Guesthouse run by a sweet and friendly lady called Catherine. Rooms are colourful, clean and spacious.
A delightful breakfast is provided. Catherine will go out of her way to make her home your home.

Pitchounette et Olives
11, bld Tellen - 13007 Marseille
00 33 (0) 04 91 54 38 35
www.pitchounetteetolives.com

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An excellent seafood restaurant located just by the the Vieux port. We had salt baked turbot and king prawns. While portions weren't huge, the quality couldn't be faulted. Ideal for a well earned treat.

Le Fetiche Restaurant
38, rue Saint Saens
Angle Rue de la Paix
13001 Marseille
04 91 54 00 98

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The most delicious bouillabaisse is served in this smart and charming restaurant overlooking a quaint harbour in the Vallon des Auffes. Take the Rue de Vallon west to the coast to enjoy. Finish with a stroll along the seaside looking out to the Chateau d'If.

www.chez-fonfon.com/
140, Vallon des Auffes - 13007 MARSEILLE
Tél. 04 91 52 14 38 - Fax 04 91 52 14 16

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This is an old fortress/prison set on the island of If a few kilometres from the main port of Marseille.
While the fortress has been on the island since the 16th century, its main claim to fame is as the place of imprisonment of the fictional inmate Edmond Dantès, the hero of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Montecristo.

Only 20 minutes by boat from Quai des Belges in the old port of Marseille.

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This bakery is well known for its traditional torpedo-shaped biscuits made from orange flour.

68, Rue Caisserie in Le Panier district.
www.les-navettes-des-acoules.fr

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Hotel in Marseille right on the Old Port. Apparently a two-star hotel but there was nothing to indicate to us that it was in any way different to a three-star hotel. Seemingly for a few euro more you can get a room facing the port. Friendly and great location.

35, quai des Belges - 13001 Marseille
Tel +33 (0) 4 91 33 66 97
www.alize-hotel.com
alize-hotel@wanadoo.fr

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Third-generation chocolate makers in Marseille. This family-run business produces chocolate made from unlikely ingredients such as onion and lavender, as well as pralines (well it is France!) and traditional barres Marseillaises (dark chocolate covered in fruit such as oranges).

A very small shop but apparently is world famous amongst chocolatiers. Well worth a visit. Black and white pictures of previous generations line the walls.

49 rue du Petit – Puits close to Rue du Panier.

chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2004/07/un_weekend_a_marseille_part_i.php

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You hear so much about Marseille being dangerous, probably a legacy of the French Connection movies.
We went there in May 2008 and it is not at all the dirty, dangerous city of the movies. We would say no more or less dangerous than many European cities.
Probably advisable to avoid the Belsunce area (south west of train station) at night.

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A taxi to/from Marseille Provence airport would set you back approx €50. However buses run to/from the central station (Gare Saint Charles) every 20 minutes or so and will cost €8.50 per person each way. Journey time is about 25 minutes.

Bus stop at airport clearly signposted and is located between terminal 1 & MP2 (terminal 2 which Ryanair and Easyjet use)

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Accommodation in Panier area of Marseille.
Probably equivalent of a B&B but good value for Marseille. All rooms are individually decorated.

2, impasse Sainte-Françoise - 13002 Marseille very near Vieille Charite in Le Panier.
maison.petit.canard.free.fr/index.htm

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Safe, clean, well decorated and cheap.

40 rue Montgrand, between the Palais de Justice & the Préfecture

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Inside the beautiful Vieux Charite building is a small but fascinating archaeology museum with an excellent Egyptian collection and lots of pottery finds from around the Mediterranean.

Upstairs (separate entrance fee) there are collections of Mexican folk art and masks from Africa and the Pacific. When we visited on a Saturday in August the museum was virtually deserted.

In the courtyard there is an open air cafe which serves good salads and other lunchtime dishes at reasonable prices (although service is a bit hit and miss) - it's worth visiting for this alone if you are sightseeing in the Panier district.

2 rue de la Charite +33 4 91 14 58 80

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Friendly restaurant near the old port with imaginative cooking. Three-course menu (27 euros in the evening) offers excellent value for money.

We like La Virgule so much we went there twice on a recent weekend break. Although located one street back from the waterfront it has a large outdoor seating area on a pedestrianised street with good views to Notre Dame de la Garde. Seems popular with locals. Open 7 days for lunch and dinner.

