What is it about Marseille?

[jertom]

We had a lovely day in Marseille on our Epic cruise two weeks ago. The port is very large and stretches along the coast a long way. The authorities provide a free shuttle from Fridays through Mondays. This shuttle drops you at the gate near the Cathedral (la Major not Notre Dame de la Garde). From there it is a nice, short walk along the shore to the Museu Mediterranean, which links into Fort St. Jean via a metal walkway. You don’t have to pay to enter the museum public areas and use the walkway. It is a short stroll from there into the Vieux Port. A short way along the waterfront you will come to the Petit Train. This train will take you along the seafront and up to the highest point in the city, Notre Dame de la Garde. Spectacular views and a beautiful church. The train will call back here regularly. Note: you must get off the train especially if there are a lot of people waiting. You must go to the back of the queue to get back on. To walk back to the shuttle point from the tourist train stop, head up the steps opposite and steer straight for the cathedral. It’s worth calling in there. The shuttle stop is outside a hangar J1. On other days, you can walk out of Marseille port by following the green line to the gate, not nearly as far as the shuttle drop off point. From outside the gate you can get a bus into Vieux Port 9number 82,82S – according to the map, bus 49 or 35 will take you back in the direction of the port gate).

 

Sorry for the lack of editing but it's difficult on the ipad. Ken

 

Thanks, very good info. We will be there on a Tuesday.

Can you clarify the bus into Vieux Port, do you mean we could take either 82 or 82S?

[CruiseIreland]

Thanks, very good info. We will be there on a Tuesday.

Can you clarify the bus into Vieux Port, do you mean we could take either 82 or 82S?

 

Yes, if you walk out of the port, there is a bus stop outside the port gate - this is NOT where the shuttle drops you off- the 82 or 82S will take you to Vieux Port. You can download a transport map for Marseille from the tourist info website(I would attach a link but am struggling with the internet link today)....got it! http://www.rtm.fr/en/travellers-guide/getting-around/maps If you take the port shuttle, it will drop you off at hangar J1. Outside this gate and a few yards along, there is a bus stop where you can pick up the bus to the Vieux Port, although it is a relatively short walk. Enjoy, Ken

 

PS, the digit 9 in the last line of my original post was a typo, sorry!

Edited October 26, 2013 by CruiseIreland
add PS and link

[jertom]

Yes, if you walk out of the port, there is a bus stop outside the port gate - this is NOT where the shuttle drops you off- the 82 or 82S will take you to Vieux Port. You can download a transport map for Marseille from the tourist info website(I would attach a link but am struggling with the internet link today)....got it! http://www.rtm.fr/en/travellers-guide/getting-around/maps If you take the port shuttle, it will drop you off at hangar J1. Outside this gate and a few yards along, there is a bus stop where you can pick up the bus to the Vieux Port, although it is a relatively short walk. Enjoy, Ken

 

PS, the digit 9 in the last line of my original post was a typo, sorry!

 

Thanks for clarifying and also adding even more info !

It will all help us to get around.

By the way, we enjoyed your review of the September Epic cruise and the ports too. We are doing a similar cruise in November Barcelona to Barcelona.

We have done a NCL Gem cruise Venice to Venice and enjoyed that. This one is Oceania, first time with them for us.

Thanks again !

[frenchrci]

Its our least favorite because twice, we had incidents. The first, we were deliberately given wrong change in a restaurant (and we knew better and insisted on having it corrected). The second, we had a robbery attempt by "road pirates" at a red light, a crowd of people who broke into our van, thought the person in the front was a large woman, until he put his fist in the robber's face.

 

Whenever I hear these anti-French stories I can't help thinking about our own country. Of course tourists never have problems in the US, they are never shot, raped, robbed, etc. It just would never happen here. And we have never ever heard of car jackings in the US. About 2 years ago a 14 year old female cruiser was shot and killed just outside Coki Beach in St Thomas but you do not hear many folks saying they would not go to St Thomas because people get shot!

 

So, I will quickly present another opinion of France. We have spent many months driving throughout France (from the Spanish and Swiss boarders to the southern coast and Italy) and never been car jacked, never been robbed, usually get the right change, have met many wonderful French people, and a few who were less then wonderful. We have had great food, not so great food, amazing wine, and some lousy wine (yeah, it can happen even in France). From the point of view of an American who loves to travel all over the world...we think that if a cruise passenger has an "attitude" problem with the French they should either stay on the ship or home! We have too often seen the UGLY American and he/she is alive and well (and often on cruise ships).

