Port Day - Marseille or Aix en Provence?

[SharkBruce]

My family and I are sailing on RCIs Liberty of the Seas and arrive in Marseille on a Monday in June. I don't see much worthwhile do see / do in Marseille and rather then spend the day there, I am thinking a trip to Aix en Provence would be more interesting and a better way to experience Provence. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

 

Any must see / do in either location? Any insights are greatly appreciated.

[cberge]

My family and I are sailing on RCIs Liberty of the Seas and arrive in Marseille on a Monday in June. I don't see much worthwhile do see / do in Marseille and rather then spend the day there, I am thinking a trip to Aix en Provence would be more interesting and a better way to experience Provence. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

 

Any must see / do in either location? Any insights are greatly appreciated.

 

Since I have been called out by telling people to do a search on the board let me start by telling you there is a very good,and long post on Marseille itself on page 1 or 2 on this board.It has pictures in one post and how someone spent the day there.Aix would be okay. I would check out going to Avignon and Les Baux which are both intereting...the old walled city andPalais du Poes in Avignon and Les Baux is an old Roman quarry which is now an artist colony as well as some great little shops.I am sure other's will post more info,but this is a start for you.

[CintiPam]

Skip Marseilles and take one of the excellent trains to Arles, Avignon or other Provence sights for a wonderful day.

[AngloinProvence]

How extremely disappointing to see people on this forum still advising visitors to skip Marseille. There are a huge number of things to see in this beautiful city, which has received a major facelift in 2013 as part of the European Capital of Culture programme.

 

This is not a picturesque Provence hill village, of course, but a colourful, vibrant, multi-cultural port, which requires and deserves to be explored and enjoyed on its own terms. The setting is beautiful in my personal, admittedly not very objective opinion, with such sights as the MuCEM, Notre Dame, the Old Port and the Old Town.

 

It remains a total mystery to me that a day-trip visitor with limited time in port would consider spending most of his/her precious few hours - not to mention plenty of dollars - rushing on up to Avignon or Cassis (which are certainly very lovely - check them out on another trip when you have more time) when there's something so worthwhile and interesting right on the doorstep.

Edited May 10, 2014 by AngloinProvence

[3ssn]

We had a great day in Marseille last year and will return this year for more gun. Even after that we have enough great stuff for a later visit. Aix is great, but don't just write off Marseille

[headedout1]

My family booked a shore excursion for Marseille and Aix en Provence. Did not spend enough time at either but thought Aix en Provence was really nice. It was what I thought a small provence towns should look like. Marseille's cathedral was awesome too but if I had to choose, I would go with Aix.

[frenchrci]

You should skip Marseille and use your precious time to visit Aix.

 

Avignon is beautiful too, but Aix is closer... And you should visit Aix before.

[marriedinva]

Aix was lovely but not what I expected. If Disney was going to build a quaint French provincial town I think it would look like Aix. Perhaps I wanted to see someplace old but instead it looked too new and Disneyfied.

 

The main street was nothing but banks and the side streets looked more like a beautifully designed French version of Rodeo Drive with fancy stores like Boss and Chanel that most people cannot afford. After all I took the bus there and not my Benz. We were there around 11 and many shops were not even open.

 

I suspect there are more “provincial” towns worth visiting if that is what you are looking for. But instead I felt like I got an expensive and beautiful factory outlet mall pretending to be a nice village.

[SeaWatch]

How extremely disappointing to see people on this forum still advising visitors to skip Marseille. There are a huge number of things to see in this beautiful city, which has received a major facelift in 2013 as part of the European Capital of Culture programme.

 

This is not a picturesque Provence hill village, of course, but a colourful, vibrant, multi-cultural port, which requires and deserves to be explored and enjoyed on its own terms. The setting is beautiful in my personal, admittedly not very objective opinion, with such sights as the MuCEM, Notre Dame, the Old Port and the Old Town.

 

It remains a total mystery to me that a day-trip visitor with limited time in port would consider spending most of his/her precious few hours - not to mention plenty of dollars - rushing on up to Avignon or Cassis (which are certainly very lovely - check them out on another trip when you have more time) when there's something so worthwhile and interesting right on the doorstep.

 

We will be in Marseille on a port stop inThree weeks.

 

I Thought the old Port was the Oldtown - is there a different section and if so how do I get to old town from the old port?

 

Thanks

[3ssn]

The old town is the Panier quarter and is just west of the old port. Just a couple of minutes walking (from the old port a little uphill).

Edited May 26, 2014 by 3ssn
addition

[melody hounddog]

Aix was lovely but not what I expected. If Disney was going to build a quaint French provincial town I think it would look like Aix. Perhaps I wanted to see someplace old but instead it looked too new and Disneyfied.

 

The main street was nothing but banks and the side streets looked more like a beautifully designed French version of Rodeo Drive with fancy stores like Boss and Chanel that most people cannot afford. After all I took the bus there and not my Benz. We were there around 11 and many shops were not even open.

 

I suspect there are more “provincial” towns worth visiting if that is what you are looking for. But instead I felt like I got an expensive and beautiful factory outlet mall pretending to be a nice village.

 

Thanks so much for this information. I definitely want to visit a provincial town and not go on a luxury shopping spree.

[JerseyJaguar]

We had a long day in Marseille so I was able to spend some time there before I hopped a train for Cassis (easy to do, Metro in the Old Port to St. Charles train station). If you want a quaint seaside town, this one was perfect. With the added bonus that you can take a boat ride to visit the calanques. Plus there are a lot of nice little restaurants all around the wharf.

 

I would recommend getting up to Notre Dame in Marseille, the view from up there is amazing and the #60 bus has stops all around the old port.

[SeaWatch]

The old town is the Panier quarter and is just west of the old port. Just a couple of minutes walking (from the old port a little uphill).

 

Thanks!