I meant to visit the Château d'if on a Monday but it was closed and ended up at Îles du Frioule…read morehiking around and viewing amazing sights. I'm not sure what used to lay beyond the harbor but the seemingly old military buildings are all but crumbled. The hike around the island requires comfortable boots and if the seas are rough being a wind breaker. I was soaked by a rogue wave on the boat ride over! There isn't much beyond the initial row of restaurants except for a few abandoned basketball and tennis courts. Most of the restaurants have similar food and wifi available. Don't expect much in the off season for quality but you will find a friendly host. If you're an outdoor adventurer be sure to add Îles du Frioule on your list of things to see!

This tiny archipelago consists of four islands: Omègues, Ratonneau, If and Tiboulen and is right…read moreoff the shore of the Vieux Port, only a short 45 minute boat ride away. The islands (and the whole coastline of Marseille) are beautiful with their white cliffs, crystal-clear blue water, breathtaking calanques (rocky inlets), and sandy beaches. It is really a paradise. My first day in Marseille, I was lucky enough to get on the last ferry of the afternoon leaving Quai des Belges. I arrived on the main island just in time to run to where I could catch the last rays of the sun setting through a heart-shaped hole in the rocks. What a picture! However, my most lasting memory is from the pier, where I waited for the ferry to take me back to Marseille. It was evening and dozens of men were on the pier with their lanterns fishing for squid. I had never seen anyone catch squid before! They must be easy to catch, because the pier was just covered with squid writhing and gasping their last breaths. What a noise. I'll never forget the sight and sound of hundreds of squid, illuminated by lanterns, gasping for breath.

Large pedestrian mall closed to traffic we walked from the old port or waterfront up a few blocks…read more We passed narrow streets, a square & many shopping or biking by.

This adorable little blue train was such a cute little tourist attraction! When I read about it…read morewhile doing my Marseilles research I knew i had to ride it! I love a scenic tour of a new-to-me location. Then when I found out you can hop off at Notre-Dame de la Garde if you take route no 1? That was absolutely perfect, After buying your ticket at the Old Port (route 1 is 10 euros for adults rn), you board this train which comes every 20 minutes. More frequent in peak seasons, less frequent in off seasons. Once onboard, keep in mind you'll feel any elements if it's rainy or windy as it's open air. It's a nice trip though because it's not just a great scenic train but they do have commentary in several languages, including English y por supuesto Español. Views and facts, I'm a weirdo, but I love it. Everyone usually gets off to walk around at the Notre Dame stop and why wouldn't you?! They take you straight to the Basilica so you can walk up the stairs to the chapel & amazing views of Marseilles. Petit Train is a highly recommended must-do when in Marseilles!

This is a convenient way to get up to see the Bonne Mere in Marseille but not as good as the…read moretourist train in Nice. The recording is played over a speaker and they will play it in multiple languages depending on what people and you're a little car speak. They drive pretty quickly so there isn't really much opportunity for photos as you drive along. The only stop is at the church. they tell you the last train is in 20 minutes, but actually the trains continue coming. The visit felt rushed as we thought we'd miss the last train and have to walk down

This is the (or an) official Tourism office in Marseille. Located adjacent to the Vieux Port, it's…read morea central location that has an extensive set of guides and tour books inside. Some of the local city tour companies have their starting points outside the office usually somewhere along the street. A helpful and necessary place to visit if you're looking for a map or someone who speaks English that can guide you wherever you need to go in the city. The official city tour of Marseille run by NAP Tourism stops right outside the office. It's about a 90 minute tour or so with an audio track. You go from the old port up steep side streets to the Basilique Notre Dame where you have 40 minutes to go around, and take pictures. Then it goes around the rest of the city highlighting important districts, other prominent churches, and the like. It's NOT a hop-on, hop-off tour besides the one stop at the Notre Dame cathedral so it's nice to sit on a warm bus on a colder day. You get a nice overview of the city and I encourage you save a day to take a cliche tour. It's especially good if you're only in the city for a short time and want to make the most of it.

One thing I am learning about France is that most larger towns and all cities have tourism offices…read moreand the workers usually speak decent English. In Marseille's office, one of their workers was actually from the US and he helped me out a lot when trying to navigate around the city. He was able to explain the Metro system, train schedule, and gave me maps of both the city and of walking tours around Marseille. This should be your first stop if visiting Marseille.