I"d also love to know the answer to these questions.

We often say we should at least go for a day trip when we are in the south of france and we always hear the same thing...why???

It seems like an interesting place with lots of cultural differences and different foods, sounds good!

I'd advise the later date for any visit to S France. Feb could be surprisingly mild -- or it could be wet and grey. Much better chances of good weather later on.

Sun and warmth bring out the beauty of Marseille, especially it's stunning waterfront views. I made day trips twice, both times in October: One day in brilliant sun, the other time in less appealing weather. One trip I'll always remember, the other -- meh.

We had a car and drove into the centre, to the historic port area (staggeringly lovely), then drove along the coastal blvds all the way to the eastern beaches. On a Sunday it was a memorable string of vistas.

The calanques and the Route des Cretes outside Cassis are stunning as well. On the western side of Marseille are a string of unknown fishing/ holiday villages, each hidden down a narrow fjord and linked only by a railway. Sort of a Cinque Terre of France. NO N. Americans have ever heard of these places -- A local French woman put us wise to them.

For starters, here's a link to a good little article from Wikitravel:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Marseille

Here is a link to an album of a recent stay in the region. The second half of the album is Marseille and the areas I spoke of above:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1055244137780.2009568.1126123095&type=1&l=24cd910b36

I have no first hand experience (having read and heard the same comments you have) but last month I sat next to a woman on a plane from Paris who had just spent 5 days in Marsaille and she really enjoyed it. She said she had planned to do some excursions along the coast but ended up enjoying her time in Marsaille so never went elsewhere. I have read that the calanques are very nice - they are on my list for another visit!

While staying in St Cyr sur Mer (between la Ciotat and Bandol) I went on a day trip to Marseille with my 2 boys aged 10 and 13 at that time. We walked everywhere in Marseille centre ville and had a great time there and never felt unsecure. We actually saw someone being arrested in a café on our way back to the train station and my boys were thrilled but it could happen in Paris too. It was in summer so the atmosphere might be different in Feb. I would do it anyway to avoid the crowds and enjoy the warmth.
Susan I'll send you some pics.

Julie I've spent a few days there in the distant past. It is a city I would like to re-visit.

Perhaps you've seen this brief article:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/travel/36-hours-in-marseille.html

And this:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/travel/26next.html

I spent a couple of days there and would love to go back. I liked the atmosphere of the town. (5-6 days sounds like a long time though.) I had a good time at La Vieille Charite, a collection of small museums in a 17th century hospital (beautiful Mexican masks and trees of life; also lots of tiny Egyptian objects, not like others I had seen before). The Cathedral Notre Dame de la Garde has a fascinating crypt and great views.

The calanques are wonderful; take a look at www.figuerolles/free.fr/ As Tedgale says, the Route des Cretes is gorgeous, for walking as well as driving.
That said, I was there in April, and it might not be so nice in February.

In 2009 we stopped in Marseilles before returning home. We absolutely loved seeing Notre Dame de la Garde. The colors in the church are glorious and the views are spectacular. This is absolutely a "Do Not Miss" site!

My daughter the interior designer spent a week doing the kinds of things colonna describes AND looking at antiques, old buildings, fabrics, etc. Bt we are a family that is happy hanging out and do not feel we have been cheated if we are not doing something every minute.

DH and I visited Marseille as a day trip from Aix. We took a bus that let us off near the train station (St. Charles) so we went there to check on tickets to Cassis and Nimes and then got a cab. He told us the powers that be had recently made taxis charge €25 for rides to the old port! Don't know if that is still in place.

We walked and it took about 35 minutes but we didn't hurry. We passed an Arc de Triomphe! At the port, we ran into the #60 bus going to Notre Dame de la Garde. It took almost another 1/2 hour to get to the top of the hill where this gorgeous church is located. It's really special and the view is formidable.

We waited about 20 minutes for a return bus then ate at La Brasserie on the port. Delicious. We walked along Canebière to the station. I'd say we spent 5 hours in Marseille (much of them eating!).

