and trendy neighborhood – wrapped in street art with nice bars, restaurants and art galleries. On a side note: after a long and complicated moment, we finally succeeded in choosing a restaurant here and we were definitely rewarded! We ate at La Brasserie Communale. The food was tasty and refined. We can’t recommend it enough! It also seems that Le Cours Julien is a cool place to go out at night!
8 Cool Things To Do in Marseille
1. Have Something to Eat at Le Cours Julien
As we just explained above, Le Cours Julien is a lovely and lively place that is worth visiting on your trip to Marseille. The vibe here is unique and it’s the perfect place for a drink or to eat something in a really nice surrounding.
2. Soak Up the Vibe of Friche la Belle de Mai
In the same spirit as Le Cours Julien (but bigger) is Friche la Belle de Mai. It’s a cultural center and former tobacco factory where sports, art, food, concerts and more come together. This mix has created a unique place where people meet, go to exhibitions, drink a coffee or beer, skate, picnic, play petanque, and enjoy the green spaces or the rooftop and DJ sets.
3. Enjoy the Architecture of Palais Longchamp
A great place to swing by in Marseille is Palais Longchamp with its beautiful surrounding park and waterfalls. You can enjoy the architecture here from the outside or you can opt to go for a visit inside because the monument hosts the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts.
4. Get Lost in Le Quartier du Panier
Le Quartier du Panier is the oldest neighborhood in Marseille, located in the city center. It’s charming and pleasant. Built on a small hill, you can find lots of stairs and narrow streets, as well as street-art facades and boutiques.
5. Marvel at the Cathedrale de la Major
In Le Quartier du Panier, the Cathedrale de la Major reminded us of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) in Florence. The church is the oldest one in town and an emblematic place to visit while in Marseille.
6. Swing By the Old Port of Marseille (Vieux Port)
It’s hard not to pass by the Vieux Port. This is a popular place to visit in Marseille. We recommend checking out the Mirror Roof by the architect Norman Foster or the museum (Mucem – Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean) for its facade and architecture.
7. Venture to the Port du Vallon des Auffes
Even better than the Vieux Port is the Port du Vallon des Auffes. This cute harbor is a 40-minute walk from the center of Marseille, going through the Corniche Kennedy, or accessible via a 20-minute bus ride for those who don’t want to walk. This spot makes you feel like you’re not in Marseille!
8. Visit the Basilica of Notre-Dame of la Garde
We cannot talk about Marseille without mentioning the basilica. This basilica is the emblem of Marseille, the highest point of the city. It offers a beautiful 360-degree panorama and magnificent architecture. It’s hard to miss it when you are in town and we highly recommend visiting it.
Mediterranean Food Culture of Marseille
Marseille has a Mediterranean food culture with lots of olive oil, herbs, fish and vegetables used in its recipes. We recommend trying a dish called “Bouillabaisse”. It’s a fish soup typical from the region. Other regional specialties to wrap your lips around in Marseille are: Soupe au Pistou (salty), Calissons d’Aix (sweet) and Pastis (an anise flavored alcoholic drink).
Best Places to Visit from Marseille
The great thing about Marseille is that you can use it as a base to explore the Cote d’Azur. We had the chance to explore lots of great spots near Marseille. In less than two hours drive you have the following destinations:
- Toulon
- Hyeres
- Bormes-les-Mimosas
- Calanques National Park: Among the calanques, you have Calanque de Sormiou in addition to the walk to Calanque d’En-vau where you will pass by Calanque de Port-Miou and Calanque de Port Pin as a bonus.
If you have more time – such as a week or more – we suggest driving along the coast to visit Menton. This is the last city before crossing the border to Italy. Along the way, you can also visit many charming villages such as:
- Saint-Tropez
- Port Grimaud
- Cannes
- Mougins
- Grasse
- Antibes
- Nice
- Villefranche-sur-Mer
- Eze
- Monaco
- Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
- Sainte-Agnes
Tips for Your Visit to Marseille
Marseille is a pretty big city (the second largest in all of France for that matter). So, to enjoy it at its best, we highly recommend using public transport to get around the city. For that, you have the following options:
- Solo Ticket: This costs 1,70€ and lasts one hour (you can take as many transports as you want during this time) – buyable in the metro stations, a tram stop or at RTM retailers. If you buy it on board, it will cost 2€.
- 4 People Group Ticket: Costs 4,90€, lasts for an hour, for a group of 4.
- 24h or 72h Unlimited Ticket: That will cost 5,20€ or 10,80€ per person.
You also have the option to purchase the Marseille CityPass which gives you access to many touristic sites and attractions for 24h, 48h or 72h. The prices range from 26€ to 47€, and can include public transport trips as well.
It’s sunny from February/March to October/November. So, if you can, there is plenty of time out of peak season to enjoy it when it’s less crowded and hot. Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy your trip to Marseille!
