Cassis or Marseille

Cassis is small. There is the port, beach, and surrounding quay and a few back streets. We stayed there for two days/two nights. Rented a motor boat to get to the Calanques (my daughter and I hiked out from town, met with husband and 2 other kids who had boated out, and then we all boated back. Tied the boat up while we swam and cliff jumped for the day). The hike was great. The Calanque day was a big hit on our 5 weeks in France/Italy?Netherlands. I haven't been to Marseille, so can't speak to that experience. I think we would have been happy to stay in Cassis at least one more night

I've stayed in both places. As the other poster said, Cassis is small. I'd stay there for no more than the 3 nights, then 2 nights in Marseille. In fact, I'd even reverse that. And the bus to the airport runs frequently, so you don't need to stay near the airport unless you have a very early morning flight. Marseille is worth spending some time in.

I did Cassis as a day trip from Marseille. I, personally, am a HUGE fan of Marseille and think it really is worth seeing. Notre Dame de la Gard and the Vieux Port and Panier district are amazing. Three Christmas ago I stayed in Marseille for 9 days - two of those days were day trips (1 to Cassis and 1 to Arles) . The rest of the time I spent in Marseille - and I still didn't see it all. I really fell in love with it.

The airport is SUPER easy to get to in Marseille and not as much of a headache as reaching CDG. I wouldn't waste time in an airport hotel when you can either take the train or a bus to the airport - and taxi prices weren't bad. Get one more night out of your trip.

I haven’t been to Cassis but I’ve been to Marseille a few times and I’ve loved it. It is one of my favorite cities in France. Gritty, a melting pot of Mediterranean cultures, remarkable cuisines. No need to stay at the airport overnight. Take the #2 Metro at Vieux Port to St. Charles and take the #91 airport shuttle. The trip takes about 40 minutes and both Metro and bus run frequently.

Another Marseille lover agreeing with all the above pro Marseille comments. During a November visit in high seas, I took a boat to Château d'If and had the best seafood lunch I've ever eaten outside of Barcelona.

When we stayed six months in Cassis, I drove to Marseille two or three days a week because there was so much more to do. Cassis is great on market mornings--Tuesday and Friday, and the hiking is wonderful. Two days for Cassis and three for Marseille if you enjoy hiking out to the Calanques or to the top of Cap Canaille, or one for Cassis and four for Marseille if you aren't hardy walkers. If you hike out to the Calanques, high-top shoes are recommended because it is rocky.

I enjoyed Cassis very much it is a quiet seaside village with fabulous calanques, it is very relaxed. I cannot comment on Marseilles since we arrived by train and left by rental car. The exit from Marseilles was very gritty and uncomfortable for me. I’m did not go to the port as I had heard of grittiness and
High crime.

JS, it’s a shame you listened to those people because you missed out om a world class experience. Never once did I feel unsafe.

JS, you really missed out visiting a special place. You can’t tell a book by its cover, you’ve really got to flip a few pages before deciding to discard it. On my last trip there, I made this blog entry.

Marseille - the Bronx of France

Having been raised in the Bronx, the only borough of NYC actually on the mainland of the U.S., I’m entitled to make this comparison. Manhattan is ultra-chic, Staten Island pastoral, Brooklyn, well it’s Brooklyn (not the same since the Dodgers left) and Queens is a cross between the three. The Bronx is a stepchild, joked about, vilified and ignored. The same holds true for Marseille. A port on the Mediterranean with a less than stellar reputation, it has attracted refugees, sailors, smugglers, thieves and illegals through its history. Émigrés from every country on the Mediterranean and crime families from Corsica. But that is what has made it the city that is Marseille. Unloved, under served, and thought of as less than second class by the rest of France. It is the Bronx of France.
Gritty, dirty and unkempt…but special and unique. A melting pot of nations that goes back centuries. A cultural hodgepodge that is intriguing. Just like any major city, it has its slums and uber rich. But they coexist remarkably well and tolerance of different beliefs is widespread. The city bustles with business during the day and teems with nightlife after work. The Marseillaise know how to enjoy life.

Cassis is adorable, but TINY, and you will be there during the shoulder season. I second the previous comment of considering 2 nights in Cassis and 3 in Marseille. There's much more to do in and from Marseille. Besides hiking and sitting at the port, there isn't a lot to do in Cassis (and there is hiking from Marseille and a port there, too!). If you're in Marseille, you could always do an impromptu day trip by bus/train, a less likely option from Cassis. It's also extremely easy to access the airport from Marseille. If you're flying out of the Aix airport, there is always the option of staying in Aix-en-Provence as well.

Marseille has a bad reputation, mainly due to the fact that yes, it is "dirty" (as any city existing since ancient times would be) and has a large immigrant population. I have been there many times as a solo female traveler and outside of the neighborhoods around the train station (always dodgy), have never felt unsafe whatsoever. Marseille was the seat of culture about 5 years ago and has made massive strides since then to become more tourist-friendly. The changes are astounding, and I think it's a shame people are often scared off from this fun, historical city due mainly to thinly-veiled racism and classicism.