Being that Marseille is not a tourist city, there’s a good chance that you don’t know much about Marseille, despite the fact that it is the second-largest city in France – only behind Paris! Marseille is located on the south-eastern coast of France, almost near Nice and Cannes, and despite the fact that it is not frequented by tourists, this bustling city is definitely worth stopping by if you plan to be in the area! We visited on a whim when we flew from Madrid to Marseille, on our way to Switzerland. We decided to rent a car and drive from Marseille to Switzerland so that we could experience a quick 2 days in France and soak in the French countryside on our way to Geneva, and we were so glad we did! 2 days was plenty long enough for us, and we fit quite a lot into those busy days but we loved getting to experience the French culture for the first time. Below is a list of all of our Marseille favorites, and a perfect little itinerary for a quick 2-day stop!
What to Do
*Note that all of these are free activities, but can get crowded, so I’d recommend doing them earlier in the day if possible. Pro Tip: you can do all of #’s 1-5 in one day, leaving all day for the Calanques of #6 – if you don’t read anything else AT LEAST do yourself a favor and make sure you skip down to read #6 🙂
- Vieux Port (The Old Port) – this is the city center area that is right on the water.
Vieux Port is the main harbor and marina of Marseille, which is guarded by Fort Saint-Nicolas and Fort Saint-Jean. It’s the perfect place to eat, stop for a cappuccino (or glass of wine), or just spend time meandering through restaurants and shops. We did every Marseille meal here, and none of them disappointed! French food is absolutely AMAZING, the rumors are true 🙂 But more about that later….. (you can read about our favorite French foods to try here). - City Center – The Port is (obviously) right on the water, but the main city center is right above the port and also has dining and lots of shopping. Soap is a big thing for
Marseille, so you’ll find lots of adorable little soap shops with walls full of colorful bars of soap. One thing that DID surprise me was 
the lack of bakeries around town. Not that they weren’t there, but I was fully expecting to see a bakery around every turn with lots of bread and pastries, which was not the case. So, word to the wise, when you do find a bakery be sure to stop because you may not see another one for a while! - Notre Dame de la Garde – this is an enormous Romano-Byzantine basilica that dates
back to the 19th century. Situated on a hill that overlooks the city, the view from here offers amazing panoramic views of Marseille and is definitely worth carving some time out for. Be sure to look out over the Bay of Marseille at the Frioul archipelago from the vantage point of the basilica. One of the four islands that makes up this archipelago is If, which is the location of Chateau d’If, from the novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Admission is free and you can get to the basilica 
by walking, driving, or bus. Keep in mind that it is on top of a hill though, so if you’re walking you’ll probably get a pretty good workout, so maybe don’t wear heals that day 😉 The intrinsic artistic detail that adorns the entire church is simply breathtaking, and is worth a visit just to view the inside of the basilica alone. Colorful mosaics adorn the walls and ceiling, priceless paintings hang from the walls, pillars of marble run all throughout the interior, gold is present around every turn, and statues of gold, silver, and bronze live inside the magnificent halls. It is unlike anything I’ve seen before, and I would highly recommend checking it out!
- MuCEM – the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations is located right
on the water, near Vieux Port. As you may have guessed, it is devoted to the history and culture of European and Mediterranean civilizations. This museum is split up into 3 different sites, the J4 building, Fort Saint-Jean, and the CCR (Center for Conservation and Resources). The CCR houses the museum’s actual collections and requires a paid ticket to explore. We explored Fort Saint-Jean (free), and the (free) J4 building, which is an astounding concrete cube that forms a perfect square. It is a see-through lacy screen made of concrete that you can’t miss. It’s actually super hard to explain, so PLEASE do your due diligence and google photos of it because it really is an amazing architectural feat. The J4 building is known as the “heart” of the MuCEM, and hosts permanent and temporary exhibits (although, we didn’t see many – but that may be because we were too interested in the building structure itself). Please do yourself a favor and walk through this unique building if you find yourself in Marseille – you won’t regret it. Be sure to come back and see it at night too, as it is lit up from the inside!