That all being said, the Marseille tourist book had listed: 5 other major churches, 10 other monuments, 16 museums, 10 old mansions, and 7 parks. A day trip to Cassis and the calanques would be a most reasonable day trips (some would say musts). Aix is less than an hour away by bus as well. Train station is a big hub so you could train easily around if you aren't driving.

We were there in September and it was warm but not hot. Our other trip in the general (Menton) area was in March and it was 60s.

Based upon the Tourist Factor, one might suggest that Naples would be a similar city to see first, but making Marseille your "home" for a week would not disappoint. PS-Julia Child loved it there!

I like Marseille very much. One of the best things about it is that foreign tourists tend to steer clear of it.

Marseille is kind of the up and coming trendy artistic city in France, I think, and very electic. It has some nice mueums and parks, also, and of course, has the proximity to the sea. It's easy to get around due to th emetro and bus/tram system, also. Also, there is some good food, the usual.

I was there in July, in fact, I was there for 14 juillet, which was great as they put the fireworks off right at the port and so it was easy to see (I've never seen them in Paris even when there as it's more trouble). My hotel was wonderful, I loved it, it's in the Accor group and right at the port (more or less about a block or two away on a side street). That was the Grand Hotel Beauvau, highly recommend it. One of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed at.

I liked Marseille. I don't know what it wold be like in February. I only spent about 4 days there, as I recall, I did go to Cassis one day. Sure, I can see considering it for 5-6 nights if you plan on day trips. I was there for four and don't regret it.

oh, as for crime, I don't know that it's any different than any big city in terms of that. As for shabby, well, sure some parts are, and some parts are not, just like any place. I guess it doesn't have some big broad expensive shopping street like some capitals like the Champs-Elysees, Pariz in Prague, Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, etc. (the main street running north from the port is kind of unattractive, I guess, which has a lot of regular stores on it). So I wouldn't go there for that reason or for real upscale desires. I really had fun there on fete nationale, there was live music down in the area where there are alot ofcafes with local small bands.

JulieVikmanis, thanks so much for posting this question! My husband and I are attending a conference in Marseille in May 2012 (tacking on holidays in Provence, Spain and Portugal afterwards)but have struggled to find positive comments.
I am really pleased to hear about the port area particularly, as I have nearly secured accommodation near there.

That has been a challenge in itself - we were looking for apartments to sleep 3 of us (my adult son)and I found several but have had difficulty getting responses from lots of owners. Some of the best that I found, on further inspection, seemed to be on the 'noisy' side of the port so I have steered clear.

Look forward to other replies to your post with interest!

Hah, I asked a very similar question here in 2005 (or 2004) because I was going to be transiting and spending the night in Marseille solo. I was worried because a very intrepid traveler friend of mine had told me the only place she had ever been where she was truly scared was Marseille. They had gone hostel-budget and stayed by the train station (1990s). I only went up a $ or two, sensibly ordered a taxi rather than tromping about at night, etc. No problems and this was at least six years ago. Lovely place, would visit again in a heartbeat.

Here is a timely article from the this week's NYTimes:


http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/france-nouveau/?ref=style

Thank you all for your wonderful, helpful comments--that are apparently helpful, not only to me but to others considering a similar trip to this unsung spot. I'm digesting them and will be back asap. A quick review makes me think Marseille is now firmly on our travel agenda but for April with some added explorations around it before possibly flying back to Paris so we can get our customary jolt of Paris in the spring. Exciting possibilities. Thank you so much.

