For my first time in France, I decided to book the cheapest flight I could find from London (£35) and go to Marseille. I didn’t research the city before booking, but I can say I was not disappointed at all in my decision! It ended up working out perfectly to meet my friend, Madi. She’s from the US, but traveling around Europe for the next few months. Here’s what we got up to – and as always, things I do or don’t recommend doing.
Night Time Arrival
I flew into Marseille quite late to make the most of the next day. When I arrived at the airport, I decided to take an Uber to my hostel for about €30. Normally I would take advantage of the cheap public transit, but I just wanted to get there as soon as possible.
Where to Stay
We stayed at The People Hostel near the center of the city and got a private room. Sometimes I don’t mind staying in a dorm, but this trip I wanted to have place to get good sleep. Conveniently, my friend, Madison, was already there and checked in. The hostel was good for a cheaper option, and it was actually a pretty nice room with a small balcony. I’d stay here again for sure.
If you want something a little more bougie, you might consider New Hotel of Marseille – near the Old Port. If you want to go all out fancy, you can stay at the InterContinental Marseille (which I’ll mention again later in the post).
I dropped my bag and freshened up and we decided to go out to find something to eat. We found a place really nearby called Delicious Pancakes where we both got the Nutella Strawberry Banana pancakes. It was the perfect sweet treat to end the day. We went back to the hostel after that and decided to call it a day so we could enjoy a full day tomorrow!
Day 1
The first full day started with breakfast as a cute cafe called Coffee and Bakery. English was scarce here, but everyone was very nice and we managed to point and use google translate. Madi and I both had a Chai and slice of bread – me, lemon poppyseed, her, banana nut.
Le Panier
After fueling up a bit, we walked down through Le Panier district. This is one of the most iconic spots in Marseille according to the internet. It is super cute with tiny streets and alleyways, lots of little shops and restaurants, and street art. We then wandered towards the coast to Cathedrale La Major – a gorgeous, humongous cathedral with beautiful views right nearby. It is free to enter, though you can leave a donation or light a candle for €1. If you are in the area I definitely wouldn’t skip it. The inside is impressive with beautiful stained glass windows and many odes to the sea.
The Museo
Outside you can snap a few photos of the sea, and if you continue walking eastward down the port, you will run into The Museo of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. It is €11 to have full access to the entire museum. I am unsure if I want to recommend this or not. It was one of the main things that was recommended when I researched Marseille. However, the exhibits were not what I expected, and I didn’t enjoy them all. Almost all of the plaques are solely in French. If you can’t read it, it is impossible to know what you are looking at.
The one thing that saved it from feeling like a waste of money was the access to the other part of the museum on the other side of the main road. You can reach it by going to the top floor and crossing the pedestrian bridge. The views there are incredible, and there is a video exhibit with some information on the history of the Mediterranean and Marseille. Overall, I am unsure if I want to recommend it. You have to decide for yourself if you are willing to spend 11 Euros and potentially be disappointed. You can see my photos below of the nice views we got!
Lunch and Shopping
For lunch, we went back to Le Panier and went to one of the many little restaurants. Again, no one spoke English at the spot we chose, which was fine. Everyone was really nice and we used our phones to translate the menu. We decided to share chicken, fries, and a small salad because it was a late lunch. We had big plans for dinner! After lunch we did a little bit of shopping (I have to get a magnet wherever I go!) Did you know Marseille is known for its soap? I got a bar and I wish I’d bought another one!
Old Port
We also wandered down around the Old Port, which is really lively with lots of cute little restaurants and bars. When we were done wandering around, we walked back toward our hostel and decided to have a drink at a bar nearby. I didn’t write down the name of it so I can’t recommend, but there are plenty of nice places on the main strip to grab a drink if you like. Then we went to the hostel to relax for an hour before getting freshened up and heading to dinner.
We made reservations at Splendido, an Italian restaurant part of the Big Mama chain. I know, Italian in France?! But I promise it’s a great option! The decor is very quirky and cool inside, and the food was amazing! I would recommend the carbonara or the truffle pasta! The drinks here were okay. I had a Paloma, which is not usually my favorite, but sounded refreshing and was just a bit too strong for me.
Day 2
We had the BEST weather on day 2 and I am still so thrilled about it as I write this! While we were at the museum the day before we got to chatting with a woman who works there. She recommended going to an area of Marseille called Malmousque Marseille. The whole day was great, but definitely add this one to your list if you haven’t already!
Starting off our day with breakfast at Mab Cafe – a super cute and instagram-y spot with really good food. We ordered a Waffle with Nutella, strawberries, and bananas on it (yeah there’s a theme here!) and the chicken sandwich. We shared both because who doesn’t like a sweet and savory brunch? I also ordered a white mocha, which was really nice.
Notre Dame de la Guarde
After eating, we grabbed the bus to Notre Dame de la Guarde. It’s a church up on the highest point in the city with amazing views! The bus drops you at the bottom and then we walked up the steps to get there, which is not terrible, but if you don’t do well with climbing stairs, you may want to look into getting to the top via car. There is a road to the top, but I’m not sure how to go that way since we did brave the steps!
Malmousque
Once you spend some time snapping photos and resting up, head back down the stairs and take a 25 minute walk to the sea. This is where you will find Malmousque Marseille. It was a Sunday when we were there, so it was quite busy, but well worth going! The Mediterranean is so beautifully blue in the sun and people were even swimming and sunbathing. I was jealous I didn’t have my suit with me!
If you want some good gelato, I would recommend stopping at Monsieur Glace. I got chocolate and mango on a cone and it was the perfect thing to refresh us on the warm day! I’d also recommend a stop in Okjo if you like a plastic free/eco-friendly shop. I bought some local perfume and some skincare here and absolutely love both! For a drink, I’d recommend sitting outside on the patio at Brasserie le Monument. The mango mojito I ordered is not something I’d recommend. In fact, it might be safer to just order a beer here, but the views are 10/10! As the name suggests, it is right by the large Monument aux morts de l’Armée d’Orient – commemorating soldiers who died in World War I.
Jardin Pharo Palace
From Malmousque, you can continue walking down the coastline towards the Jardin Pharo Palace. There were a million kids here playing in the yard, and we got there after the palace was closed, but if you walk to the back of the building, it’s a nice place to relax and look out over the city. You can get tickets to go inside if that is something you are interested in, or a good option for something to do on a not-so-nice day.
After that, we hopped back on the bus back towards our hostel. The bus cost €1.90, so it’s a cheap way to get around and they take tap from your phone. We decided to save a few bucks and eat our leftovers from the night before. After we ate, we decided to just find a nice place for a drink. There are tons of options down along the old port, and it is really pretty down there. If you want something really classy, you can go to the bar in the Intercontinental Hotel. We opted for one of the many bars along the port. Unfortunately, the cocktails weren’t really great and I decided to play it safe with a beer.
The next morning, we headed back to the airport and then to London. Marseille is a great option for visiting France for a few days without as much tourism. Have you been to Marseille? Having London as a base for flying around Europe is a great way to do it! Check out things to do in London here!
