Travel guide
Written from Marseille, in English, by people who live here. Practical first, opinions second, and a photo we took on every page.
Start here
The ten places every first visit should include, and how to organise two or three days around them.
The ten places every first visit to Marseille should include, chosen and photographed by people who live here: Vieux-Port, Notre-Dame de la Garde, Le Panier, Château d'If, Vallon des Auffes, MuCEM, the Calanques, La Major, the Corniche and Malmousque.
Read the article →Three days in Marseille planned by residents: the historic centre and Notre-Dame de la Garde on day one, the Château d'If and the Frioul islands by boat on day two, the Calanques or the Corniche villages on day three, with timings, bus numbers, where to eat and a wet-weather plan.
Read the article →How to visit the Calanques between Marseille and Cassis: which calanque suits you (Sormiou, Morgiou, Sugiton, En-Vau, Port-Pin), how to get there by bus, the summer access rules and reservations, the hikes with real timings, the boats, and what to bring.
Read the article →The day trips from Marseille that work by public transport, ranked honestly: Cassis and the calanques, Aix-en-Provence, the Côte Bleue coast by train, La Ciotat, Avignon and Arles by TGV, plus the ones that need a car (Luberon, Camargue) and how long each really takes.
Read the article →Plan your trip
Getting here, moving around, and what to know before you land.
Every way of reaching Marseille compared by people who live here: Marseille Provence airport and its shuttles, the TGV to Saint-Charles, long-distance buses, driving and parking, and the ferries from Corsica.
Read the article →A resident's guide to moving around Marseille: the RTM metro, trams and buses, which tickets to buy, the Le Vélo bike share, the ferry boat across the Vieux-Port, taxis, ride-hailing and when walking is simply better.
Read the article →What to know before you land in Marseille, from people who live here: entry requirements, the best months to come, budgets and payment, how far English gets you, the neighbourhoods, safety and the small habits that make locals warm to you.
Read the article →Boats, sea and getting there
Boats with a skipper, the Calanques by sea, airport transfers, the cruise port on foot, diving and the real Marseille soap. Prices where we can give them.
How to rent a private boat with a skipper in Marseille: which port to leave from, what a half day and a full day cost in 2026, motor versus sail, the questions that separate good operators from bad ones, and the alternatives if the budget does not stretch.
Read the article →How to get from Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) to the Vieux-Port and the city centre: shuttle bus, train via Vitrolles, taxi, ride-hailing and private transfers, with realistic times, indicative costs and the mistakes to avoid.
Read the article →Private boat rental with a skipper in Marseille, explained by locals: where the boats leave from, how far you can go in three hours or a day, what the National Park allows, what a fair quote includes and the questions to ask before you pay.
Read the article →One day in Marseille from your cruise ship: how the shuttle from the Môle Léon Gourret terminal works, a walking route from La Joliette through La Major, Le Panier, the Vieux-Port and the MuCEM, timings, where to eat and when to head back.
Read the article →Diving in Marseille for English speakers: the best sites from the Frioul islands to the Calanques and the wrecks, how French dive clubs work, what a discovery dive and a two-tank outing cost, the season, and how to find an instructor who briefs in English.
Read the article →Real Marseille soap is made by four soap works and sold in a handful of shops; most cubes in the tourist streets are not it. How to read the stamp, what it should cost, the factories you can visit, and the shops in the centre worth your money.
Read the article →Marseille in your language
Marseille speaks less English than you expect and almost no German. Where it matters, and how to enjoy the city anyway.
Marseille speaks less English than visitors expect. Here is how to find a guide who really speaks your language, the difference between licensed guides, hosts and shared tours, what to ask before booking and what a private tour should cost.
Read the article →Everything an English-speaking visitor can do in Marseille without struggling with French: museums with English guides and audio, tours and boat trips in English, restaurants that welcome you, bookshops, football, and the phrases that make the rest easy.
Read the article →Which boat trips from Marseille are really available in English: the Château d'If and Frioul shuttles, shared Calanques cruises with their 'bilingual' commentary, small-group trips with English-speaking skippers, and how to choose between them.
Read the article →Where English is spoken in Marseille restaurants by neighbourhood, how to recognise a tourist trap on the Vieux-Port, how bouillabaisse and the local classics actually work, the phrases that make ordering easy, and how to book a table without calling.
Read the article →Which Marseille museums you can actually visit in English: MuCEM, the Musée d'Histoire, the Cosquer cave replica, the Château d'If, the Vieille Charité museums, Notre-Dame de la Garde and the smaller collections, with what is translated, what it costs and the free first Sundays.
Read the article →Honest takes
Safety, whether the city is worth your time, Nice versus Marseille, rooftops and neighbourhoods: opinions we stand by.
Marseille's reputation versus what visitors actually experience: which areas are fine day and night, where pickpockets work, the neighbourhoods that make the news and why you will never see them, safety for women and solo travellers, and the ten habits that matter.
Read the article →Nice or Marseille for your trip to the south of France: beaches, food, prices, safety, sights, day trips, weather, how easy each is in English, and who each city is for. An honest comparison from people who live in one and visit the other.
Read the article →The rooftops of Marseille compared honestly: the big terraces above the docks and the Vieux-Port, the hotel rooftops with pools, the museum roof, the bars on the hills, what a cocktail costs, when to book and which ones are worth the queue.
Read the article →Whether Marseille deserves a place on your France itinerary: what the city does better than anywhere else, what it does badly, how many days it needs, who will love it and who should go to Nice or Aix instead.
Read the article →The districts of Marseille that matter to a visitor, honestly described: Vieux-Port, Le Panier, Noailles, Cours Julien, La Joliette, Endoume and the Corniche, Vallon des Auffes, Prado and Pointe Rouge, Les Goudes. Who should stay where, what it costs, and what to avoid.
Read the article →
Newsletter
New guides, seasonal advice and the prices we have checked. Written from Marseille in English. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
