Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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Vieux Port, walk up three block, on your left. €2 entrance, students free. Oct-May 10am-5pm, Jun-Sep 11am-6pm.
LA CANEBIÈRE
La Canebière
MARKET
If you were expecting an open market with the local medicinal hash, we hate to disappoint: “la canabière” is a false cognate. Deriving its name from the Provençal for “hemp,” this bustling shopping street is named after Marseille’s historic ropemakers and sailors. Look for the really long street that separates Vieux Port from Belsunce.
Vieux Port. Turn around and walk up.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Beaches
LA PLAGE POINTE ROUGE
Popular with local windsurfers and kite-boarders, and an oasis for SCUBA divers. Small but awesome windbreak, protected by a jetti.
#19 bus to Toulon.
PRADO PARC
When residents complained about not having easy access to local beaches, this park was created to provide both a community hangout and a buffer between more relaxed tanning beaches and the main road. Packed with both tourists and locals in summer, the park is pretty big, and is conveniently broken up into 4 smaller beaches: Benneveine, Borely, Roucas Blanc, and Vieille Chapele.
Either the #19 bus of #83 to La Plage bus stop.
Hiking
SORMIOU CALANQUE
One of the easiest and most breathtaking of the calanques, this trail leads down to a small cove where it’s just too pretty to not swim, even if it means donning your underwater or birthday suit to enjoy it.
Take the #23 bus to the end of the line, and follow the signs for Sormiou down a hike that is all downhill, and takes 25 min.
LUMINY CALANQUE
The calanque to the East of Sormiou, and equally pretty. Windy trail for 30min downhill to the water’s edge where cliff jumpers are seen jumping from the high ledges into the lagoon.
End of bus #23, follow signs for Luminy.
FOOD
Vieux Port
LE SUD DE HAUT
80 cours Julien
AFRICAN, HAITIAN
04 91 33 75 33
This hippie African/Haitian restaurant specializes in French attitude and American cinema, and is more than willing to provide a little kitsch whenever needed. Few other places offer sit down service with dessert for €10. The walls are painted in bright African colors and papered with American movie and music posters. Oddly enough, the Declaration of Independence too; we’ve just become more of a fan. The dessert is especially awesome—check out the chocolate covered fried banana.
Notre Dame -Cour Julien. €10.50 lunch menu with plat du jour and dessert du jour. Make it a three course for €16. Plats €11-16. Cocktails €7. Open T-Sa noon-2:30pm, 7-10:30pm.
AU FALAFEL
5 rue Lulli
FALAFEL, SHAWARMA
04 91 54 08 55
Kickass Israeli falafel and shawarma joint. The hummus is homemade, and the falafels are assembled in-house and served hot. The framed pictures of local graffiti art that line the walls are a particular treat, but we nonetheless recommend that you sit outside; the fryer is situated right by the entrance, and the place can get pretty hot. Take-out availible.
Vieux Port. €4.50 Falafel, Chicken curry and dishes €6. Open M-Th noon-midnight, F noon-4pm, Su noon-midnight.
FOUR DES NAVETTES
136 rue Sainte
BOULANGERIE
04 91 33 65 69 www.fourdesnavettes.com
Founded in 1781, the oldest boulangerie in Marseille is famous for its secret recipe of a lemony, hard biscuit that every February 2, the abbey of St-Victor blesses as they first come out of the oven at 6am. Almond cakes and other biscuits fill the air with aromas of marzipan and glazed sugar.
Down the street from the Abbaye St-Victor. 1 Navette €0.75, for a dozen €8. Open M-Sa 7am-8pm, Su 9am-1pm and 3-7:30pm. Aug daily 9am-1pm and 3-7:30pm.
CAFE LULLI
26 rue Lulli
CAFE
04 91 54 11 17 http://lecafelulli.over-blog.com
The tea jars stacked high behind the register demonstrate the number of available options at this tea cafe. As far as food goes, try the quiche and salade lunch combo (€7.50) or splurge on the dessert maison (€2-6).
Vieux Port, near the Opera. Open Lunch menu from €7.50-11.
