Marseilles Shops Closed on Sundays?

[CruizeVirgin]

Im reading that the shops in Marseilles and France for that matter are closed on Sundays. How does this impact tourists and the overall experience? Are there areas where the shops are open?

[simplyrubies]

It depends on the size of the town and the type of shop involved. In Paris and in other larger cities that do receive a good amount of tourists like Marseilles, there will be some shops that are open. Tourist-oriented shops in the Old Port area should be open as well as the shopping malls nearby, though smaller boutiques may take a two to three hour break for lunch. In addition, if you are travelling in August, this is also the time of year when many French people themselves are on vacation, so you may come across shops that are closed for the entire month. We saw many shops like this in Paris despite it also being peak tourist season.

 

In small towns, not a single shop may be open (though I suspect there will be a few by tourist or port areas). Even in a port town like Le Havre (mid size, about 300,000 people in the agglomeration and 180,000 in the city), the two major malls are closed, with only one of the supermarkets in the mall is open until 1:00 pm! However, there are shops that are still open - mostly small convenience stores or supermarkets. A French friend of mine once told me there is a stigma about being open on the day of rest (despite French laïcité), as one may perceive your shop to be of low quality if you have to open on Sunday to survive. 

 

For me, it does impact your overall experience because there are less things to do and less to explore - and also less places to spend your money. It sometimes baffles me that in such a developed country like France where they receive millions of tourists a year, more shops are not open, but it seems to be related to a big difference in culture. You can still enjoy yourself but I find myself doing less on Sundays, even in Paris, just because less things are open, or at the very least only exploring in the mornings if they are only open then.

[Hlitner]

The French do not like to work on Sundays or holidays.    In Marseille, most of the decent stores will be closed although there are always some touristy places that are open.  It is the same in Aix en Provence (a city with some excellent shopping).  Some of the very tourist oriented towns such as Les Baux are mostly open on Sundays.  You ask how this impacts tourists?  Well, for this tourist it is all good since neither DW or me are big shoppers.  But for those "shop till they drop" folks it can be a bit depressing.  When we rent apartments and stay in France for an extended period, we will sometimes drive to places on Sunday that specifically open on that day to attract visitors.  For example, the Sunday morning market at Isle sur La Sorgue is among the best markets in all of France.  But this market (which we love when the weather is good) is not a good option for cruisers because of its distance from the ports of Marseille and Toulon.   You could take a tour to the hilltop town of Les Baux where just about everything is open on Sundays.

 

Hank

[sailing canary]

It's not simply a question of not liking to work on Sundays (or public holidays). A law was passed in 1906 which restricts Sunday trading and not just Sunday trading - by law in France there are only 6 weeks in winter and 6 weeks in summer when  sales can take place. And generally speaking, the French don't consider shopping as a pastime - it's just something which needs to be done.

Also traditionally France is a Catholic country and although not everyone is a churchgoer on Sunday, it is still regarded as a day of rest - rather like it used to be when I was a child in the UK.

But one of the joys of living in France is the extended Sunday lunch with family or friends. It is not unusual to start déjeuner (lunch) at midi (noon) and only be getting up from the table at 16.00, whether at home or in a restaurant. Which helps to explain why many restaurants are closed on Mondays.

Edited April 3, 2019 by sailing canary
spelling

[Hlitner]

On 4/2/2019 at 11:44 PM, sailing canary said:

It's not simply a question of not liking to work on Sundays (or public holidays). A law was passed in 1906 which restricts Sunday trading and not just Sunday trading - by law in France there are only 6 weeks in winter and 6 weeks in summer when  sales can take place. And generally speaking, the French don't consider shopping as a pastime - it's just something which needs to be done.

Also traditionally France is a Catholic country and although not everyone is a churchgoer on Sunday, it is still regarded as a day of rest - rather like it used to be when I was a child in the UK.

But one of the joys of living in France is the extended Sunday lunch with family or friends. It is not unusual to start déjeuner (lunch) at midi (noon) and only be getting up from the table at 16.00, whether at home or in a restaurant. Which helps to explain why many restaurants are closed on Mondays.

LOL.  So after posting all the excuses the reality is that the French do not like to work on Sundays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[marazul]

On 4/2/2019 at 11:44 PM, sailing canary said:

 And generally speaking, the French don't consider shopping as a pastime - it's just something which needs to be done.

On 4/2/2019 at 9:51 AM, Hlitner said:

The French do not like to work on Sundays or holidays.   

 

 

More reasons why I love France.  😊

[Hlitner]

The one frustration we have about France is trying to rent a car on Sundays.  In many parts of the country there are zero options.  In fact, when we are about to book a European cruise we pay careful attention to what ports we visit on Sundays or holidays.  There is another post on CC where a Brit is asking about renting a car on a Sunday port visit to La Rochelle.  I do not have the heart to post that it is nearly impossible to get a car that day of the week.

 

Hank

[CruizeVirgin]

Thank you for the responses. I hope there will be some cafes open so I can get some food while I am out there. :)

[marazul]

5 hours ago, CruizeVirgin said:

Thank you for the responses. I hope there will be some cafes open so I can get some food while I am out there. 🙂

Oh, no worries, cafes and restaurants will be open.  The French do not mess with their food!  

We are talking about shop (merchandise) closures, not restaurants.   

On Sundays many families go out for the midday meal and it is possible to find some restaurants closing early in the evening, but that's it.  You will not go hungry in France on any day of the week.

Edited April 5, 2019 by marazul