Marseille boasts many excellent museums and galleries. There are many ancient buildings and churches of historical interest.
Most of the attractions of Marseille (including the shopping areas) are located in the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Arrondissements.
Main Tourist Sights
Notre Dame de la Garde, the big church which overlooks the city, represents THE landmark of Marseille and is thought to protect the city and especially the sailors that leave the harbour. From the church you can enjoy a glorious view on the whole city and a perspective on the Stade Vélodrome that is equivalent to an arial picture.
Another main attraction of the city is the Vieux Port (Old Port) - the main harbour and marina of the city. It is guarded by two massive forts - Fort St. Nicolas and Fort Saint Jean, and is one of the many main places to eat out in the city.
Other Things to Do
The main shopping areas in central Marseilles are the Centre Bourse and the adjacent Rue St. Ferreol district. Near there you can also find the Palais de la Bourse, a 19th Century building housing the chamber of Commerce, and the so-called Arabian district with a food market and loads of oriental shops.
A very cosy and traditional French market is to be found on the Prado (Metro station: Castellane). La Plaine or Cours Julien is the less touristy and more alternative area where rather younger people live.There are loads of bars and tiny little shops.
Fashion-conscious visitors of Marseille should have a look inside the Musee de la Mode - a museum of modern fashion which displays over 2000 designs from the last 30 years.
The main beach area around Marseille is Plage du Prado. To get there take the #19 or #83 bus to the Promenade Pompidou. Line #83 departing from the Old Port also takes you to the beach by driving all along the shore offering great views and probably the quickest opportunity for a comfortable sightseeing trip.
Getting Around Generally
The centre of Marseille has several pedestrianised zones, most notably rue St. Ferreol, Cours Julien, the Cours Honoré-d’Estienne-d’Orous off the Old Port and the area around the Hotel de Ville. The city’s main thoroughfare, the wide boulevard called La Canebiére stretches eastward from the Old Port.
The train station is north of La Canebiére at the northern end of the boulevard d’Athenes. The ferry terminal is west of place de la Joilette, a few minutes walk north of Nouvelle Cathédrale. The city is walkable, although if you want to see the sights beyond the centre, you should use the reliable local transport system
Getting Around By Public Transport
Marseille has an extensive bus network and two metro lines.
Metro
Click here to download a map of the metro system. The metro trains usually run from 5am to 9pm.
Bus
The main bus station is just around the corner from the main train station, on Place Victor Hugo
Types of tickets for Public transport
Single tickets known as ‘cartes solo’ are valid for any journeys made within an hour; a day pass (carte journee) gives you seven or fourteen hours worth of journeys and can be shared among up to four people.
Tickets can be bought from Metro Stations, L’Espace info centres and many tabaconnists and bookshops; solo tickets can also be bought on buses. All tickets must be punched in the machines at the start of your journey.
By Train
The main railway station is Marseille St. Charles which is on the northern edge of the 1st arrondissment, (first being the most central).
Getting Around By Car
By Car
Avoid taking your car if you can. Due to the new tramway, satellite navigation systems are likely to be out of date and dangerous if followed. For instance, following sat-nav in the centre of Marseille could take you across newly installed pedestrian areas or Tram Lines. The one-way system has also completely changed.
Parking
Most car parking in the streets is available with a charge:
€0.50 for 30 minutes
€1.50 for 1 hour
€3 for 2 hrs
€4 for 3 hours
€5 for 4 hours as a maximum of time, available from 9am and 12noon and 2pm and 6pm Mon to Sat, free on Sun
