marseille

I'd stay in Marseilles. It's a fascinating city. The port area is beautiful, and you can just explore the areas surrounding it on foot.

I'd stay in Marsielle, in the Vieux Port if your budget allows. It's a fascinating and diverse city with great food. It's famous for bouillabaisse but that can be very expensive and many places you have to call in advance to let them know you want it. However there are much cheaper fish soups/stews very similar in flavor to bouillabaisse that are a lot cheaper. North African food is also big there, and very delicious. Don't forget to have some pastis! I liked hanging out around the Vieux Porte and up in Le Panier above it. There are two major churches on either side of the harbor, both are very cool (tho Notre Dame is a little bit harder to get to). A boat ride to the Calenques would be fun as well. I wouldn't bother with Canabier, I found it pretty boring compared to the other walks we did. That area isn't particularly famous for it's wine. The wine there is fine but it's not really the primary draw of the area. It most produces white wines and some roses.

I second everything Sarah said. There are some good Cote de Provence and Bandol wines in the area, but I'd suggest enjoying them in a restaurant or wine bar in Marseilles rather than spending the day on a wine tour.

We are on a criuse with a 1 day visit to Marseille
Thanks for the suggestions. Can you recommend a certain area of the town to spend the time?Janines

Janine, if it were me I'd go to the library and look at the section on Marseille in a few travel books. Then I'd photocopy those pages and bring them with me. Would be helpful to have while you're visiting Marseille.

As Sarah mentioned, walk around the Vieux Port and Le Panier areas. That can occupy most of a day, especially if you add in lunch.

Robert is right on. My first visit to Marsielle, we spent a full day walking around the Vieux Porte and Le Panier, visiting the church up in Le Panier (forget the name, but it's huge and hard to miss). We had Moroccan food at Le Kahena right on the harbor, it's affordable and delicious (I've eaten there twice now, loved it both times). If you are there early enough, there will be a fish market at the Vieux Porte. I'd head straight there to catch it. If you manage to see all you want to see by mid-afternoon, you could try to arrange a boat ride to the Calenques, which are worth seeing (although a bit prettier in the morning before the shadows of the cliffs fall over the water)