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I will be spending 3 days in Marseille this weekend, on the premise of watching England on their way to world cup glory. We we also be watching the Scotland match so hopefully at least able to see 1 good game ?!
Is there anything else of particular interest thats worth looking at whilst we are there? It looks like the apartment we are renting may have 2 BSO bikes in it, so could potentially ride out (with in reason)
Is Marseille still a really rough city where we need to watch our backs or has it improved in recent years?
Ta
Went there pre-covid, train station is very grand & harbour area is nice but yeah the walk between the two did remind me of some rough parts of London lol.
There’s a basilica on top of the hill, we took a land-train tour from the harbour which was cool.
you can do a boat trip including a stop at the old fort/prison which is a little way out.
think you can do all the nice stuff in a day 😃
I spent a week in marseille a few years back . I really liked the place and never felt in danger. Highlights were a trip out to the islands Friuol and If (the inspiration for the man in the iron mask). Take the train or cycle the BSO to cassis and visit the Calanques. Cassis is beautiful but being the south of france pricey.
The ebach in Marseille isn't bad and worth a walk through the african market . Marseille reminded me a lot of Barcelona and I'd definately go back .
Join the foreign legion? Great outfits
Go to a harbor side cafe for a salad nicoise?
Train along the coast to the calanque, truly stunning place to swim and explore.
Check out Cassis, lovely harbour and fabulous sea food cafes. Train from Marseille, it's close and you can walk to the calanque. I spent a week there, eating in cafes and skinny dipping
There is some fantastic riding to the South of the city. Big hills right next to the sea, beautiful. There is also a really nice island a short boat trip from the harbour. Old fortifications and lovely beaches, well worth a trip. The city is a little rough around the edges but it is vibrant and multicultural too. I'd happily wander the back streets, there are bars markets, historic buildings, plenty to see.
+1 for Cadis. Train or bike over, and then hire canoes if you are feeling adventurous.
I worked in Marseille way back, in a glass-fronted building opposite l'OM stadium on th erond point de Prado. It's always in the news in France keeping people up to speed with the latest way to get ripped off or robbed.
Dangerous ? Yes in les cités. The 15e is to be avoided, the police avoid it anyhow. The very centre: Vieux Port, Gare, Le Panier... require care. The rest is like any big city, don't be daft and you'll be fine.
As to the wisdom of organising England games in Marseille, haven't they learned?
Usual precautions apply. On the beaches there are gangs, they have people on vantage points watching when people go for a dip who guide colleagues in on the phone to pick up stuff. The police do **** all about it even when present - there's a queue of people at the police car to complain. We went down to the beach with a key to the appartement tied on and a tatty old T-shirt, nothing else. Likewise in areas like Le Vieux Port and tourist attractions there will be some watching, some distracting and others nicking stuff. Don't wear a watch, ring, flash sunglasses and look poor (easy in our case). Don't use your phone in public and avoid back alleys. A waist pouch tucked into surf shorts is what I use. Keep your voices down. The last Metro used to be deserted for good reason.
The classic things to do are covered in the posts above. A tip, carry plenty of water if you go for a walk in the calanques. If you start from Marseille towards Cassis there are lots of creeks (calanques) with sea food retaurants and little beaches.
Join the foreign legion? Great outfits
And cheap route to french citizenship, which is a major bonus
And cheap route to french citizenship, which is a major bonus
Mais oui Rodders
You can get a boat out and back to the Calanques from Cassis, worth checking of they're still running.
For proper Marseille you need to eat some bouillabaisse - head out to Chez Fonfon in Vallon des Auffes ( https://www.chez-fonfon.com/en/) and go for a dip on the beach after
https://open.spotify.com/track/7foueJ4hlpszZTkZHNxekX?si=ac7b455cc9f144ca
Reminds me I was sat on the rocks above the water in the calanque, just catching some rays and enjoying the surroundings. I looked down to the crystal clear water and watched an absolutely fabulous lady swim past, totally and utterly naked YES NAKED, save for snorkel mask and flippers. Quite remarkable.
The ex realized something was up and so I quickly exclaimed "good god dear, that chap looks completely starkers!" while calmly watching the fabulous lady swim off into the distance
Vive La France
The UK would be in a much better place if Boris Johnson had spent time climbing and sunbathing in the Calanques in the 80s and 90s, watching the local flora and fauna, learning about the benefits of the EU, rather than bunking off to Russia and getting turned by the KGB
We had a great long weekend in Marseille.
A much cleaner nicer city than we thought it was going to be. There was a massive Police presence every where and you got the impression they had moved on anyone who might make the place look less desirable.
Its not a place I feel I need to rush back to, but I am glad I have been and seen it. We stayed 1 night in the port area, and then 3 nights literally across the way from the stadium in what was actually a really nice residential area.
We took the tourist train up to the Cathedral, boat trip to the prison, and also had a look around the fortifications and main cathedral. We never once felt unsafe walking the back streets or using the tube. We also went to the 'fan zone' by the beach to watch the France game, which was all a bit dissapointing.
It was chuffing hot though. Mid 30's most days, and the stadium just trapped heat. It was mentioned about the delays getting in to the stadium, we were lucky as we went in early, but what wasnt reported on the news was that larges areas of the stadium ran out of all drinks, which in the heat was horrible when they wouldnt let you take your own drinnks in. The fan zones were rubbish. The one at the beach was pretty empty and you can see the size of the one at the port with the blue railings around it. No big screen or anything.
@FunkDunc - I think we were off to your left for the game behind the posts
We stayed in the city for 5 nights, about ten minutes walk from the old port.
Ate far too much and drank too much overpriced beer and wine, but had a thoroughly good trip