marseille

Old Jul 2nd, 2004, 04:40 PM
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marseille

My husband is going on a business trip in July to Marseille and I am tagging along. Could someone who has been there give me a bit of a description. I will be on my own (mostly) for 4 days. Any ideas about what to do? I would like to go to the beach, is that practical? How safe should I feel? I'm looking very forward to it, but I'm a bit nervous after reading some of the posts.
Thanks in advance for any info.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2004, 06:11 PM
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Hi newbieuro: I have several posts on Marseille, it you type "Marseille" in the subject/search box you should be able to find me and some further suggestions as well as those from other Fodorites. However, I can list a couple here again.....My great grandmother is from Marseille. Marseille is a big melting pot of nationalities that comprise the modern-day France. You will notice many different peoples, cultures, and food places that aren't too present in other parts of France (with the exception of Paris). The variety of peoples there give Marseille a certain edge, but it is not necessarily a dangerous city. However, I would exercise some cautious in the area around the St. Charles train station, especially at nighttime. Just be mindful of your surroundings at all times, stay in areas with lots of other people. Up and down La Canebiere street you will find lots of people out and about, walking around, having coffee at cafes, etc. There is a C&A department store there that is one of my favorites: I can always find a good bargain in Marseille (compared to other C&As in France!)

I was in Marseille 4 months ago, while the weather was considerably more brisk than in the summertime, it was still nice. July will be quite hot and muggy, but I am sure you will enjoy yourself.

Marseille is comprised of a variety of neighborhoods, all more or less radiating off of "La Canebiere" - Marseille's main street that runs the length of the city from the Palais Longchamps down to the Vieux Port. The Vieux Port area is full of seafood restaurants, boats, etc and is a nice place to take a stroll along the harbor front. While there, have a bowl of Marseille's signature dish, bouillibaise (like a seafood gumbo, with some spices). Le Panier district is adjacent to the Vieux Port area and is where the original Greek settlement of Marseille began. There are churches galore and plenty to see.

I recommend a boat ride out to nearby Chateau D'If. It is open daily from 9:30 am - 6:30 pm. You buy your ticket for the boat and depart from the Quai des Belges. The price for the RT boat ride is ~7,60 euros, and the admission to the Chateau was 4,60 euros. The boats came and went approx every 2 hours. We went around 11 am and stayed until about 3 pm, which was more than enough time to see everything on the tiny island, walk around, etc. We were there on a particularly breezy, cool day which worked out nicely because we got some incredibly beautiful, clear photos of the Marseille coastline and the adjoining islands. It was a great place to visit and an experience I won't forget!

Re: going to the beach.....the harbor ("Vieux Port") runs nearly the length of Marseille so you won't find any beaches there. However, you can find Marseille's public beaches by taking the #83 bus out of the Vieux port area (catch it on the waterfront side of the street, direction: Rond pont du Prado). Get off the bus just after it goes past the statue of David (~25-30 mins). Both the beach at Prado (plage du Prado) and la Corniche (plage de la Corniche) have wide beaches with clear water, although the sand is not exactly the fine grain variety you might expect.

Let me know if you have any further questions and I can try to help you. Have a great trip there, you will like Marseille!
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Old Jul 2nd, 2004, 07:02 PM
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Huitres,
Thank you so much for the indepth info. I really do like to be familiar with things before going. I was thinking of taking a boat to Cassis. I'm not even sure if this is doable. Any thoughts?
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Old Jul 3rd, 2004, 01:07 AM
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I took a train from Marseille to Cassis, stopping there briefly mid-day, enroute to St-Raphael. I saw "Les calanques" (gashes in the limestone cliffs) from a distance, but did not have time to go closer to explore them. Prior to taking the train to Cassis, I had looked into lots of other transportation options, as well as other friends going there, so I can give you some information.

Since Cassis is 23 km from Marseille, there are really only 2 viable options of getting there: by bus or train. However, there is boat option (although I've never taken it, I got the brochure). During July and August, there is the "Societe des Excursionnistes Marseillais" that does free walking tours of "Les calanques" twice a week. Their boat trips leave daily from the Quai des Belges in the Vieux Port (RT ticket is ~18 euros). Other than that specific boat service, I do not know if there are regular day-trip boat charters from Marseille, but I would imagine so. You can check down and around the Quai des Belges where there are boat ticket offices.

However, once you are in Cassis, you can take a boat from the Cassis quay out to see "Les calanques" (I have been told that "En-Vau" is the most beautiful and unspoiled of the calanques to see). The boats begin leaving Cassis daily at 10:00 am and cost approx 10-13 euros.

The trains from Marseille run more or less hourly (the Marseille-Toulon line) and the Cassis station is 3 km back from the coast, outside of town. From the train station in Cassis, you can take a bus that connects to the town center (6+ busses a day). Because the train station is outside of the town, a lot of people prefer to take the bus directly out of Marseille as it is often simplest. The Marseille bus station is 1/2 block from the St. Charles train station at pl. Victor Hugo; and there are ~10-20 busses per day going to Cassis with the trip taking 30-60 mins, costing ~4,50 euros.

There are some beautiful beaches in Cassis: Plage de la Grande Mer near the breakwater and Plage du Bestouan at western end of port. Did you know that Dufy, Matisse, among others, vacationed in Cassis? The harbor is a true fishing port with boats docked up and down, with brightly colored buildings and seaside cafes. The atmosphere is laid back and relaxed - it is such a charming town! There will be a lot of people there in the summer so it will be crowded. If you eat at a restaurant there, be sure to try some of their famous white wine.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2004, 05:37 AM
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What a great help. You should write your own tour book. Thanks again.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2004, 11:51 AM
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You're welcome! Have a great time!
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Old Jul 3rd, 2004, 01:04 PM
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Hi

Subject to weather conditions, I will be in Marseille on Monday.

I will stay on the isle of Frioul off Marseille. Frioul is a former Quarantine location, with a nature reserve and frequent ferry trips to Marseille.

I agree the Calanques are best visited by boat, and many trips run out of Cassis.

I'll be visiting the Calanques on Tuesday and may even spend Tuesday night in one.

Nice photos of Calanques here :
http://tlp.netfirms.com/newphoto13.htm
http://tlp.netfirms.com/newphoto17.htm

Peter
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