Marseille information

If you have a week, consider renting a car and staying in St Rémy, Gordes, Ile-sur-la-Sorgue, Avignon, or Aix-en-Provence, touring the surrounding area. That could take several weeks.

I find that several hours in Marseille is sufficient.

I loved Aix en Provence which is only a train ride away from Marseille! We stayedi n Aix en Provence and then went to Marseille for a day to take a wonderful boat ride which I highly recommend. We loved Aix en Provence which has lots of nice streets, lovely outdoor cafes and great shops and churches. About three days there may be nice and a few days in Marseille. You don't need a car in Aix en Provence or in Marseille. I think a week is just enough time to cover both towns.

Marseille is definitely worth more than a few hours in such an extended trip to France! But a week is a bit long, I'd split the week between Aix (3n) and Marseille (4n) as suggested above.

Stay as close to the Vieux Port as you can afford (and if you can't, stay to the south of the Vieux Port, better areas for a solo female). The "New Hotel of Marseille" is very good, so is the Radisson (but more expensive), there are quite a few other choices, and Airbnb is very developed.

Explore the town (well covered in any non-RS guidebook), but avoid lingering around the train station at night (like in many other places).

Daytrip to Cassis and the Calanques (if you're a keen hiker, you can go to Cassis and hike a little on that side one day, and go to the Marseille side of the Calanques another day!).

Eat delicious provençal food at:
- La Passarelle
- Sépia (a bit pricey)
- Le Petit Cabanon (quite affordable)
- Le Bistrot du Cours
Great seafood at:
- La Boîte à Sardines (lunch only)
- Chez Fonfon (touristy but good, famous for bouillabaisse, expensive)
Excellent Italian (there's a sizeable Italian community), but again slightly pricey at La Cantinetta.
And simple snacks all over town, especially near the Marché des Capucins (Noailles). A lot of North African / Eastern Mediterranean fare (potato fritters, falafel, kebab, pastries,...).

I don't know about DIY soap-making workshops (maybe the tourist office has more info?), but Savonnerie la Licorne's workshop on cours Julien is very interesting to visit.

Yeah, I had RS France and there was nothing in it. I just looked at the RS Provence & the French Riviera, and it doesn't look that that has anything either. I used Lonely Planet Provence and the Cote d'Azur and Frommer's website. The TI nearest the Vieux Port was very helpful too. I was there in March for 2 nights (1.5 days) and stayed at Hotel Carré Vieux Port which was a bit pricey for me at €82/night but it was worth it for the knowlegeable staff, the breakfast and especially the location. I don't think there's enough to fill more than 2-3 days and I didn't look into day trips. From there I took the train to Nice.

The only reason I went to Marseille was because that was my gateway airport to Nice. As long as I was going to be there anyway, I decided to spend 2N there and was very glad I did.

RS Provence & the French Riviera does have a chapter on Marseille, Cassis, and Aix-en Provence. Additional destinations covered here but not in the France book include Nimes and Uzes, and brief coverage of several more destinations near those that are duplicated (but some of which are more relevant with a car).

For just a quick overview, see also https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/marseille.

Avignon is worth a day trip at least, easy by train from either Marseille or Aix-en-Provence.

Rick Steves book on Mediterranean Cruise Ports has a section on Marseille.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the insight. I'm continuing to plan my trip and enjoying the journey. Happy traveling to all.

Visit the Calenques near marseille and Vieux Port in Marseille. The Mucem is also cool but dont buy a ticket, just walk around it!