A Bustling Harbor with Forts, Food, a Circus, and Beaches.
Marseille offers families an unfolding story of rich history and a cultural connection with neighboring countries. The Greeks founded what was then called “Massailia” in 540 BC and created a thriving central port and trading area. Today it is France’s largest city on the Mediterranean coast and the largest port for commerce, freight, and cruise ships. Marseille is the oldest city in France. The port is guarded by lookouts and a forte that defended the city in ancient times. It’s a treasure trove of historical sites and artifacts, and hosting a circus in 2024!
Forte St. Jean at Marseille harbor
The Experience
This city is rich in ethnic culture. Given its location, that’s no surprise. It translates for you into great food and shopping. If you are arriving from the (north from the airport), as you drive into town you’ll likely see the large cruise ships and ferries parked at the sea’s edge letting you know this is a bustling port with plenty of tourists. All this remains just north of the center of town.
In the center, you’ll see a bustling harbor that’s lined with outdoor seating and restaurants and buzzing with recreational and commercial boats. If you’re lucky, it will be a market day so your kids can see the immediate connection between the sea and the table. On both sides, there are small hills that reveal monuments, apartments, homes and hotels. It is inviting and very charming. As you walk through the city you’ll see plenty of signs that are of neighbouring country heritage here. Take advantage of the food tours to take in all the flavors of the Mediterranean.
There is a saying “To truly know Marseille, you must eat pizza on the beach and know OM.” From August to May the Ligue 1 football (soccer) season runs. On game day, the streets are awash with blue and white. Take in a game at OM stadium where you’ll hear the fans chanting “Allez l’OM!” or "Let’s go OM!” Find recommendations for where to eat and enjoy the game here.
Where to Stay
Firstly, I would recommend staying near the harbor so you can walk to it as most things center around it. The hill on the seaside of the harbor can be fairly steep to walk on a daily basis. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel which is on a hill near the middle of the harbor (west side) with fantastic views. I would recommend it if you like this hotel brand. The rooms are very generous in size. We stayed in adjoining rooms – great for a family – and the food and staff were nothing short of fabulous, the concierges were knowledgeable and attentive.
View of the harbor from the Intercontinental Hotel
Family Things to Do and See
The first thing I would recommend is to do the Hop-on, Hop-Off bus tour. There are two routes and the shorter of the two gets you to most monuments of interest, if you don’t get off it will take you about 40 minutes to do the whole circuit. Both trips are not very long. You won’t believe the narrow streets the busses go up and down skillfully! Sit on top to get the full effect. Starting with this tour will give you a good sense of the area, and take in the historical educational tours so you can focus on sun, fun, shopping, and dining.
Top picks: (links provided but check the internet for the best tours for your family)
Forte St. Jean
For St. Nicholas
Noailles Opera (good shopping)
Notre Dame de la Garde
Mucem – Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean
Palais du Pharo
Marseille Vieux-Port fish market - 2 Quai du Port 7AM to 1PM in high season
Calanques National Park – hiking, mountain bike, boat or kayak tours
Marseille Saint-Jerome EcoPark – treetop adventures for kids with views of Marseille
Notre Dame de la Garde
Where to Eat!
Grandes Halles Deux Vieux-Port – for casual dining with a variety of French and continental a la carte dishes, this is a good spot. It is on the sea side of the port about a block in on a pedestrian plaza, situated among several other restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating. Inside are several vendors supplying both French and continental fare such as fries, fresh fish and seafood, burgers, and more. Everything we ordered was good.
Grandes Halles du Vieux-Port
Marseille Food Tour – enjoy the variety of Mediterranean fare and learn how the local culture and regional food reveal Marseille's history.
Shopping
We enjoyed our shopping sprees in Marseille. There is a mix of types of shops depending on where you go. Le Panier has scattered boutique shops and bars and resembles a hipster area – if there is such a thing in France. If you’re looking for mainstream French and international brands, you’ll want to a block or two near the base of the port We ventured out to what is called the Marseille flea market and I wouldn’t recommend it for kids. It had mostly produce and very few other types of stalls and may not be the safest place to be. Be sure to take home Marseille’s specialities such as soaps and local olive oil.
Centre Commercial les Terasses du Port – is one of the stops of the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tours. It drops you near a small outdoor market and a shopping mall with some mid-level familiar French and international brands.
Rue Saint-Ferreol – a pedestrian street with popular known French and international brands that expands from arrondissements 1 and 6 from Place Felix-Baret to La Canebiere.
Rue Paradis – the place for high-end shopping and the second-longest street in Marseille. It runs through the 1st, 6th, and 8th arrondissements on Rue Grignan and Rue Paradis.
Le Panier – the oldest neighborhood in the city with art galleries and artisan boutiques in the 2nd arrondissement.
Le Panier shopping
How long to stay
A 3-day weekend was plenty of time for us to get acquainted with the history, and monuments, and get a little shopping and dining in, but you may want to stay longer if you’ve got access to the beach or a pool. Why not take it all in at a pace?
Travel Tips
Wear comfortable walking shoes, this town is walkable, though I would take the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus up to the Notre Dame de la Garde. The hill is quite steep and you’ll be entertained from the top of the bus to note the beautiful homes with sea views along the way. The price is right.
Marseille is known for petty crimes that can affect tourists, so keep your wallet and belongings close.
It is not recommended to venture into the 3rd, 5th, 14th and 16th arrondissements.
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