I don't remember the area around the train station as being particularly dicey-looking, but I wasn't around there that much. Have no idea what it was like in the 1990s, of course, or what that person was doing that led to the scary situation. I think you can get into lots of scary situations if you run around late at night in lots of cities, and if that was the only one where she was scared, she was just lucky so far. Heck, when I was younger, I was out late at night (later than metro runs) in Paris with a couple friends, and we were approached by some drunken punks at a bus stop in the Latin Quarter. Nothing happened, but that wasn't exactly a comfortable moment. That kind of thing will happen when you are around in a city late at night. I only used a taxi to/from the train station and my hotel in Marseille, never used one otherwise, but since I was staying down near the port, there were many places to eat dinner within a short walk of my hotel, and tons of people around.

Ok, I'm hooked!! I've now had more time to digest the responses and I'm doubly grateful for all of your help.

tedgale, your post alone would convince me to go. We have been in Cassis and nearby ports and consider Cassis one of our 6 or 7 favorite spots of all time. Finding out that there's more on the other side of Marseille, is frosting on the cake. And I can't believe I've never tumbled to wikitravel before. What a good thing. Now wondering about taking a ferry to Corsica as well. Might be fun. Any idea of timing and costs? I assume it's probably overnight. Will do some research on this.

coco, yes, we, ourselves might have been arrested the time the Italian restaurant police asked for our receipt from a restaurant they were staking out. Who knew you have to get and retain your receipt!

eks, I'm sure I saw those articles when they were published but quickly passed them by based on my well-developed bias. Reading them now, makes me think this is a great idea. And lodging is so reasonable. This just gets better and better.

The most recent article you cite, must have been overlooked by DH or I'd have gotten an earful from him. Thanks for sending it. I guess if we can do ok in Sicily (crimewise that is) we should be ok in Marseille as well. And after all, we chose to move to Ft. Lauderdale rather than Naples, FL where most other Minnesotans retire because we like the less-manicured look. It keeps looking more and more like Marseille is our kind of town.

colonna, your enjoyment comes through loud and clear and cements my new direction, probably also leads me to a new time frame for the expedition. My research tells me that temps in april are about 10 degrees warmer than in February. Could make a big difference in the enjoyability.

TDudette, however much time we eventually decide to spend in Marseille, much of ours will also be devoted to eating. Thanks for the dining rec--and all the sightseeing recs as well, and interesting that you note Julia Childs' preference for the place. Another place on my "must get to soon" list is Santa Barbara where she lived. I am fond of saying, "if it was good enough for Julia, it's good enough for me."

kerouac--in doing research I read one of your posts on Marseille and thought exactly that. If it's uncrowded, we can always rely on you to find it.

Christina--thanks for the tip on the GH Beauveau. It looks lovely. It's in the Gallery collection like the hotel we've stayed in in Lyon and really enjoyed. We may already have found out hotel.

ozgirl--sounds like you'll be there at what is likely to be a particularly nice time and now we both know how swell it's going to be. Perhaps we'll generate enough interest to stage a gettogether.

Once again, thank you all for getting me into planning mode. We'll definitely be headed for Marseille, but like I said, probably in April rather than February. I'm still pulling for Seville for Feb. This way both DH and I will get our respective "ways."

Actually, in France this last summer, Marseille got bad press for an unusual reason: everything closes super early and the restaurants are closed by 10 p.m. That's because the metro closes at 10:30 as does the other public transportation apparently. Even the municipal bike system closes down overnight.

However, the Vieux Port area continues to be relatively lively until about midnight.

Just read the article in today's NYT Travel Magazine that Ekscrunchy mentioned. Now, I want to go to Marseille too.

The murder rate in Miami is 10 times as high as the murder rate in Marseilles, and I suspect that in each case your chances of being murdered are a lot higher if you are a (1) poor, (2) non-white (3) local (4) male and (5) involved in drugs or crime. And Miami is better than New Orleans or Memphis.

Does that means the answer to the question "How bad is it? is "Ten times as good as Miami?"

Great article, ekscrunchy! Thanks for posting the link.

After years of trepidation from an inadvertant and unplanned drive thru the heart of Marseille several years back, we returned for a two night stay last summer prior to another Provence visit. We took the bus from the Marseille airport and stayed across the street from the train station in a nice, new Holiday Express. It fit our plans for a short, convenient location with access to the rental car pick-up on our departure.