Le Panier
CHEZ MANON
2 rue Rodillat
TRADITIONAL
06 21 42 30 91
This small cafe may only have 3 tables, but the light blue walls with yellow stripes are oddly soothing, and the proprietess Nacira is a sweetheart who goes out of her way to take care of you. Whether looking for a sandwich (€3.50-4.50) or a more substantial penne dish with salmon, or a combo of three French cheeses (€9-12), this is the perfect escape from the busy quai du port.
Tucked away in plain sight 100m from the Vieille Charité. Open daily 10:30am-6pm.
LE SOUK
100 quai du Port
NORTH AFRICAN
04 91 91 29 29 www.restaurantlesouk.com
Tall people watch out in this low-ceiling-ed (we’re talking 6’ here) restaurant, which serves Maghreb style tea, tahini, and couscous. Tables are accompanied by small cushions in lieu of seats, and dishes served in traditional pottery from across the Med. Choose from wines from Morocco, Algeria, or France to acompany your menu du jour (€13.50).
Plates from €8-25. Menu du jour offers plat du jour and dessert du jour or entree du jour and plat du jour. Open Tu-Su noon-2:30 and 7:30-10:30pm.
CHEZ MADIE LES GALENETTES
138 quai du Port
PROVENÇAL
04 91 90 40 87
A Provençal cafe specializing in traditional Marseillaise cuisine, located in Marseille? Blasphemy! Not only that, but the beach theme trend applies here as well. Located right on the harbor, the fish tastes fresher and the tourists are louder. Splurge here for dinner when it’s not as crowded on the boardwalk.
Three course menu featuring local fish and lamb chops €25. Desserts €6. Open M-Sa noon-2pm, 8-11pm.
LE WICH
Passage Pentécontore, in between quai du Port and rue de la Loge.
CRÊPERIE
A one window panini and crêpes shop identifiable by the light pink and green storefront and the long line that winds to the other end of the alley. The fare here is sweet and wicked cheap, and features sweet paninis that are rare in a world of grilled ham and cheese (nutella and banana panini; €4).
Paninis and sandwiches from €3-5. Open daily 10am-5:30pm.
MIRAMAR
12 quai du Port
PROVENÇAL
04 91 91 10 40 www.bouillabaisse.com
If food is more important to you than housing, splurge here for over-the-top fish and lobster dishes and more over-the-top service. Named one of France’s gourmet restaurants of the year in 2009, Miramar has sure taken pains to keep up its reputation; the outside seating is covered and enclosed, to keep out noise and riff-raff like yourself. Right on the water, reserve a table well in advance, preferably with someone else paying for you. This may well be the best meal you’ll have in Southern France.
Dishes between €25-44. Daily fish specials. Open T-Sa noon-2pm, 7-10pm.
Belsunce
MARCHÉ PROVENÇAL
7 rue Vacon
MARKET
04 91 54 44 87
Belsunce may well host a largely North African population, but we’ve noticed that there’s plenty of cross-over between French and North African culture—and that most of these commonalities have to do with food. This open air fruit and vegetable market is the heart of Belsunce, and specializes in seasonal fruits from both sides of the Med. Incredibly, given the its size, the market is run by a single local Algerian family.
Market prices. Open daily 8am-8pm.
ARABESQUE
20A rue d’Aix
NORTH AFRICAN
04 91 91 96 75
Algerian bakery and tea salon on a main, well-populated street in B
elsunce. The neighborhood favorite boasts an array of finely decorated sweets covered in various amounts of carmelized sugar (€1-3). A lunch menu comprised of your standard couscous and kebabs is also available (€7). Try it with the mint tea, which is brewed with real mint leaves.
Bakery items €1-3. Lunch kebab or couscous €6.70. Open daily 6am-8pm, lunch from 12-3pm. Tea salon open after 3pm.
NIGHTLIFE
Most of the bars and clubs here are located in Vieux Port. The more artsy (read: kooky) watering holes are in the area around Cours Julien, while the more hopping, and more expensive hotspots can be easily spotted along the port. Le Panier is devoid of bars, since it’s devoid of people at night anyway. Belsunce is where you go when you want to get lost at night and quickly regret doing so.
