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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Marseille in August - any areas to avoid?

47 replies

SarfE4sticated · 21/06/2019 22:35

Hi there! Hope you can help - we are thinking about going to Marseille for a 'cheap-ish' holiday over the summer. Going via eurostar (BIL can get us a discount) and staying somewhere central. We love modern art and galleries etc, but DD would also love to be near the beach for swimming. Don't want anywhere seedy or too noisy (although I have earplugs), but don't want to spend ages on a bus to get into the center. Any suggestions for areas to stay in? We're happy to go AirBNB but just need some tips of bits to avoid. Merci!

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Original poster
SarfE4sticated · 21/06/2019 22:35

Oh - also any exciting daytrips you can recommend? I reckon we manage 2.

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babbi · 21/06/2019 22:37

Any particular reason you have chosen Marseille?

The reason I ask is have have travelled extensively world wide and can honestly say it’s by far the worst place I’ve ever visited...
it was an absolute dump ...
sorry ... possibly not helpful .. but there are many nicer places you could go to ..,

Teddybear45 · 21/06/2019 22:39

It’s awful in itself but Nice isn’t far away. You could go there everyday. Maybe rent a car if in budget as it will give you more flexibility.

babbi · 21/06/2019 22:40

Though thinking of it I was in the city centre (business trip ) and close to the port maybe more rural could be nice ?
Hopefully someone who’s holidayed in the nearby countryside could be more of a help to you - sorry 😐
Enjoy yourself when you get there ...

babbi · 21/06/2019 22:41

I’m heading to Nice and Cannes for work in Sept again ... it’s lovely there ...

Expressedways · 21/06/2019 22:43

Honestly, I’d avoid all of it. If you haven’t booked a hotel yet I’d add on a TGV to Nice and go there instead.

AgileLass · 21/06/2019 22:45

I loved Marseille!

Day trip to Cassis, get a boat from there out along the calanque for sunbathing and swimming.

From Marseille itself you can get a boat out to the Chateau d’If and Ratonneau (nice beaches on the latter)

Aix is lovely for a daytrip as well.

Original poster
SarfE4sticated · 21/06/2019 22:46

We went to Nice last year! I thought it was meant to be a city of culture and looks very nice in the pictures. I imagine it to be a bit like Naples.
Is it really that bad?

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Original poster
SarfE4sticated · 21/06/2019 22:47

Thank you @AgileLass - you've cheered me up :D

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AgileLass · 21/06/2019 22:48

It’s nicer than Naples, IMO but a similarly gritty, earthy, vibrant city. It’s had a good deal of sprucing up in recent years.

Great food as well. Area around the train station is a bit dodgy, I’d steer clear of there.

Camelos · 21/06/2019 22:58

Just back from a few days in Marseille and had a lovely time. I stayed on avenue Pasteur which is short walk from harbour area but easy to get buses or walk to the beaches. Also got bus to the calanques which was beautiful. However getting eurostar back meant a change in Paris. First train delayed which meant we missed our connection back to U.K - last train of the day. We couldn't get a hotel in Paris so had a terrifying night in and around Gare du Norde station witnessing muggings, prostitution and gang fights whilst trying not to become a crime statistic also - the area is truely lawless - unlike anything I've experienced in UK and I've loved in some fairly 'vibrant' locations. Don't get the last train back would be my only advice but highly reccomend Marseille.

Cruddles · 21/06/2019 23:01

Get off the train in Lyon and stay there?

Original poster
SarfE4sticated · 21/06/2019 23:07

Thank you @Camelos. That must have been really scary. I'll have a look into train times and changes tomorrow.

I realise that a city break isn't everyone's idea of a summer holiday, but we're a bit odd like that - thanks for your help everyone :D

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buttermilkwaffles · 22/06/2019 11:22

It's not my favourite French city, by a long way but I wouldn't call it a dump. Has some beautiful buildings and the area immediately to the East of Cathédrale La Major is nice with all the narrow streets (forgotten what that area is called) if a little touristy.
Boat trips to the Calanques or you can get a bus and hike on some attractive coastal paths. Palais Longchamp. Basilica.

