When you find yourself in Marsaille and feel the urge to visit nearby island, the Frioul If Express your best bet in any weather. -Château d'If -Îles du Frioul (archipelago) -€10 return, 20 minutes -Wave cutting boats I had the pleasure of riding the Edmond Dantes through rough seas to visit Îles du Frioul. The boats cut right through the waves, but watch out for the resulting splash if you sit outside on the second level. I was a victim of the "soak zone" while trying to snag a photo of the Château d'If as we cruised by. Frioul If Express boats leave for Château d'If from the Vieux Port at the corner of quai de la Fraternité and quai de Rive Neuve by the ferris wheel. There are over 15 daily departures in summer, fewer in winter. Be warned! Monday there are no trips to the Château d'If so if your schedule is limited, skip this day for your trip. read more

Left of the island for 2 hour after the returning boat told us we couldn't get on. We were the first in line. We then were told we had to get off the boat that eventually came and left us in les îles. So we waited some more and finally got back to the mainland. read more

We loved being able to see the Château d'If and Îles du Frioul on our first day in Marseille. It's a nice, short boat trip to the Château first, where you spend a little over an hour; then you catch a second quick boat ride to the island, and a third boat takes you back to Vieux Port after another hour or so. Fairly cheap prices. Definitely get in line to buy tickets an hour or more before you want to leave, and arrive at the boat about half an hour before the boat leaves- the lines get long, and you want to make sure that you get a spot. I recommend standing on the deck so that you get a great view as you travel- you can get some great pictures. read more

This was a pretty good company to visit Chateau d'If and the Frioul Archipeligo with. However, be warned they tend to list more times on their brochures than are truluy available on any given day. If you want to see the Chateau AND the beaches, then you need to go early because even though the brochure looks like you can do them later, you can't realy after about 4pm. read more

This ferry service was great. They were ontime and professional. We took the ferry to the Island and did not get off at the jail (chateau). The cost for a round-trip was $10.10 (euros) per person. If you are not travelling alone, make sure you get 1 person to get into the line to get onto the ferry, while the other goes to get the ticket. Divide and conquer and you will get to the island without waiting too long. Also, there are always 2 lines - one for residents of France, and the other for visitors. Make sure you always go into the RESIDENT's line cause no one checks, cares and those lines are always shorter and better serviced. read more