Marseille travel blog
Stories, tips and honest inspiration for your Marseille and Provence adventure
25 things to know before visiting Marseille
An honest pre-trip checklist for Marseille — what surprises first-timers, what to avoid, and what makes the city worth the trip.
New hotels in Marseille and Provence — what has opened recently
A verified round-up of notable hotel openings in Marseille and the immediate Provence region in 2025–2026, with honest notes on what each offers.
Why Provence needs more than a day — an anti-day-trip-overload essay
Provence day trips from Marseille are useful, but the region's real quality takes multiple days. An honest argument against cramming Provence into day trips.
Is Marseille worth it? A first impression that became a love
Marseille didn't charm us immediately. It took time, resistance, and an afternoon in Le Panier before it did. Here is that honest first-impression story.
Marseille street art walk — a self-guided Cours Julien itinerary
A self-guided street art walk through Cours Julien and the surrounding streets — the murals to find, the route to follow, and what to do when you are done.
Provence markets we love — our market crawl through Noailles, Aix, and Lourmarin
Our favourite Provence markets — Noailles in Marseille, the elegant Aix market, and the Lourmarin Saturday market that ends with rosé. A personal crawl.
Best rosé of the summer — Provençal wines tasted that season
A personal shortlist of Provençal rosés tasted over a summer of Marseille visits — what makes each one different, where to find them, and what to eat with them.
Hidden gems of Marseille: beyond the postcard
Marseille's most rewarding finds are not the obvious ones. A genuine list of overlooked neighbourhoods, curious museums, and local spots worth seeking out.
Lavender season diary — a week on the Valensole plateau
A week in Provence during lavender bloom: what the plateau looks like, when to go, where to stay, and the honest reality of peak-season crowds.
How Marseille changed us
Marseille changed what we look for in a city. A long reflection on years of returning — what it taught us about travel and what makes places worth knowing.
Sunset at the Vallon des Auffes
The small fishing harbour under the Corniche — Marseille's most quietly beautiful spot and our favourite place to end a day. A short atmospheric piece.
Our favourite calanque — and why we keep going back to it
We have swum in most of them. Here is the calanque we always return to, what makes it different from the others, and how to get there honestly.
A weekend in Aix-en-Provence — our 48-hour plan
A practical 48-hour plan for Aix-en-Provence: the Cézanne trail, the markets, the fountains, where to eat, and how to structure two days well.
Climbing in the Calanques — route notes from a guided intro
We went climbing in the Calanques for the first time with a guide. Here is what we found — the rock, the routes, the exposure, and why it was worth every nerve.
A perfect day in Cassis — hour by hour
How we spend a full day in Cassis: from the morning market to a calanque swim, an AOC wine stop, and sunset at the port. A practical, personal itinerary.
Cruise stop done right — a 9-hour Marseille port-stop blueprint
How to spend a 9-hour cruise port stop in Marseille without wasting it. A practical, hour-by-hour blueprint for first-time port visitors with real timing.
Marseille on a rainy day — what to do when the Mistral brings rain
Marseille in bad weather is better than it sounds. An honest guide to indoor museums, covered markets, and the cafés that reward a slow rainy day in the city.
Marseille vs the clichés — what people get wrong
Is Marseille dangerous? Is the bouillabaisse a rip-off? Is it just a cruise stopover? We take on the clichés and say what we actually think.
The petit train debate — gadget or genuine shortcut?
The tourist petit train to Notre-Dame de la Garde divides opinion. Here is our honest take: who it is for, when it makes sense, and when it absolutely does not.
The ferry to Frioul — a summer afternoon on the islands
The Frioul Islands are ten minutes by ferry from the Vieux-Port. Here is what we found on a July afternoon, beyond the obligatory Château d'If photograph.
Camargue horseback day — a reflective afternoon in the marshes
A horseback afternoon in the Camargue near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer — the white horses, flamingos, salt flats, and the silence of the wetlands.
Winter in Marseille — the case for visiting in January
Marseille in winter is underrated. Fewer tourists, lower prices, better light, open Calanques trails, and the city in its actual character. A case for January.
Why we love Le Panier — slow days in Marseille's oldest quarter
Le Panier is Marseille's oldest and most atmospheric quarter. Here is what we love about it, when to visit, and how to see it without the crowd.
Van Gogh pilgrimage in Arles — walking his sites with his letters
Van Gogh spent 15 months in Arles and painted over 300 works. Here is what it's like to walk the city with his letters as a guide, finding what survives.
The best bouillabaisse we ever had — a meal that defined the dish
Not a restaurant list — the story of a specific bouillabaisse, in October, at a Charte restaurant in Marseille, and what it taught us about the dish.
An afternoon at a Marseille soap workshop
We visited a traditional Marseille soap factory to see how the 72-percent vegetable-oil cube is actually made. A short story about process, smell, and craft.
Pont du Gard at golden hour — an atmospheric short piece
The Pont du Gard is best at golden hour, when the crowds leave and the aqueduct turns gold above the Gardon river. A short atmospheric piece about staying late.
First impressions of Marseille — the origin of this site
We came to Marseille sceptical and left converted. This is the story of that first trip in 2018 and how it started our long relationship with the city.