Marseille, France

[Cruisingalong2012]

What sort of things do people recommend to do in Marseille, France.

 

Can anyone recommend a private tour guide in Marseille France.

 

Never been there before and not sure if it is a place where you can just get off the ship and go walking through the city and do some shopping. We have done this in quite a few other ports before and it was ideal.

[StanandJim]

You could get along with just bumming around Marseille, but the rest of the French Riviera, and local towns within an easy drive such as St. Paul Vence are also once in a lifetime destinations.

If you get to Vence, for example, you can spend the morning locating Chagall's grave, and then have an exquisite luncheon in a restaurant (La Colombe D'Or) which allowed Picasso to pay his bar tab with paintings.

We like to use Dream Tours in Marseilles,

http://www.dream-tours.com/

but only if we can get Alaine as our Driver (beware substitutions).

Whatever you do, begin your day with a stroll through the Marseilles Flower Market, and TRY to end your day with enough time at the end of your tour for a Drink at the Bar in the Hotel Negresco and a walk along the Promenade des Anglaise at dusk.

Edited January 28, 2015 by StanandJim

[turnip eater]

Don't know about the flower market, but isn't the Hotel Negresco and the Palais des Anglais in Nice. You comment seems to suggest that it is Marseille.

 

Agree that Nice should be on your visit list. Marseille is a large port, although parts of the town have been 'revived'.

[StanandJim]

Don't know about the flower market, but isn't the Hotel Negresco and the Palais des Anglais in Nice. You comment seems to suggest that it is Marseille.

 

Agree that Nice should be on your visit list. Marseille is a large port, although parts of the town have been 'revived'.

 

There is a flower market both in both Nice and Marseilles. The one in Nice is slightly more swank, but I suggested that the OP go to the one in Marseilles because arriving first thing in the morning is imperative.

 

The Negresco and the Promenade are in Nice, but if one has spent the day in Vence, as I had imagined that they might, Nice is certainly on the way back to the ship. ;)

[buggins0402]

From Marseille, it might be better to focus on places in western Provence, such as Aix, Arles and Les Baux. Cassis is also close. Some towns in the Luberon might also be achievable with enough time and a guide.

 

St. Paul de Vence is closer to the French ports of Cannes and Villefrance, or even Monte Carlo.

[Hambagahle]

Marseilles is way to far from Nice AND St Paul de Vence for a day excursion.

 

There is a lot to see and do in Marseilles not the least of which is to have a Bouillabaisse down by the old port. But be careful. Marseilles is not the safest city in France...especially right now.

 

If you do rent a car then Avignon and the Luberon are within easy reach. In the Luberon my favourite places is Gordes which is a large-ish hilltop village. Lots of little shops and cafés. Very nice and great views.

 

You could make a day circuit - Marseilles to Avignon takes about 80 mins. then Avignon via the N100 to Gordes. From there back to Marseilles via Cavaillon and Salon-de-Provence. That would take about 1hr 20 depending on traffic when you get into Marseilles. In Avignon visit the Palais des Papes - and across the square from there I had the best Cappucino I have ever had, anywhere in the world!

 

Another lovely place to visit - get there easily from Marseilles in about 45 mins - is Cassis. The old port there is small and beautiful and there are boat trips you can take to the Calanques - high limestone cliffs forming lovely little bays.

 

But do not try to go to Nice for the day. One way only - and on the very boring Autoroute with no scenery to speak of as it runs inland - will take you well over 2 and a half hours.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Hambagahle

[durante]

No, Nice is not on the way back from St Paul de Vence to Marseille, its way further east. The cruise port at Marseille - its not the type of area you would want to just get out and walk. Much better to get transport into Marseille itself if you are interested in going there, or concentrate on places like Aix-en_Provence, St Remy, Arles, Avignon etc.

[Noxequifans]

In the last two years we have enjoyed our walk arounds in Marseille .... Especially the vibrant fish market.

[TrulyBlonde]

We have been to Marseilles a few times and a walk around the port and a stop in a cafe is nice. A short taxi drive to Aix is also a nice way to spend the day. Beware of taxi drivers, they lie about fares and want to charge you additional once at destination and not the safest of places to visit. Not my favorite port.

[buggins0402]

Also, if it is a Sunday and you can find a way of getting there, the town of L'Isle-sur- la Sorgue has one of the best markets in all of France that day. Started out as an antiques market, but has morphed into just a huge market day. It is the essence of Provence.

[sammiedawg]

We used the tour guide William Templar, One Day in Provence and had an excellent day. He has a huge following on Trip Advisor. We had a walking tour in Provence, visited some lovely little towns and visited an olive processing plant.

[ricki]

Highly recommend taking a local bus to Aix. It's a beautiful town, very walkable and has a great market.

 

Ricki

[RetiredFL]

We always just enjoy walking around the old port and the main avenues of the town.

