When in Europe, there was always the thought of taking a trip to the French coasts. Nice was usually on my list of places to visit, but it was mostly postponed due to its distance and travel time from my base. Nevertheless, Marseille was selected this year, and it ultimately transpired. Two of us travelled to Marseille from Paris and another friend joined from Marseille on the second/last day.
Friday : 31 May 2024
We took a flixbus at 9:30 p.m. from Paris (Bercy) station, which cost around 25 euros. The tickets were booked two months in advance. The travel time is around 10 hours. If it is not comfortable for you to travel by bus, try opting for TGV trains if traveling from Paris, or else a car if it is possible. The journey in flixbus had 2–3 stops by the time it reached Marseille.
Saturday : 1 June 2024
We arrived at the Marseille Flixbus stop at about 7:30 in the morning. It is directly next to the train station, Marseille St. Charles. Since our check-in at the hostel to stay was after 2:30 pm, we kept the luggage in a locker. The station has a locker, which works from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. The large locker costs around 9 euros. It can be challenging to locate the restrooms at the station because they are at one end. We also had our breakfast at the restaurant inside the train station (https://www.carlsjr.fr/nos-restaurants/marseille-st-charles), where the breakfast burger was pretty cool to have.
Travel: We used the public transport to travel around Marseille. From the metro station just below the station, one can access a 24-, 48-, or 72-hour travel card. The day ticket cost around 5.2 euros per person. If you buy the Marseille city pass, entry to many sites is also possible, along with unlimited travel (https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/experience/marseille-citypass/buy-a-marseille-citypass/).
The first location we went was the Le Vieux Port. We used the metro from Saint Charles to reach Vieux Port metro station. This is the one of the highly visited ports in Marseille and a tourist spot. The first thing that catches your eyes is the color of the water. The stunning blue color just keep you mesmerized. This continued till the next days as well . One could find so many yachts and other vessels parked up here. Casually strolling around the neighborhood is great. A lot of restaurants are found here, although expensive. Ferries to Calanques (our trip next day) , Frioul islands are available here. We decided to go to the Frioul islands after a few hours.
The next location we went to was La Panier. It's a well-known touristy neighborhood known for its history, artsy streets, and many shops. The streets are pretty old, but great to explore. Early mornings do account for fewer crowds. La Panier provides the essence of exploration and depends on the person and how long they would like to spend there.
After exploring some parts of La Panier, we came back to Vieux Port. We decided to go to the Frioul Islands. There are 3–4 locations that are covered by different tickets. We took a ride to the islands; however, we did not cover the Château d’If, as it required some additional time. The ferry ride takes around 25 minutes and costs 11 euros. The tickets can be booked online (https://www.lebateau-frioul-if.fr/en/buy/) or on-site at the port. Do check that you have gone to the correct ticket center, as others could be at the Calanques. The suggestion is to book it online, as the queue goes a long way. The Frioul Islands are mostly rocky formations, and again, it depends on the person how much time needs to be spent. We spent around 1 hour and returned as per the schedule of the return ferry boat. There are a few restaurants on the islands. There are also small beachy areas where you could lie down or have a picnic if you wish.
We returned to Viuex Port and decided to have lunch at a restaurant nearby. Most of the restaurants are kind of expensive here due to the location. Bouillabaisse is a popular dish from Marseille that we wanted to try out. It is basically a fish soup; not many might be admirers due to the strong fishy taste and smell.
We boarded a bus to Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde from Viuex Port, which went all the way up the hill. One gets a great view of the city and the sea from such a high vantage point. It's pretty windy up top. Tickets to get into certain parts of the church are available for purchase.
From the previous bus stop, we were able to take another bus to Cathédrale de la Major and Mucem. Seperate tickets are required to enter or city pass could be used for it.
We took another bus to Prado Beach, which is a bit far south. The beach is pretty clean and touristy. Carry swim clothes if you would like to take a dip. The color of the water is really stunning to see. One may also find out about some parties happening around the beach.
Since the overnight journey and constant travel took a toll on us slowly, we went back to Saint Charles, took the luggage, and checked in at the hostel hotel F1 Marseille Est La Valentine. (https://www.google.com/maps?rlz=1C1ONGR_enIN932IN932&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBEAAYDRiABDIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAAGA0YgAQyCQgCEAAYDRiABDIJCAMQABgNGIAEMggIBBAAGA0YHjIICAUQABgNGB4yCAgGEAAYDRgeMggIBxAAGA0YHjIICAgQABgNGB4yCAgJEAAYDRgeqAIAsAIB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=de&sa=X&geocode=Kc8CMYafvskSMbKPi9DZ5kYb&daddr=Zac+De+Valentine,+117+Trav.+de+la+Montre,+13011+Marseille,+France). It is a basic hostel, mostly used by travelers. It is also 20 km away from the city center.
Day 2 was planned for visiting the Calanques. This was the major highlight of the trip. Calanques are rocky formations that spread into the sea with breathtaking views and beaches (https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/nature/the-calanques-of-Marseille/). The website should be consulted, as there are bookings required to enter at certain times of the year. There are different Calanques to visit, and we took the Calanques de Sugiton, a highly rated Calanque among all.
It took us a metro and a bus to reach the starting point of the hike, which is Luminy. It is pretty easy to reach the view points and the beach, which could take an hour or two, depending on your speed. Bring the swimsuits if you would like to swim. A picnic basket and spending the day are highly advised. Note that the location is also highly touristy.
After around 3 p.m., we left for Marseille. We spent some time in the neighborhood of Cours Julien, with streets adjourned with graffiti. There are also a number of restaurants in and around the area that could be explored. Since we had to take the flixbus back to Paris, the remaining portion of the day was spent around Saint Charles. We had an early dinner at a Tunisian restaurant nearby. We found the prices here to be reasonable as compared to Viuex Port. At 8:30 p.m., we left for Paris.
Overall, the trip was pretty good, and Day 2 made it awesome. The trip would have been the same as any other trip, where you just roam around a city. Calanques were definitely the highlight of the trip. As our friend in Marseille said, "no trip is a trip to Marseille if you haven't visited the Calanques." There are a couple of other spots, like museums, that we did not go to. Try to plan a trip that is comfortable for you. We might not have explored as much as Marseille offered.
We used the CityMapper app and Google Maps for traveling. Always checking the weather would be a great idea. Try to visit Marseille during the summer. There are strong winds, so a windbreaker could always come in handy.
For stay, you could always look out for the reviews and prefer where you would like to stay. The Meininger Hotel is present in Marseille, which I have tried in 2 other cities and was to my liking and has good reviews. For travel, using the day pass is the best thing, or using the city pass, with which you could visit various sights. Bolt, the taxi app is also usable in case you would like to travel by a taxi.
Try to read some blogs, reviews of people of times recent to your planned trip and check what all sights are open.
There were concerns from people regarding safety in Marseille. However, it seemed to be the same as any other big city where pickpocketing, etc. are pretty common. Just be aware of your surroundings, and you are good to go. I highly suggest visiting the calanques and beaches during the visit. Thanks to my fellow travelers for making the trip wonderful. #Susan#Aishani
