FR
Marseille
France’s oldest city: a gritty, sunny Mediterranean port with dramatic limestone coves on its doorstep
France’s oldest city: a gritty, sunny Mediterranean port with dramatic limestone coves on its doorstep
The 19th-century basilica on the city’s highest hill, topped by a golden statue of the Virgin, with sweeping views over the port and islands.
Take bus 60 or the tourist train up the hill.
Photo: FredSeiller, CC0
The Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean, opened in 2013 in a lattice-clad building linked by footbridge to Fort Saint-Jean, beside the striped La Major cathedral.
Photo: Yves Tennevin, CC BY-SA 4.0
A national park of white limestone cliffs and narrow coves between Marseille and Cassis, reached on foot or by boat. In summer, access to the Sugiton and Pierres Tombées coves requires free advance booking, and trails can close in high fire risk.
Check fire-risk closures and booking rules before hiking.
Photo: Inga Tomane, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try bouillabaisse (fish stew, best at a dedicated restaurant), panisse (chickpea fritters), navettes biscuits and North African food in the Noailles market area.
Restaurants around the Vieux-Port and in Le Panier and the Vallon des Auffes are popular.
High-speed trains from Paris take about three and a quarter hours. Marseille Provence Airport is about 25km away, with shuttle buses to Saint-Charles station. The metro, trams and buses cover the city, and ferries cross the Old Port.
France is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Marseille is good value for a big French city.
Port, hills and coves.
Walk around the Vieux-Port, explore the hilly Le Panier quarter and visit the MuCEM and Fort Saint-Jean.
Visit Notre-Dame de la Garde, then follow the coastal road to the Vallon des Auffes fishing harbour.
Hike to a cove or take a boat trip into the Calanques, or a ferry to the Frioul islands and Château d’If.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
France is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Watch your belongings on public transport and at busy sights.
In summer, parts of the Calanques close on high fire-risk days; check the daily access map.
Stick to busy areas at night and avoid unfamiliar neighbourhoods on the city’s northern edge.
Set lunch menus (formules) are usually much cheaper than dinner.
Quick answers for planning time in Marseille.
Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, with registration under the EU Entry/Exit System.
In summer, the Sugiton and Pierres Tombées coves require free advance booking; check the national park website.
The centre and main sights are generally fine with normal precautions against pickpockets.
About three and a quarter hours by high-speed train.
A traditional Marseille fish stew, served with rouille and croutons.
French is the language; a few words of French and a polite “bonjour” go a long way.
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Planning a wider trip? Our France travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.