 

In the interests of full disclosure, we once had some gypsy kids try to pick our pocket (actually a fanny pack) in Arles (we easily foiled the attempt). If this had happened in a place like Detroit we probably would have been shot and then robbed :(

 

Hank

 

 

 

Although this was written in 2012, I want to clarify things... I'm French and I went dozens of times in Marseille... It's a dangerous city. Everyday there is a lot of robbery, aggressions, burglary and other criminal offences.

 

It is known for it, like "Barbès" in Paris, for example...

 

It's not an anti-French story... Because it is a hub of immigration.

 

There is even less French than Americans who like Marseille. :rolleyes:

[CruiseIreland]

By the way, we enjoyed your review of the September Epic cruise and the ports too. We are doing a similar cruise in November Barcelona to Barcelona.!

 

Thank you for your comment, The review would have been better if I could upload some of our lovely photos. Maybe soon. Enjoy your cruises. Ken

 

PS: as regards danger in Marseille, yes it is a melting pot city with high level of crime. Use caution and stick to seafront and Vieux Port and you will be fine.

[tampafish]

Can someone tell me more about seeing the city/coast from a boat tour. Where would I find such a tour?

[frenchrci]

The best place to go from Marseille by a boat tour is the "calanques". Google it ! ;)

Edited January 17, 2014 by frenchrci

[SeaWatch]

What are your opinions: taxi to old port or ship shuttle?

[Hlitner]

What are your opinions: taxi to old port or ship shuttle?

 

Well, assuming you only want to go to the old port we think it would depend on a few factors. Primary would be the cost of the shuttle (which can vary from zero to about $10 depending on the ship/line). Another factor is the availability of taxis willing to do that short haul

 

Hank

[SeaWatch]

We are only going to the old port.

[Alex71]

We paid around 30 EUR including tip from the old port to the ship, so in our case the ship shuttle would have been cheaper.

 

We originally tried to take the bus into to city, but there was a huge crowd at the bus stop and busses did not bother to stop there any more.

[cindivan]

I am having the same problem trying to figure out what to do. I am down to staying on the ship or 1/2 day tour to Provence. But I am also dealing with teens and I can't overtour them, so I have to be picky about what we choose.

[syesmar]

cindivan,

 

Here's a thread with more info: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2093092

 

We did the Calanques trip and thoroughly enjoyed it. Also check out trip advisor for helpful tips. There's some resources in the link above.

 

Hope that helps! Enjoy your trip!

Edited January 19, 2015 by syesmar

[Hlitner]

I am having the same problem trying to figure out what to do. I am down to staying on the ship or 1/2 day tour to Provence. But I am also dealing with teens and I can't overtour them, so I have to be picky about what we choose.

 

Your post reminded me of something I once heard which is that "teens/children are people too!" Bottom line is our teenagers have minds, thoughts, wants, needs, etc :). While I could give you a long list of day trips/tours for Marseille and its surrounding region, perhaps that best approach is to simply ask your teens what they would like to do that day. They can quickly research every option on the internet (and their phones) and human nature is such that most kids (and adults) seem to get more enjoyment out of activities they help plan.

 

Hank

[cindivan]

Your post reminded me of something I once heard which is that "teens/children are people too!" Bottom line is our teenagers have minds, thoughts, wants, needs, etc :). While I could give you a long list of day trips/tours for Marseille and its surrounding region, perhaps that best approach is to simply ask your teens what they would like to do that day. They can quickly research every option on the internet (and their phones) and human nature is such that most kids (and adults) seem to get more enjoyment out of activities they help plan.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

I would never plan a tour without getting the teens approval! We travel quite a bit and the process is always like this.

 

1. We decide as a family where to go, cruise to take etc.

2. The kids have the option to research ports or cities, but they have come to pretty much rely on me for recommendations because I have done a good job in the past on picking good activities. When we went to Australia they had some definite ideas, as well as in Rome and Turkey, but not usually.

3. I usually have several pages of notes and suggestions that they each get a copy. They read through and then we discuss together. I have the whole itinerary so they can see the trip as a whole and decide what they want to do and make sure the have the downtime/beach time they want.

 

On this particular cruise, we have 3 days in a row of great stops where 2 of will do day long tours in all three. Three of us are taking the middle day off for a beach day because we don't want to go an hour each into Rome since we were there 2 years ago.

 

Marseilles is the day right before the busy three days so we voted to either beach it, stay on the ship, or maybe do a wine tour into provence.

 

I appreciate your advice but my family would mutiny if we didn't all decide together!!

 

 

 

 

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