- Catedrale Major – this Cathedral of Sainte Marie Majeure was founded in the 4th
century and is just a short walking distance from the MuCEM. We just walked over to the 
outside of it, took a quick peak inside and left. It was cool to see, but small compared to Notre Dame de la Garde. If you’re only going to do one historic site I’d definitely recommend choosing Notre Dame, but if you’re visiting the MuCEM too it’s worth a quick walk to check this one out as well. However, I probably wouldn’t make a point to go out of my way to see it if I wasn’t already in the area.
6. Calanque de Sugiton – this was the absolute BEST part of Marseille and is what really made this whole trip worthwhile, so I hope you’ve stuck with me long enough 
to get this far down! Calanque de Sugiton is a portion of France’s Parc National des Calanques, which lines the Mediterranean coast from Marseille to Cassis. Calanques are rugged coastal areas interspersed with narrow, steep-walled inlets developed in white limestone or other similar rock. Think the fjords of Norway… these are dry limestone cliffs that jut into the water. Sugiton is the most
popular area of the park because it is the calanque that is most easily accessed by hikers and is open even during the hot season. During the summer some of the other calanques are closed due to high fire risk, so if the calanques are in your travel plans be sure to do some research to see which ones are open during your visit! Sugiton is the one closest to Marseille, but if you end up staying closer to the town of Cassis you’d probably want to visit a calanque that is closer to that town. If the trail is open, you can actually hike from Marseille to Cassis through the park along all the calanques. We didn’t have time to try this, but I’ve heard it’s a rather strenuous and sometimes dangerous hike at parts, so be sure to do your research ahead of time if you decide to go this route! You can access Sugiton through Luminy College, which you can GPS to.
When you enter Luminy College keep driving through campus until you can’t go straight anymore and park. There is also a bus that will take you to Luminy if you don’t have a car. From the parking lot you’ll see a clear path, which will be about a 30 minute walk (part gravel, part paved) to the trailhead, and then another 15 minute walk from the trailhead to the water for a total of 45 minutes hiking (one way). Be sure to take note of the trail markers at the beginning of the route so that you know which marks to look for. At one point in your hike you’ll come to a fork in the road….going up will take you to an observation deck and going down will take you the water. We (obviously) chose to go the water route. At the bottom there are 2 pebble beaches, but you’ll want to get there early to claim a spot as it gets pretty crowded. If crowded beaches aren’t your thing then just climb around on the rocks to find a more secluded area, or swim to the island in the middle to climb up and relax like we did. If you’re a fan of cliff jumping the island in the middle is a great spot, and you’ll probably see many of the locals taking advantage of the spot. Pro Tip: bring lunch if you plan to be here a while and have your bread and cheese on the rocks by the water…it doesn’t get much better than that! Even if you don’t go the lunch route, DEFINTELY bring water with you and wear sneakers….it is definitely a hike down and a hike up and there is little shade until you get to the bottom. If you have time and want to spend the money, there are lots of options to kayak, paddleboard, sail, or boat out and around all of the calanques, which would be AMAZING. We would love to come back to France just to try that someday. While we didn’t get a chance to try it while we were there, I can’t imagine any reason why it wouldn’t be absolutely fantastic!
Summary
While the city is fun to see, it is still a city, and to be honest, we aren’t really city people. The French in general didn’t seem to be overly friendly or helpful (most didn’t speak English or pretended not to and didn’t try to communicate any other way), 
and the city itself was actually kind of dirty. In fact, we ran into a family from Paris on our hike who just talked about how dirty Marseille was and how it was nothing like Paris. Honestly, it wasn’t THAT bad, it’s not like we saw rats running around or anything, it’s just a normal city. While the port and the history make this an interesting city, it’s still a city and isn’t designed specifically for tourists. The family that we met on our hike were shocked to find out that we were from the US and visiting on vacation since Marseille isn’t a typical vacation destination. However, the beauty of a non-touristy area is that you get to immerse yourself in the real culture of a French city, not just a watered-down tourist version with astronomical prices. And while we loved our visit and we were glad that we did it, we probably won’t put it on our return-to list now that we’ve done Marseille already. We WOULD, however put the Calanques on our return-to list for SURE 🙂
Where We Stayed
- Kyriad Hotel ($100/night) right by the Marseille airport. We took a taxi from airport to hotel for 10 euros because we didn’t have reservations, but they do offer a shuttle service if you plan ahead. We took the free shuttle to the airport the next morning to get our rental car. Clean, king bed, hairdryer, can pay for breakfast in the morning if you want. This was the first big sized bed we had in Europe during our entire trip, all others were 2 twins pushed together.
