Car Rental Marseille

If you plan on fully exploring Marseille and getting out into the wonders of Provence, car rental is essential. There are a few things you need to know. French driving laws are updated frequently, and it’s best to get familiar with them before you arrive. You can find guides to the latest rules online. 

Street parking in the center of Marseille can be very difficult, so it’s best to make use of parking lots and garages – or any parking provided by your hotel – before proceeding into the heart of Marseille on foot. There’s a one-way system in operation in much of the city.

Marseille is a very well-connected city in terms of access to highways and freeways, and there are plenty of nearby coastal towns you can drive to if you plan on exploring the Riviera.

Head west on the A55 and N568 to Nimes, and from there you can swing south-west on the A9 for Montpellier, Beziers, Narbonne and Perpignan. Visit the glamorous city of Nice by driving east on the A8, stopping at Cannes on the way.

Heading inland into Provence, the A7 leads first to Avignon and then Lyon, about a three-hour drive away. From here you can access the heart of France if you’re planning a French road trip.

One scenic route of note is to take the A50 to the gorgeous coastal town of Cassis, where you should sample the seafood before continuing on to Toulon. The Maritime Museum and Mont Faron are two highlights of Toulon, a compact but charming city.

If you love a thrill, you can reach Mont Faron by cable car. From Toulon, drive along the coast on the D98, or head inland on the A57 and then the D558 to arrive in St. Tropez, where glitz and glamor await.

Marseille is a city with more pep in its step than ever before – its rough edges smoothed down by recent investment and rebuilding. With a distinct culture and attitude set around a busy port, it’s kind of like the French equivalent of Italy’s Naples.

Combining memorable coastline and beaches with metropolitan life, France’s second city is a great place to explore.

Head for the harbor 

The Vieux Port – Marseille’s old harbor – has been hosting ships for over 2,000 years. While the main shipping commerce has been relocated away from the main port, it’s still a busy place for tourist yachts and fishermen.

You can sample the fresh catch while looking out to sea at plenty of nearby restaurants. If you want to get away from the city, hop on a boat trip to explore the coast, or visit an offshore island.

Two large forts guard the port – Fort St-Jean and Fort St-Nicolas – which were built in the 13^th and 17^th centuries respectively. The area is studded with lovely cafes and brasseries serving typical French fare.

If you want to save your legs and see both sides of the harbor, catch the ferry that crosses the port from one end to the other.

Top of the hill

If you’ve visited the Vieux Port before anywhere else in Marseille, you won’t have failed to notice the Catholic basilica towering on a hill above the city. Notre-Dame de la Garde is the city’s most popular tourist site, completed in 1864 and topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary, gilded with gold leaf.

As the city’s highest point, it combines Romanesque and Byzantine elements, and sits on the site of previous 13^th and 15^th century chapels.

Once occupied by German soldiers during World War Two, it was liberated in 1944, and offers the best panoramic views of the area.

One of the Sherman tanks used by the Free French forces during the liberation – the Jeanne D’Arc – is now a memorial on Montee de la Bonne Mere.

Stroll through Le Panier 

Le Panier is the oldest district of Marseille and can be reached with an uphill hike (or drive) from the Vieux Port. You’ll want to travel through it on foot, however, with its narrow, cobbled streets and rustic feel. A bustling marketplace in Greek times, it now combines housing with artisan workshops.

Two highlights of the quarter are the Centre de la Vieille Charite and Cathedrale La Major (sometimes simply known as Marseille Cathedral).

The former was established in the 17^th century by the local architect Pierre Puget as a shelter for the poor, although it later fell into use as an asylum, a French Foreign Legion barracks and a nunnery. Restored in the 1970s and 80s after falling derelict, it now houses a fascinating range of museums.

The cathedral had its first stone laid by Napoleon III in 1852, and its unique architectural design makes it well worth your while to visit. Built of stone and marble, it has a striped appearance typical of the Byzantine-Roman style, while next to it are the remains of the original, 12^th century cathedral.

More lively than its Riviera neighbors, Marseille is a city with a distinct flavor. Car rental in Marseille makes all of it available for you to explore at your own pace, while the famed Provencal countryside is mere minutes away.