A fun thing to do is to take the little train around the city, you can get off and on as much as you like. Especially interesting, to us, is Notre Dame de la Garde which is a stop. It starts from the interior end of the old port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hambagahle]

Also, if it is a Sunday and you can find a way of getting there, the town of L'Isle-sur- la Sorgue has one of the best markets in all of France that day. Started out as an antiques market, but has morphed into just a huge market day. It is the essence of Provence.

 

Easiest way to get to l'Isle sur la Sorgue is by rental car from Marseilles. Roughly 1hr 15 mins via the A7 and Salon-de-Provence. BTW l'Isle is even nicer NOT on a Sunday - fewer people. There are a lot of little antique shops there which make for good browsing as well.

[buggins0402]

Easiest way to get to l'Isle sur la Sorgue is by rental car from Marseilles. Roughly 1hr 15 mins via the A7 and Salon-de-Provence. BTW l'Isle is even nicer NOT on a Sunday - fewer people. There are a lot of little antique shops there which make for good browsing as well.

 

Will definitely keep that in mind...I just love that town! When we stayed in Provence on a land trip, we stayed further west near St. Remy, but on a return trip I think a Vaucluse location might be better.

 

You mentioned Gordes...is that the town near the Abby?

[Hambagahle]

I suppose you mean the Abbaye de Senanque? The Cistercian Abbey? Gordes is not far from there. About 10 mins drive. Worth seeing near there as well are the "bories" which are round stone structures - bronze age buildings. This is just off the road from the Abbaye to Gordes. Clearly signposted...

[Solas36]

Not for the first time, inaccurate advice has been posted by a seasoned traveller who others respect for their often helpful comments.

 

When you get it wrong, please be gracious enough to admit it and not leave up posts which are confusing.

 

I find so many helpful facts posted on this forum. While we can all make mistakes, I do get irritated when so-called experts give misleading comments but, even when corrected, refuse to acknowledge they got it wrong.

 

The final responsibility is on the traveller to check the facts, but this forum seeks to be helpful, so please don't post if you are unsure. And if you are sure, double check! But mostly be big enough to apologise when you get it wrong.

[rallydave]

Not for the first time, inaccurate advice has been posted by a seasoned traveller who others respect for their often helpful comments.

 

When you get it wrong, please be gracious enough to admit it and not leave up posts which are confusing.

 

I find so many helpful facts posted on this forum. While we can all make mistakes, I do get irritated when so-called experts give misleading comments but, even when corrected, refuse to acknowledge they got it wrong.

 

The final responsibility is on the traveller to check the facts, but this forum seeks to be helpful, so please don't post if you are unsure. And if you are sure, double check! But mostly be big enough to apologise when you get it wrong.

 

This isn't the first time this prolific poster has got things wrong and quite sure won't be the last. A very few times this poster has argued the error and after being told and show the error of their ways would even then simply stop posting and refuse to accept that they are totally incorrect.

 

This manifests in the constant refusal to even consider that their cruise line of choice might just be wrong in anything. Also the endless eliteism is annoying at best!!

 

Great post Solas36 and insight into some of the posters that know it all, aren't afraid to post on any subject, are perfect in their own minds and people need to consider whether or not to accept their sometimes preposterous suggestions.

[TrulyBlonde]

I wondered why all of the photos from Nice were posted here;-). If you dock in Monte Carlo it is easy to get to Nice. Marseilles is a long distance from Nice and the posts with the chop-choo and cathedral depict Marseilles and are the correct ones.

[hypercafe]

Pictures, bold print and condescending remarks does not an expert make!

[fairbourne]

Solas36 -plus 1 :)

[Floridiana]

I checked google maps and street view to see what's going on in Marseille. After all it's been decades I was there the last time. If I were there on a cruise, I would probably also go to a market as suggested already and then head to the old port, take the little choochoo up to the church on the hill (also suggested already), return and go to the brand new museum of Mediterranean culture right behind the old fort at the old port. It looks like they are redoing the area around it, so maybe a nice promenade is finished by the time my cruise stops in Marseille (in French no 's' at the end, that's Versailles).

 

One more option also in the old port: Take a small ferry out to the sinister fort (Castle of IF), setting of the Count of Monte Cristo.

[RetiredFL]

If you are a fan of Marcel Panol, most known in USA for the film Fanny with Leslie Caron, but who has a large body of well known work, lived in Marseille for may years and the bar he frequented, Bar de la Marine, is still there in the old port. Facing out from the bottom of the port, it is on the left side. Fun to have a drink and see the memorabilia. (15 Quai de la Rive Neuve)

 

Edited January 29, 2015 by RetiredFL

[Hambagahle]

I think it is fair to say that Marseilles has improved quite a bit over the last decade or so. It was European Capital of Culture a couple of years ago as well I think. BUT the great problem with Marseilles still remains a huge North African population and some associated criminal activity. so by all means go there and enjoy it, but be careful...

[Tjoolder]

Hi,

you could check out these guys

 

http://www.marseilleprovencegreeters.com/en/

 

We had a walk through Marseilles with Max and had a great time.