- Hotel Carre Vieux Port ($100/night) in downtown Marseille. This hotel was right next to the port and was a perfect location for us! It was small but clean, with 2 double beds. They let us check in early, and you can pay for breakfast if you want (but there’s a great café next door). It was located one street up from the port, and near a parking garage that cost 30 euros per day.
- Hotel la place ($100/night) in Annemasse, France. This is a small town right outside Geneva but still in France, where lodging was much cheaper. The room was clean and warm, offered secured parking at no additional price and free wifi.
- Pentahotel ($80/night) in Paris. We had a bit of an issue getting out of the Zurich airport (we drove from Marseille to Switzerland, stayed in Switzerland and then flew out of Zurich) after a flight got cancelled, so we hopped on a flight to Paris just to get out of Zurich – oh, the behind-the-scenes joys of flying standby ;). Once we got to Paris a few other flights got cancelled and we ended up having to spend a surprise night in a Paris hotel at the last minute. This hotels was a cheap, clean option that was near the airport that worked well for us. It was $10 from airport by taxi, clean, big bed, hairdryer, and had a bar/restaurant downstairs.
* Disclaimer: all photos and opinions are my own, for which I received no compensation or discount
Mountains. Built in 1766, this elegant old-timey resort is brimming with history at every turn and has even hosted 23 different US Presidents! The owners have gone to great lengths to preserve as much of the history as possible, even down to the wallpaper and carpets that really take you back in time. With over 2,000 acres, it offers just about any activity you could possibly want! We only stayed for 2 nights, so we chose to experience skiing, golfing, and the spa, but a variety of other activities are offered throughout the year including 2 different 18-hole golf courses, archery, carriage and hay rides, falconry, fly fishing, hiking, horseback riding, ice skating, kayaking and canoeing, mini golf, mini snowmobiling, paintball, Segway tours, shooting club, shopping, tennis, tubing at the ski mountain, and zip lining!
king bed and a view, which typically runs about $280-$310 per night, but you should be able to find cheaper deals through TripAdvisor, Groupon, Expedia etc. The room was nice and cozy, and included a bedroom with a flat screen TV 
and Keurig machine, a bathroom (complete with robes), and nice big closet. Extra features included an iron and ironing board, hair dryer, ice bucket, and safe. There was not a kitchenette or mini fridge in the room we had, which we were completely fine with, but if that is something that you care about you may want to look up other room options or plan to not bring food back to the room 🙂 You will honestly probably be pretty busy and not spend a whole lot of your time in your room since the activities at the Homestead are so amazing!
trails! Lift passes look like they typically run $35-$59 depending on the day and when you buy them, lift passes along with rental equipment (ski or snowboard) run from $62-$94. This mountain was perfect for families and beginners. Since we went on opening day it looked like there were some trails that weren’t open yet that may be better suited for advanced riders, so I can’t speak to those, but we did both runs that were open and had a blast. Trained ski 
instructors are on site to give private or group lessons, and the kids all looked like they were having a great time….if we had kids I would TOTALLY drop my kids off with them to learn! There is a cozy lodge up on the mountain where you can grab a bite (or in our case a beer and an Irish coffee) in between runs that has both an indoor and outdoor fire pit to warm you up. The ice skating rink is also located up here as well. We didn’t get a chance to skate, but it looked like prices were about $15-$20 per adult. If you have kids or are new to skiing I’d highly recommend checking out this mountain to grow your skills and have fun as you gain confidence in your skiing ability, as this mountain is fantastic for new skiers or snowboarders! (Note: if you purchase tickets on-site on a weekend it looks like it is $49 lift tickets for non-guests, and $45 for guests of the resort, with rental prices being $35).