20, rue de la Loge, 2e arrondissement (Le Panier). Tel: +33 (0) 4 91 90 91 11

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Restaurant in the centre of "Le Panier", the oldest quarter of Marseille.

Always packed, this is a restaurant without menus or, perhaps worryingly, fixed prices.

Expect delicious traditional food: lamb with rosemary, beef, squid, pizza au feu de bois and fresh fish.

For tourists, prices tend to come out at about €25 a head for two courses and wine.

The atmosphere is warm and noisy: go on a Saturday night for maximum fun.

43, Rue de Lorette , 13002 Marseille
Metro: Vieux Port
Tramway: Sadi Carnot
Map: tinyurl.com/2bdugz

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Take the train from Marseille heading West through the coastal villages of Niolon, Carry le Rouet, Sausset les Pins.

The track runs along the side of the mountain looking over the bay of Marseille.

Get off when you want for a swim and a drink and be back in Marseille for the evening. Or you could continue to Montpellier to see a totally different side of the south of France.

Marseille St. Charles to Carry/Sausset. For trains to Montpellier/Toulouse check the routes as they do not always take the coastal line.
Map: tinyurl.com/yt7ex7 (Marseille St Charles)

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A square on top of a hill full of people, cafés, bookshops and a big fountain. Come here to get away from the crowds on the vieux port and see beautiful Marseille.

The atmosphere is relaxed: think Schanzenviertel, Hamburg or Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin in July/August.

Enjoy the view over the Cathedral of Notre Dame de la Garde at the end of 'Cours Ju' with a pression and some olives or browse the markets and boutiques during the day.

It's calm, yet cool, and a different side of Provence for those who want to experience the buzz in France's second city.

Metro: Notre Dame du Mont/Cours Julien.
Map: tinyurl.com/28g88g

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This was an area of industrial wasteland with some falling down buildings that has been converted into one of the cultural and artistic centres of Marseille.

It hosts exhibitions, concerts, film projections, dance shows, theatre performances, lectures, debates, recording studios and a restaurant.

There is something interesting on pretty much every day and it's not usually that expensive.

www.lafriche.org
41, rue jobin, 13003 Marseille.

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This might seem like an odd idea but the Alcazar library is honestly an interesting thing to visit in Marseille for those seeking to understand the life of the city.

An old music hall and theatre, which welcomed Jacques Brel, Charlie Chaplin and Georges Brassens before closing, the Alcazar has only been open to the public as a library since 2004. It is part of a scheme to invest in the Belsunce area of the city which, like most of the centre of Marseille, has an overwhelmingly working class and immigrant population.

It is a vast, modern and beautiful building, clean and filled with light and people during its typically Mediterranean 11am until 7pm opening hours.

The contrast is incredible between the cool, tranquil space of the library and the noisy, dirty and sunbaked road outside, where a tram line is currently being built and hundreds of people go in and out of shops and cafes selling Muslim wedding clothes, north African pastries, mint tea, halal meat, and CDs and videos of Moroccan pop stars.

There are constantly changing exhibitions, a press area and frequent film screenings.

Bibliothèque l'Alcazar
58 Cours Belsunce
13001 Marseille
www.bmvr.marseille.fr
Map: tinyurl.com/2rwy9j

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This restaurant is really special. For 15 euros you are served a huge platter of assorted coquillages straight from the market stalls outside: oysters, mussels, crevettes, crab, langoustes and clams are all affordable for those on even the tightest budget.

The prices start from about 15 euros for a huge platter and go up according to the quantity of raw shellfish you feel like eating. For fans of coquillages this prize-winning restaurant is surely a must, but even for those Brits like me who are terrified of eating something so weird (let’s face it…), the lively atmosphere, the friendly staff and the sight of so many people enjoying delicious food is enough to make you try your first oyster.

It is child-friendly, unpretentious and welcoming, and the wine is good too. Forget Bouillabaisse unless you can get a real Marseillais to make it for you for a tenth of the price and go ‘Chez Toinou’. It is a Marseille institution.

www.toinou.com
3, cours Saint Louis - 13001 Marseille

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La Caravelle bar is on the first floor of Hotel Belle Vue, and is probably the best place to enjoy a drink in Marseille. Not only does it have a wonderful atmosphere, but your drinks come with free tapas. From within the eclectically-decorated bar or from the beautiful terrace you have amazing views of the Vieux Port and the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde.

34 quai du Port; tel: 04 91 90 36 64
Here's a photo I took of the outside:
www.flickr.com/photos/bryceedwards/193412539/

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