Marseille What to do there?????

Doesn't seem to exciting this port, is there anything you can do if you do the day on your own? On Allure in July, do you dock on the pier? If so is the town right there, or can you cab it somewhere. I'm not finding much info on this place at all. Any help would be great.

Doesn't seem to exciting this port, is there anything you can do if you do the day on your own? On Allure in July, do you dock on the pier? If so is the town right there, or can you cab it somewhere. I'm not finding much info on this place at all. Any help would be great.

This same exact question was just posted a few days ago and has been posted many many times so if you read through some of the pages or do a search there is a LOT of info here on what to do how, to do it etc.

It is a gateway to Provence if you want to do some reading on that area of France such as Aix-in-Provence or venture into Avignon etc. etc.

Hi,

These threads have some great suggestions:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2155365

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2184011

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118569

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1667785

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2132074

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2127226

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118236

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2113006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2093092

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2098961

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2052043

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058984

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036006

Enjoy France!

We took a cab to the old port. Lots of cafes and shopping. We had planned to take the ferry to Chateau d'If but the winds were too high the day we were there so we took Le Petit Train up to Notre Dame de la Garde. It was gorgeous and the views from up there were breathtaking!

We really enjoyed our day in Marseille - don't miss the two story candy store!

Hi,

These threads have some great suggestions:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2155365

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2184011

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118569

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1667785

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2132074

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2127226

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118236

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2113006

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2093092

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2098961

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2052043

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058984

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2036006

 

Enjoy France!

This is great - thanks for doing the searching for us!

Any idea what is open on a Sunday?

Any idea what is open on a Sunday?

Lets talk about what is closed! Nearly all boutiques and stores are closed except a few places dedicated to tourism! In France and Italy most rental car agencies not located at airports are closed on Sundays (there are a few exceptions such as Europcar in Cannes).

However, if you go to major tourist villages like Les Baux you will find a majority of places open (of course these places are primarily to serve tourists). Many museums and historical sites are open on Sunday (but they many close on Monday or Tuesday) but you must check the web sites for each specific place.

As to the region around Marseille, our favorite spot on Sunday is the huge outdoor antique/flower/food market located at L'Isle Sur La Sorque. Unfortunately, without a car it is almost impossible to get to this market (unless you have your own private tour and can dictate the itinerary). And one most get to this market by 11 since many of the stalls start to lose around noon.

Hank

We have scheduled a city and sea electric bike tour. We are going in July. It had great reviews on TripAdvisor so I will post a review when we get back.

Take the opportunity when docked in Marseille to get out in Provence. Agree with earlier comment on Les Baux. It's unique. Other options are Aix, Avignon, Arles, the Pont du Gard.

We spent time in Marseille and some time in Aix and way preferred Aix. Marseille is larger, more of a city, but the shopping is really not too spectacular, and we found the service in the restaurants not so ingratiating, kind of rude. However, it is nice to drive around a bit and it was interesting to see the Cathedral. We loved Aix and it may be typical of any other the outlying villages. The people were nice, the boutique shopping was great, and the town is quaint and pretty.

Leave, or something better.

We've been on a tour in Aix-en-Provence and Cassis with Provence Xplorer.

We were in Toulon Port, but they operate in all the Provence area.

They came and meet us at port and we had a wonderful day. One of our best shore excursions.

Thank you all for the recommendations. A question comes up: do you recommend to take a tour or just hire a taxi and go to Provence or one of those areas that you mentioned. We usually like to be free and take our time without being tied to the group, or at least have a small group with flexibility. Is it one of those places that we can get by without a tour?

Thank you all for the recommendations. A question comes up: do you recommend to take a tour or just hire a taxi and go to Provence or one of those areas that you mentioned. We usually like to be free and take our time without being tied to the group, or at least have a small group with flexibility. Is it one of those places that we can get by without a tour?

I would think a taxi would be tough and very expensive. A private tour where you tell the guide where you want to go and how much time you want to spend at each location makes sense. Otherwise, you could always rent a car. Either way, Provence is beautiful and you should get out of Marseille and see some of it.

Thank you all for the recommendations. A question comes up: do you recommend to take a tour or just hire a taxi and go to Provence or one of those areas that you mentioned. We usually like to be free and take our time without being tied to the group, or at least have a small group with flexibility. Is it one of those places that we can get by without a tour?

In the Med, particularly France, you really can't count on taxi tours. They would probably keep the meter running the whole time ( in France) ...it's not like the Caribbean. In Italy, you might find some drivers for the day at the port, but be prepared to open your wallet.

It's best to plan your port stops and have a good idea of how you want to get to your desired destinations. Rick Steve's has a great Mediterranean Cruise Port guide book that might assist you in your planning. You can definitely get by without a tour in most ports, but to do that you will have to have done some research before you go.