Unexpected Marseilles
Marseilles is the perfect destination for VaVenturers.
A city hardly at the top of the average casual traveler’s list — the reality is its an authentic, fascinating, accessible and well-priced distillation of Southern French life — lovely hotels and Airbnb’s, a great arts and culture scene including a pretty well regarded opera house and food vibe that includes the seafood infused cuisine of the south, the tantalizing flavors of North Africa and, more recently, the best pizza in France often served from food trucks. The vibe of a big city but with none of the pretentiousness of Paris.
In France too, Marseilles has had to weather headwinds. Indeed, it has a legitimate reputation as a home to criminal gangs fueled by generational poverty. For decades, French film and TV have tended to set a significant number of crime and corruption dramas there — — traditionally disregarded and avoided by many French who think of it as a dirty and dark haven for criminal gangs — its actually a light filled, revitalizing Mediterranean city where you need take no more then the basic safety precautions you’d take in any large metropolis.
These days, Marseilles is a major cruise and transit hub, the city and the EU have invested millions to creating a modern welcoming port and cutting edge cultural destinations.
So visit Marseilles for 300 days of sun, freshly caught fish, crisp Provencal wines, charming neighborhoods and endless blue of the Mediterranean — not to mention a spice market teeming with colors and smells, the small narrow streets of Le Panier dotted with cafes, bars and ice cream shops all in the center of the city.
Getting there
From the US, the easiest and most fun way is probably to fly to De Gaulle and take the 300km/h TGV from inside the airport straight to Marseilles — in under 3 hours with stops in Lyon, and possibly Avignon.
The TGV station is well marked after exiting customs — about a 200 yard walk inside the terminal and down 2 escalator levels.
Our VaVenturing Tips:
1) Buy your Train tickets straight from the SNCF/Oui English site or app. Register for very easy purchase and storage of your tickets.
2) Consider upgrading to 1st class for around $50 a person. You’ll avoid the crowds and backpackers, and enjoy a reserved seat in carriages that are likely less than full — especially pleasant after a long overnight flight.
3) Buy yourself some train snacks at the De Gaulle Airport branch of the Marks and Spencer Food Hall - right after the exit from customs — high quality take out food from a wonderful British institution.
4) The Marseilles station has recently been upgraded — and easy to either take the local subway to your destination or a cab from the rank right outside.
Where to stay
There are a bunch of new and refurbished hotels in Marseilles — all looking to benefit from the revitalization of the city.
We’d suggest staying around the old port — it’s pretty central to everything and certainly for a 2 or 3 night trip — will put the city’s best sights at your fingertips.
One place to check out — Marseilles has a brand new NH Collection Hotel — part of a small Spanish boutique hotel chain. What we especially love about these hotels — the amazing breakfast buffet — with a huge selection of fresh breads and pastries, fruits, eggs, cheese and of course every kind of coffee beverage.
Enjoying Marseilles
The neat thing about Marseilles is that there are no “must sees.” No instantly recognizable instagrammable locations. All you really need to to know are the general direction of the neighborhoods where you want to wander and explore, eat and drink wherever strikes your fancy — and no fear of missing out.
So 4 quick ideas to begin your Marseilles VaVenture.
1) The old port area is at the geographical center of the city and where you are likely to begin wandering. It has been recently revitalized by Sir Norman Foster and will shortly be fully pedestrianized as well. It’s lined with perfectly lovely restaurants on either side — one we especially like is Miramar — wonderful fish and seafood including a well-crafted example of Marseilles’s famed bouillabaisse. If you’re an early bird - there’s a morning fish market as well - with all the bounty of the Mediterranean on offer.
Be warned, if you’re used to spreading butter on your bread - you’ll more likely find garlic and olive oil flavored with the pungent aromas of the south!
Just west of the port — the historic Le Panier district — with roots that go back to antiquity. These days, it’s in an interesting transition between authentic, gritty neighborhood and higher end attractions. So as you explore the alleys, you’ll find hole in the wall bars to have a pastis as well as gourmet gelato stores and speciality shops selling everything from soap (a traditional local craft) to leather goods.
2) Take a short subway ride to Castellane station. You’ll exit into a lovely beaux arts typically French city neighborhood — ;its of local cafes and bistros (and a couple of Pizza trucks!) Walk towards the iconic Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde — climb the hill if you want or wander the streets surrounding the park, a chic, bohemian neighborhood and eventually end up winding down the hill on the south side of the old port.
3) Head north from the port on Rue Vacon. After 300 yards or so, you’ll feel the flavor become distinctly North African — the streets teeming with market stalls, spice and food stands and restaurants serving Tunisian and Morrocan specialities including every kind of tagine and grilled meat imaginable. Don’t just look though - step inside an eatery that looks good to you — you’ll find a proprietor anxious to ensure your meal is memorable — and remember you’re in one of the most ancient and authentic communities in France — part of a millennial old relationship with North Africa.
4) Don’t miss taking the ferry to the islands of Frioul. For around 12 euros — board the ferry at the entrance to the old port by the new museum. A 15 minute ride takes you past the forbidding prison of the fictional Count of Monte Cristo and brings you to a tiny island port where you can hike various paths to a series of headlands. On the way, you can dip your toes in tidal basins or sit on a bench and just enjoy the sense of being alone in the Mediterranean. You’ll completely forget you are only 10 minutes away from France’s second largest city.
