Where to stay · Marseille · France
Where to stay in Marseille
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Vieux-Port. The old harbour, fish market and café terraces facing the forts. Best alternatives — families: La Joliette; budget: Cours Julien and Noailles.
Key facts
- First visit
- Vieux-Port
- Families
- La Joliette
- Budget
- Cours Julien and Noailles
- Nightlife
- Vieux-Port
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Vieux-Port | The old harbour, fish market and café terraces facing the forts |
| Families | La Joliette | Regenerated docklands with offices, a waterfront mall and ferry terminals |
| Couples | Vieux-Port | The old harbour, fish market and café terraces facing the forts |
| Budget | Cours Julien and Noailles | Street-art terraces, spice shops and the city's alternative nightlife |
| Nightlife | Vieux-Port | The old harbour, fish market and café terraces facing the forts |
| Food lovers | Vieux-Port | The old harbour, fish market and café terraces facing the forts |
| Solo travellers | Le Panier | Hilltop old quarter of stairways, laundry lines and street art |
| Shopping | La Joliette | Regenerated docklands with offices, a waterfront mall and ferry terminals |
| Quiet stays | Endoume and Vallon des Auffes | Seaside residential streets above rocky coves and a tiny fishing harbour |
| Beach | Endoume and Vallon des Auffes | Seaside residential streets above rocky coves and a tiny fishing harbour |
Marseille neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, food lovers and nightlife
Vieux-Port
The rectangular harbour is the city's centre of gravity: the morning fish market on the Quai de la Fraternité (still widely called the Quai des Belges), Norman Foster's mirrored Ombrière canopy, boats to the Château d'If and Frioul, and cafés along both quays. Metro line M1 stops at Vieux-Port, and Le Panier, the MuCEM and Notre-Dame de la Garde are all walkable.
- Good
- Most central base with boats and metro on the doorstep; Huge choice of restaurants and bars; Harbour views from many hotels
- Watch out
- Traffic and crowds along the quays; Restaurants facing the port can be overpriced
- Nearby
- Fish market, Ombrière, Fort Saint-Jean, Abbaye Saint-Victor
$$ · Best for couples, culture and solo travellers
Le Panier
Built on the site of Greek Massalia, Le Panier is a maze of steep lanes and small squares climbing from the Vieux-Port towards La Major cathedral. It has the Vieille Charité, artisan shops selling soap and santons, small cafés on Place de Lenche and murals around Rue du Panier. Guesthouses and holiday flats outnumber hotels.
- Good
- Most atmospheric streets in the city; Walk to the MuCEM and the Vieux-Port; Quieter in the evenings than the port
- Watch out
- Steep streets and many steps; Few hotels with lifts or parking
- Nearby
- Vieille Charité, Place de Lenche, La Major, MuCEM
$ · Best for budget, nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
Cours Julien and Noailles
Cours Julien is a long raised square covered in murals and lined with bars, cafés and independent shops, the centre of Marseille's creative scene. Just downhill, Noailles is the city's market district, with North African grocers, spice shops and bakeries around Rue Longue des Capucins and the Marché des Capucins. Metro stops Notre-Dame-du-Mont and Noailles serve the area.
- Good
- Inexpensive food and drinks; Most interesting street art in the city; Lively every evening
- Watch out
- Some streets feel rundown and rough late at night; Few mid-range hotels
- Nearby
- Cours Julien, Marché des Capucins, La Canebière, Place Jean-Jaurès
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and beach
Endoume and Vallon des Auffes
West of the Vieux-Port along the Corniche, Endoume is a quiet residential area of villas and small apartment blocks above the sea. The Vallon des Auffes fishing harbour sits under a road bridge with traditional pointu boats and seafood restaurants, and locals swim from the rocks at Malmousque. Buses run along the Corniche to the centre.
- Good
- Sea views and swimming spots; Calm, local atmosphere; Some of the city's best seafood restaurants
- Watch out
- Bus-dependent for sightseeing; Limited hotel choice
- Nearby
- Vallon des Auffes, Malmousque, Corniche Kennedy, Plage des Catalans
$$ · Best for shopping, families and first-timers
La Joliette
The Euroméditerranée project turned the old docks north of the cathedral into a modern district of offices, hotels and the Terrasses du Port shopping centre, whose terrace overlooks the ferry port. The MuCEM and La Major are a short walk south, and trams T2 and T3 run along Rue de la République to the Vieux-Port.
- Good
- Modern hotels at fair prices; Tram and metro links; Close to ferries for Corsica
- Watch out
- Office-district feel in the evenings; Little old-town character
- Nearby
- Les Terrasses du Port, La Major, MuCEM, Docks Village
$$$ · Best for families, beach and quiet stays
Prado and the beaches
Avenue du Prado runs south to the sea, ending at the Plages du Prado, a long string of beaches and lawns created from earth excavated for the metro. Parc Borély, with its château museum and botanical garden, is beside the beach, and Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse stands on Boulevard Michelet. Metro M2 serves the northern end of the avenue, with buses down to the sea.
- Good
- Beaches and parks for children; Residential and calm; Easy access to the southern Calanques
- Watch out
- Buses or metro needed for the old town; Beaches get very crowded on summer weekends
- Nearby
- Plages du Prado, Parc Borély, Cité Radieuse, Stade Vélodrome
$$ · Best for beach, quiet stays and couples
Pointe Rouge and Les Goudes
South of the Prado beaches, Pointe Rouge has a sandy beach, a marina and sailing schools, while the coast road continues to the fishing villages of Les Goudes and Callelongue where the road ends and the Calanques trails begin. It feels far from the city, with seafood restaurants on the water and summer boat shuttles to the Vieux-Port.
- Good
- Closest base to the Calanques; Beaches and water sports; Village atmosphere
- Watch out
- Long bus ride to the centre; Very limited accommodation
- Nearby
- Les Goudes, Callelongue, Plage de la Pointe Rouge, Calanques trails
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Vieux-Port | $$$ | Fish market, Ombrière, Fort Saint-Jean, Abbaye Saint-Victor |
| Le Panier | $$ | Vieille Charité, Place de Lenche, La Major, MuCEM |
| Cours Julien and Noailles | $ | Cours Julien, Marché des Capucins, La Canebière, Place Jean-Jaurès |
| Endoume and Vallon des Auffes | $$$ | Vallon des Auffes, Malmousque, Corniche Kennedy, Plage des Catalans |
| La Joliette | $$ | Les Terrasses du Port, La Major, MuCEM, Docks Village |
| Prado and the beaches | $$$ | Plages du Prado, Parc Borély, Cité Radieuse, Stade Vélodrome |
| Pointe Rouge and Les Goudes | $$ | Les Goudes, Callelongue, Plage de la Pointe Rouge, Calanques trails |
Getting to your hotel
Marseille Provence Airport is in Marignane, about 27 km north-west of the centre. Shuttle buses run to Gare Saint-Charles in about 25–30 minutes, and a free shuttle links the terminal with Vitrolles Aéroport Marseille Provence station for regional trains. A taxi takes about 30–45 minutes depending on traffic.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Marseille for first-time visitors?
Vieux-Port. The rectangular harbour is the city's centre of gravity: the morning fish market on the Quai de la Fraternité (still widely called the Quai des Belges), Norman Foster's mirrored Ombrière canopy, boats to the Château d'If and Frioul, and cafés along both quays.
+Where should families stay in Marseille?
La Joliette: Modern hotels at fair prices.
+Which area of Marseille is best for a budget stay?
Cours Julien and Noailles ($): Street-art terraces, spice shops and the city's alternative nightlife.