experience was literally life-changing. I left telling my husband that he created a monster in that I may have picked up a new hobby 🙂 The Spa at the Homestead is actually ranked #9 in Robb Report’s top 12 spa destinations around the world! As a massage newbie I can understand if you don’t want to take my word for how amazing it was 😉 Check out the article 
the actual massage was, and you could absolutely spend a full day there. The Aqua Thermal Suite offers a variety of different therapeutic options for anything you may be craving! Experiential showers (different “storm” experiences: Arctic mist, Atlantic storm, or Caribbean storm options) offer multi-sensory cooling after exposure to heat. The Herbal Cocoon is a series of heated niches below a starlit ceiling that enhances the purification and detoxification process by warming your body and relaxing the muscles. Thermal heated lounges look similar to nap pods and are heated lounge chairs that sit you in front of a relaxing scenic moving photo (mine was a waterfall). The aromatic steam room opens pores and infuses lungs with essential oils 
that are carried in the steam and is insanely relaxing. After all of the heated experiences be sure to cool off in The Chill, which is a cold cabin experience that cools your body with a crisp misty vapor and flaked ice. Of course, the locker rooms are amazing too and offer normal showers, bathrooms, lockers, and refreshing areas with everything you need. They also offer a co-ed lounge room where you can wait for your massage, or hang out after your massage before you go to your separate locker rooms. The room is super comfortable and offers a magnificent view from the top of the spa that overlooks the spa’s Serenity Garden and the main
Homestead building. The Serenity Garden is the spa’s exclusive adult oasis that includes an infinity pool, hot tub, geothermal pool fed by hot springs, shower, and river reflexology walk that massages your feet. Any 50-minute (or longer) massage, facial or body treatment includes a day pass to the Serenity Garden. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to visit this part of the spa…..a.) Because we went the weekend before Christmas and we weren’t wanting to be in pools outside (even though they are heated), and b.) We had a tee time to play golf that afternoon and didn’t have time to spend all day here 🙂 However, I’d highly recommend treating yourself to a beautiful spa day – you could literally spend all day here! The spa would be perfect for couple’s trip, girl’s getaway, babymoon, anniversary celebration, or bachelorette party!
golf courses that The Homestead offers. The Cascades is the other course located here, and is apparently amazing. Unfortunately it was closed for the winter so we didn’t get a chance to check it out, but we’ve heard great things! In 2017 alone it was ranked
GolfWeek’s #1 course in VA, GolfWeek’s #19 best resort course in the US, and Golf Digest’s #27 greatest public course in America….so if you get a chance you should definitely try it out and let us know how it is! It costs about $50-$70 to play the Old Course in December, and while the course had a few holes with snow, it was still a blast and absolutely gorgeous! I just rode in the golf cart while Andrew played a quick 9 (it was pretty cold), but we had a ton of fun! He fully intends to come back for a guy’s weekend to play The Cascades at some point so let us know what you think 🙂
specialty drink of theirs called the Champagne Cobbler, which is the hotel’s interpretation of a classic cocktail from the 19th century. This one in particular was AMAZING…..raspberry vodka, lemon and strawberry purée, and rosé. Andrew was a big fan of their Kentucky Mules too 🙂 I highly recommend grabbing a drink at the lobby bar and cozying up next to one of the fireplaces in the grand lobby area!
from 3:00-4:00 they serve tea in the lobby area and it’s so cute! Options include hot tea, cold tea, and a pastry (ours was some kind of pumpkin bread that was fantastic). Everyone in the hotel comes down and grabs some tea and hangs out in the lobby by the fires, or meanders around to find an empty room to sit and enjoy their tea. It’s a very fun time and is a time honored tradition (and free!), be sure to try it at least one of the days you’re there!
can get. There is just something about snow-covered mountains, wide open fields, and charming villages that just speak to your soul. The stillness, quietness, power, wildness and beauty all come together to form this picture perfect scene that will leave you craving more. While Switzerland looks small on a map, there are so many different things to do and see that it can be pretty overwhelming in knowing where to start, so here is a list of all of our favorites!