Cassis and Aix for day trips.

That said, I would pick Lyon over Marseille, or if you want somewhere further south than Lyon, Nimes and Montpellier are both great and easy to reach by train.

Will be very hot in August though, too hot for me and Marseille has lots of hills!

Thursday452poh · 22/06/2019 11:28

It’s not a dump, but like many french cities in the height of summer it smells strongly of wee. Very strongly!!
We went for a day trip from near Avignon....
In August the weather can be hit and miss towards the end of the month and can be very rainy... beginning of August is fine.
Look for somewhere with a pool as when it’s hot, it’s hot. Temp is about 38/39 this week out there!!!

Original poster
SarfE4sticated · 22/06/2019 12:05

Annoyingly we’re busy in July and back to school early September. Have two weeks in October/November by which time it might be a bit chilly. Maybe Bilbao 🤔

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PouncerDarling · 22/06/2019 12:08

Stay in the old port area, which is lovely. And get the train out to Cassis, which is absolutely gorgeous.

PouncerDarling · 22/06/2019 12:09

You can also go up to the Marseille Notre Dame from the old port

SuckingDieselFella · 22/06/2019 12:16

Get off the train in Lyon. It's a beautiful city, old Lyon is a lovely place to wander around, there are world-class food markets at the weekend, it's the food capital of France, you can go on a river cruise or just wander along by the riverside and stop for a coffee... Why would you want to go to Marseille?

ImpossibleNovelty · 22/06/2019 12:23

Marseille is the most threatening feeling place I’ve ever been (more than Naples, more than South Africa for example). Went with two burly men and even they felt concerned. I honestly found nothing redeeming there. Sorry OP but I would really think again.

Runkle · 22/06/2019 12:23

I had a French partner from Avignon who said avoid Marsielles at all costs. Try Avignon or Lyon.

strongandlong · 22/06/2019 13:05

We spent a couple of days in Marseille last August. It was lovely! We stayed right by the marina (old port) and didn't stray that far from there, so can't help with areas. Just wanted to counterbalance some of the gloom here!

Original poster
SarfE4sticated · 22/06/2019 18:36

We tend to like to go to big cities for our hols, as neither of us are really sun worshippers. We like modern art and museums, and DD loves to swim in the sea. Marseille seemed like a good choice and we have friends who have been there and raved about it. Nice was great as lots of nice parks and galleries and a nice beach at the end of the road. I assumed Marseille would be similar but a bit rougher because of the port.
I'll have a little look to see if there is anywhere a bit quieter to stay nearby. We like Bilbao and Valencia and of course Rome and Barcelona, but it needs to be somewhere we can stay relatively reasonably and get to by a cheap airline.

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DonkeyHohtay · 22/06/2019 20:45

So pleased to see people recommending Cassis - we are off there next week! Flying into Marseille and leaving from there too, weren't planning on going into the city and judging from responses that's a good idea.

There's also a large water park just hte other side of Cassis at St Cyr Sur Mer which we're planning on taking the kids to.

Humphriescushion · 22/06/2019 20:56

Marseille has improved over the last few years. There are gritty areas but the port is lovely. The muceem is well worth a visit and there is a lovely restaurant in it. It will be very hot so stay somewhere with a pool and air con if possible.maybe have a look at the prado area ( think that is what it was called) lots of embassy, a big park and near the beach. We stayed at the sofitel hotel and it was like a little oasis away from the crowds.

You should be able to do lots of trips from there, as people have said, cassis, aix, avignon, la ciotat, bandol. Nearer is l'estaque and martiques. Someone recommended a restaurant on a beach called le mange tout - i did not manage to go but it looked lovely.

Marseille has a very real feel to it and it is growing on me.
Have a good time.