Vieux Port
PETIT NICE
28 pl. Jean Jaurès
BAR
The giant covered patio seating dominates this local fixture of the Cours Julian neighborhood, and is almost three times the size of the bar itself. The inside is decorated with a seemingly random assortment of ropes, hats, Nice posters, and life rings that adhere to the restaurant’s general Nice theme (we guess).
Cours Julien. Half pints €2. Pints €4. Rum and mixed drinks €3.50. Open Tu-Th 11am-2am, F-Sa 8am-2am.
SHAMROCK
17 quai de Rive Neuve
IRISH PUB
A tried and true Irish bar where the city’s students and youth hostel workers can always depend on to be open. In true shamrock fashion, the Shamrock encourages patrons to drink above and beyond the legal limit—on Mondays, all pints are half-off all night. Soccer and rugby scarves cover the walls.
Happy hour Tu-Su 6-8pm. Pints €5.50-6. Open daily 4pm-2am.
DAN RACING
17 rue Andre Poggioli
BAR
06 09 17 04 07 www.dan-racing.tk
This Harley-themed bar is about as loose and fast as its owner, who never listens to a band before letting them play on stage. More often than not, this tolerant system of letting anyone play only adds to Dan Racing’s fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants vibe, but it occasionally results in the hiring of slasher head-banging groups who sound like some cross between Jacques Cousteau and Iron Maiden. Cours Julien. Free entry. Beer €2.50. Open F-Sa 6:30pm-2am.
TROLLEYBUS
24 quai de Rive-Neuve
CLUB
06 72 36 91 10 www.letrolley.com
One of the few clubs in Vieux Port that’s not a strip club, this Trolleybus features different kinds of rock, electonica, and world beat in each of their three rooms. Whoever’s in charge of the lights here should definitely get a pay raise: when this research-writer visited, a rock concert was projected onto the wall in the first room, fast-paced strobelight pulsed in another, and some moodier, groovier lighting was dappling the third.
€10, free drink with entry. Open Jul-Aug W-Sa 11pm-6am, Sep-Jun Th-Sa 11pm-6am.
Le Panier
BAR 13 COINS
pl. 13 Coins
BAR
Identifiable by its dark red exterior and the loud portraits of people painted in bright African yellows, greens, and reds along the walls, this chill bar is ideal for an early start in the afternoon or the first drink of the night. Posters advertising African and Maghreb music concerts paper the doors and windows. While the beer here is not the cheapest, the groovy vibe makes the place more than worth it.
Beer €3-4.50. Mixed drinks €5. Open daily 8am-midnight (or later depending on the scene).
ARTS AND CULTURE
Festivals
FESTIVAL DE MARSEILLE
Going strong since 1996, this ginormous music, dance, and movie festival features everything from ballet performances to special screenings to rock concerts. The festival is technically a celebration of Marseille’s illustrious history, but appears to be more of an excuse for a two-month party. The festivities start in Le Panier and gradually move east across the city.
Prices vary accoring to event. June and July. Check out 6 Place Sadi Carnot, or www.festivaldemarseille.com for specific information on times.
ESSENTIALS
Marseille is essentially an immigrant town, so if the local resources seem to be overwhelmingly intended for a North African/Arab population, that’s because they are. Never fear! There is help for tourists here!
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICE: Free maps and accommodations bookings. Marseille City Pass includes RTM day pass, access to 14 museums, a walking tour, ferry to Île d’If and varying discounts for city music festivals and events (4 La Canebière 04 91 13 89 00 www.marseille-tourisme.com Vieux Port City Pass 1 day, €22; 2 day €29 Open M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 10am-5pm.) Annex (At train station 04 91 50 59 18 Open M-F 10am-12:30pm, 1-5pm)
• TOURS: Tourist office offers walking tours of the city in French daily (One tour in English per week; ask for schedule). Petit Train: Almost always full of families and tourist groups, this Disneyland-esque trolley takes tourists around the the major sites of the city (04 91 25 24 69 Departs on 3 different tracks: Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, Old Marseille, and Frioul archipelago. From quai Belges every 30min.; from Port Frioul to the Saint Estève for the archipelago. The first two routes run Apr-Nov 10am-12:20pm and 2-6pm; the one to the archipelago runs Jul-Aug 10am-12:20pm and 2-6pm. €7/4 for children, €6/3 for children and the one to the archipelago runs Jul-Aug (€3.5/2.5 for children.)