We were excited--but tired, after our flight from Calif. but determined to explore and experience the historic city. We were not disappointed as we dived into markets of spices, foods and fish during an early morning foray. We walked everywhere save for the obligatory visit to the gleaming landmark on the hill-Notre Dame de la Gard. The history of the city became all the more apparent as we observed its excellent harbor and fortifications. We hunted for artist conclaves and were rewarded with boutique shops with intriguing new ideas-some of which made their way home with us. It was a fast and somewhat exhausting visit but very much worth our effort.

We were not out extremely late but it was clear that there was life after dark. We never felt danger but did observe some of the boldest rats I have ever seen--a product, no doubt, of the dense population and many layered old city. We were glad we went but like all cities, be mindful of your circumstances. Enjoy.
Paul

If I go back, I'll stay at the Hotel Beauvau, also. It has a lot of history and a super location. But they won my heart because the doors have closers on them that prevent them from being slammed or making a noise. I have never been a hotel before, even 4* ones, that had that, it was heavenly, no people slamming hotel doors and making noise. Oh, they have a great bar with windows looking right out at the port, also, very nice place to relax with a drink.

OK, now I want to go to Marseille too.

We've got this down to relatively low crime rate and guarenteed pleasant sleeping conditions. Sounds like a slam dunk. Fodors GTG coming up. They'll be flocking to the city with Nikki leading the pack. We just have to hold the GTG during the day before they roll up the sidewalks at night.

Seriously, it sounds too good to pass up for sure. We're going.

I love Marseille. It's like nothing else in France. Such a blending of cultures. It's bad reputation came from years ago when there was a heavy drug trade.It's France's oldest city, beautifully situated. I like the vieux-port area, reminding me of Marcel Pagnol's Fanny,The daily fish market will astound you with species you have never seen before. I wish I had visited the Opera house there.

P.S watch Alain Delon in Fabio Montale filmed in Marseille.
I think it's on netflix. Origially made for French Tv.
Three mysteries on 2 dvds

cigalechanta, nice to get your recommendation. Now I know I'll like it. Thanks.

well don't expect Nirvana, it has a large unemployment problem, high poverty rate, a lot of social unrest at times (more strikes there, I think) and some gangs. But a lot of crime in cities, including Marseille, doesn't really affect tourists very much, that's all. I don't know that I'd say the crime rate was low, but it shouldn't be a problem. And the murder rate isn't probably the most important crime statistic for tourists, it's definitely not the only crime statistic worth looking at.

I think a lot of people might not like it because it doesn't have one of those glitzy shopping streets and on the surface, it may not be as glamorous or attractive. It's certainly worth a visit and interesting, but I just don't want to present it as something it is not. And I think it still does have drug trade from North and West Africa, that isn't gone.

My brother and his wife are arriving in a week and a half and were hoping that I could take them to a Mediterranean location for a day or two. But I was checking the train fares for then, and they are horrendous since my brother took far too long to tell me what he would like to do. So I guess I will need to keep them hostage in the north of France this time.

I've been to Marseilles twice and never really had a problem..... I think people expect marseilles to be like Paris sur le Méditerranée and then get dissapointed when they see that marseille is an old port, industrial and with an attitude.

If you're a normal tourist wondering around you won't have a problem..... trust me

Julie, did you ever go to Marseilles? If yes, what did you think, and where did you eat??

I am going for 3 nights at the end of May. One night will be my 30th wedding anniversary so I might like a nicer restaurant, but one that doesn't serve crazy foamy food

I will be making a special trip to Marseille later this year just because it is European capital of culture for the year 2013, and hundreds of events are planned all through the year.

Might be of interest:


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/world/europe/marseille-france-tries-to-alter-image-from-rough-to-cultured.html?_r=0

Heading there next week foe 3 days, will report ack.