honest, I’m not a huge LOTR fan…yeah, the movies were entertaining but I don’t need to see them more than a few times, and I’ve never read the books, so this opinion is NOT from a LOTR fangirl 🙂 HOWEVER, that being said, DON’T miss this place! It has been said that J.R Tolkien got his inspiration for the elvish town of Rivendell from Lauterbrunnen, which is known as “The Land of 72 Waterfalls”. “Lauterbrunnen” LITERALLY translates to 
“many fountains”. Because Lauterbrunnen sits in a valley at the base of the Alps, they have TONS of fresh alpine-water waterfalls that are created by snow and ice that melt. It’s absolutely BREATHTAKING and is any waterfall chaser’s 
dream. The largest and most famous of these falls is Staubback Falls, which is one of the highest free-falling waterfalls in all of Europe, plunging from almost 984 feet (300 meters). The town itself is super cute and fun to walk through…. stop and grab a cappuccino in the café near the falls, or plan to go down for the day and hike up behind Staubback Falls for an unforgettable view and top it off with a pot of Swiss fondue!
complete with fresh alpine air and water, which runs freely in adorable water fountains all through the town. It is the highest village on the mountain and is only accessible by a gondola and train. We stayed in Mürren at Hotel Eiger (read more about that stay 
making for a wildly enchanting display of ringing bells all throughout the fields. That might sound a bit obnoxious (I was certainly expecting it to be), but it was actually quite soothing and I find myself missing it already! Even if you aren’t a hiker, there are lots of smaller trails to take, and even walking through town, or down to Gimmelwald is super fun! If you ARE a hiker then you’ll be in a hiker’s paradise, as there are hiking trails that run all up and down the mountain that begin (or at least pass through) Mürren. We did the North Face Trail, which took us about 2 hours to complete, although we did go up the harder way. There is an option to take a train/trolley up the hardest portion, which will drop you off at the path, but we didn’t take that so I don’t know the price. The North Face Trail is a complete circle, so you begin and end in Mürren, and the difficulty is ranked as “medium” (it’s known to be good for kids, and probably even more-so if you are taking the trolley). Pro Tip: pick up fresh bread, cheese, and chocolate at the store on your way up and have a picnic in the Alps when you reach the open field! You get a perfect view of the mountains, including Eiger. (Pro PRO Tip: make sure that the water that you pick up to bring on your hike isn’t sparkling…we MAY have made this mistake….sparkling water is much less refreshing on a hike 😀 ). You also get to see lots of cows and sheep and hear their mesmerizing bells chiming throughout your whole hike. The path is mostly dirt and gravel until the last ¼ mile that brings you back into town where it turns to pavement. Total mileage is about 4 miles and the trail is situated right above Mürren. More adventurous hikers can hike for several days to get to the top of Schilthorn, but there are many hikes with difficulty levels for everyone in between! Be sure to ask your hotel receptionist for a map that lists hiking trails…everyone that we met spoke very good English and was super friendly, helpful, and hospitable!
a gift shop and a James Bond museum. To be honest, we didn’t spend much time inside, as we were there more for the spectacular view, not so much for the James Bond references 🙂 The only way to get to the top of Schilthorn (other than hiking) is by gondola. We started in Mürren and rode the 2 gondolas (Mürren to Birg, and then Birg to Schilthorn) for 82 CHF each, which also includes the return trip. I think you can get a discount if you have a Swiss Travel Pass, or other types of rail passes, but we didn’t have those so I’m not sure as to what the discount is exactly. The entire trip from Mürren up to Schilthorn took 
about 20 minutes, but it would be a longer trip if you were starting lower than Mürren. I would advise you to look online at their live camera first before you go…sometimes it’s so cloudy/foggy up there that you can’t see anything, which makes the 82 CHF not worth it. The camera is live 24 hours a day and can be visited 
world, and as such, have some of the best chocolate in the world. My suggestion: try it all! You can get a variety of different bars at a grocery store for around $2 each…they make for great mid-hike snacks, paired with coffee while you sip and stare at the view, or even as a late night snack in the hotel! Be sure to stock up and bring some home for friends and family…. they’re great inexpensive options that everyone loves 🙂
that varies from restaurant to restaurant. The fondue usually comes with a variety of vegetables, bread pieces, and potatoes to dip…we split a pot of it for lunch in Lauterbrunnen and it was fabulous!
are spectacular! You can sit on the terrace outside that gives a perfect view of Mount Eiger…perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up or a post-hike treat!
take advantage of the free hiking and you can make it affordable!