• CONSULATES: UK (24 av. du Prado 04 93 15 72 10 Open M-F 9:30am-noon and 2-4:30pm by appointment only). US (12 pl. Varian Fry 04 91 54 92 00 Open M-F 9:30am-noon and 2-4:30pm by appointment only).
• LOST PROPERTY: Although it’s probably already been resold or put on a ship to Algeria. Good luck. (41 bd de Briançon 04 91 14 68 97.)
• YOUTH CENTER: Centre Régional Information Jeunesse (CRIJ) Information on long term housing, short term employment, vacation planning (once you get that job) and services for the disabled. (96 Canebière 04 91 24 33 50 www.crij.com Noailles Open M 10am-5pm, Tu 1-5pm, W-F 10am-5pm. Limited hours July and Aug.)
• GLBT RESOURCES: (www.gay-sejour.com)
• LAUNDROMATS: Most hostels have laundry services, even if it’s not listed; just ask. (8 rue Rudolf Pollack. Open daily 9am-7pm.)
• INTERNET ACCESS: Free internet at the CRIJ. There are also many internet cafes scattered around Belsunce and the Vieux Port. Look for the North African flags in the windows—they advertise that international calls can be made from that cafe.
• POST OFFICE: (1 pl. Hôtel des Postes. Take La Canebière toward the sea and turn right on rue Reine Elisabeth as it becomes Hôtel des Postes. 04 91 15 47 00 Currency exchange availible. Open M-W 8am-6:45pm, Th 9am-6:45pm, F 8am-6:45pm, Sa 8am-12:15pm. Branch at St-Charles as well scattered libeally around the city.)
• POSTAL CODE: 13001
Emergency!
• SOS VOYAGEURS: (Gare St. Charles 04 91 62 12 80.)
• POLICE: (2 rue du Antoine Becker Branch at train station next to Platform A. 04 91 39 80 00).
• PHARMACY: (7 rue de la République 04 91 90 32 27 English and French spoken. Open daily 8:30am-7pm.)
• HOSPITAL: Hôpital Timone. (264 rue St-Pierre Timone. 04 91 38 00 00).
Getting There
By Plane
Aéroport Marseille-Provence (04 42 14 14 14 www.mrsairport.com). It’s a popular destination, so many carriers offer service to Marseille (airport code MRS). Air France offers flights from Paris. Ryan Air also has service to London Airports and to various offshoots of main airports throughout Europe. Shuttles ( 08 91 02 40 25 €.30 per min) run every 20 minutes between the airport and Gare St-Charles ( €8 25min.).
By Train
Gare St-Charles is the hub of the city, with frequent trains within France. International trains go through Paris (stations differing by ultimate destination). Trains to Lyon ( 1 hr. 20 per day €58), Nice ( 2 hr. 20 per day €32) and Paris ( 3 hr., 15 per day €105). For up-to-date, accurate fare information go to www.sncf.com. For those of you u
nder 25, you can get a TER pass for €15, valid one year, and get a 50% discount on regional travel in Provence-Alps-Côte d’Azur (PACA), or anywhere else for that matter. Trust us, you don’t want the TER from Marseille to Paris—its a long haul.
By Bus
Pl. Victor Hugo, behind train station (08 91 02 40 25. Gare St-Charles. Ticket counters open M-F 6:15am-7:30pm, Sa 6:30am-6:30pm, Su 7:45am-noon, 12:45-6pm.) Depending on location, you can buy tickets on board the bus (i.e. the closer the destination, the more likely) but we reccomend buying tickets at the window and follow ticket-window-guy’s advice. To Aix-en-Provence ( every 10-15 min 6:30am-8:30pm, two per hour 9-11:30pm €5.50), Nice ( 2hr, 1 per day €28, students €19), and Cannes ( 2-3 hr. 4 per day €25, students €19).