Marseille

The Marseille Provence airport is compact and easily navigated. It runs a very efficient website http://www.marseille-airport.com/
Here you can see the train and bus services into the city and to other locations. Use the Access drop-down menu. The train service involves a short shuttle bus ("navette") to the station on the regional line. A half-hour shuttle will also take you to Aix-en-Provence TGV station but that seems inefficient unless you want to take a stroll around Aix.

To view all the Calenques, you easily can take about a 3-hour roundtrip boat excursion from Marseille harbor; some summer departures may allow a stop at a beach (walking a narrow gangplank onto a rock). But to spend a full day boating, hiking, and swimming in the Calenques, start from Cassis.

North African food brings back great memories for me, so I heartily second Rick's recommendations for food stops in the Marseille market area (on the walking tour route).

I chose budget accommodations in Aix, since the book described Marseille hotels as "lesser value." Are you staying for a few nights or just one?

Thanks Southam and Laura. Even though Marseille may be considered a little gritty, we still want to see some sights there since we are flying in and out of Marseille.

Laura, we don't plan to go to Aix because we have been there. We did stay at a nice Mercure on the east side of town.

We want to stay in Marseille for one or two nights and at the airport on the night before our departure. Again, any suggestions?????

Merci!