Most of our trips revolve around some type of beach, however, there is just SOMETHING about the mountains that just draws you in! We have both always grown up around mountains, so maybe we just got used to them, but there really is something so profound yet powerful and magical about them, and the Alps are no exception! This was my first trip to the land-locked country of Switzerland and the first time I’d seen any of the Alps and there really is just nothing to compare them to, the country is just absolutely breathtaking! If you have not ever been, I HIGHLY recommend that you make this a top bucket list item. We spent 3 days and 2 nights in the adorable little car-free town of Murren, which is in the Burnese Highlands in the Jungfrau region (to read more about what we did in Switzerland check out my post 
your stay has been thought out ahead of time so that all you have to do is relax. They even allowed us to store our luggage at the front desk after we checked out at 11 since we were still planning on doing some hiking. They also are able to offer a room to shower and change in after you check out in case you need to clean up after exploring…see, I told you they thought of everything 🙂 We were welcomed by owner Susanna, who gave us a super helpful rundown of the town of Murren and of the 
hotel. Susanna (like most Swiss natives that we met) was extremely hospitable and helpful and is willing to answer any and all questions. She showed us the best places to go in town, the best hiking trails to take, suggested other towns and attractions to explore, and explained how to get there…she is a great resource that is always willing to help! That same hospitality is also true of the rest of the staff at Hotel Eiger…everyone is extremely friendly and hospitable and eager to help make your stay the best! Honestly, the customer service that we experienced at this hotel was probably some of the best we’ve had in all our travels. On top of that, we probably have had the best sleep here that we’ve ever had in a hotel, no joke. The combination of a quiet car-free town, fresh mountain air, and the glorious alpine water makes for a perfect night’s sleep, and some pretty perfect days too 🙂
mini fridge, flat screen tv, and a very clean bathroom (which comes complete with robes and hairdryer!). Everything you could need is provided and the room is very clean. The decor in the room is also very pleasing and makes you feel right at home. We especially loved the fresh air and natural light coming from the windows and balcony door. The best part of the room is the balcony (obviously), which faces the mountains and gives you a SPECTACULAR view, quite honestly, probably the best view in the town. Hotel Eiger was one of the only hotels with a clear view of the Eiger, which is what makes the hotel so spectacular. Free wifi is also available and you also get a guest card which will get you discounts in town at nearby shops!
could want! They have an indoor swimming pool and lounge area, an outdoor rooftop lounge area, gym, ski room, sauna, indoor lounge area with leather couches, a bar, a child’s play room and library, souvenir shop, and 3 restaurants…THREE! (Check out the souvenir shop for super cute local handmade gifts and Swiss treasures; we loved the shop!). The free breakfast buffet is located in one of the indoor dining rooms with big windows that offer a perfect view of the Eiger. The buffet itself is fantastic with all types of bread, cheese, and meat options, cereal, yogurt, eggs, and pastries. They even offer a variety of juices and champagne!
tricky to get to. But again, the views make it completely worth it! We had a rental car that we left in the covered parking garage located at the train station in Lauterbrunnen, which is the town below Murren which IS accessible by car. We ended up paying about 25 CHF (Swiss Francs) for the 2 nights and 3 days that our car was in the garage, so it evens out to about 8 CHF per day. From there we got tickets to Murren, which cost about 11 CHF per person for a one-way trip. The fare includes a gondola from Lauterbrunnen to 
Grutschalp, and the train ride that takes you from Grutschalp to Murren. The entire trip from Lauterbrunnen to Murren takes about 30 minutes total. You can buy the tickets at the train station or the 
at the gondola station, and the gondola leaves Lauterbrunnen every 30 minutes. The train station at Murren is located right in front of Hotel Eiger, and while there is a porter available for the hotel, you really don’t need it since its right across the street. From what I’m told, you can also get to Murren via gondola instead of the gondola/train combination. We didn’t take that route, but the gondola station is on the other side of town, so if you go that route with your bags you may want to utilize the porter option.
Pilot Life for Me 