Your property: arrival, amenities, rules and departure. Your stay: an included map, eight city landmarks and a Calanques discovery with photos and useful links. Two parts to find the right answer at the right time.
Download the PDF before travelling so you can find instructions offline. Links and QR codes open official information when you are online. The contents are clickable: choose a section rather than reading everything at once.
Preparing and arriving: pages 3–4. At home: 5–7. Getting around and the map: 8–9. Nine discoveries: 10–18. Planning the Calanques: 19. Two day plans: 20–21. Food and groceries: 22. Departure and contacts: 23. Sources: 24.
Maison Solstice and its location are fictional. The places and their photographs are real. House instructions illustrate a guide: your booking and your host’s message are the reference for times, equipment and access.
Before travelling, send your arrival time through the booking conversation. Your host sends the address and access code privately.
A question? Contact your host in the booking conversation.
Bring comfortable walking shoes, a refillable bottle and clothing suited to the forecast. Before packing bulky linen or equipment, check what is actually supplied. If travelling with children, confirm any equipment you need directly with the host.
Late arrival, early luggage storage, parking or a cot: ask before setting off. These arrangements are not included automatically. Send the date and time you need so your host can give a clear answer.
Match the entrance to the photo you received. Your access message identifies the parking and building.
Open the indicated key box using the privately sent code. Close it as your host instructs.
In this example: first landing, glass corridor, then stairs to the stated floor.
Check the door number in the private message. Let your host know you have arrived safely.
The illustration shows the living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Locate the connections between rooms, then decide where to put your belongings. This view explains the layout; it is not a measured plan.
Read the instructions and your host’s guidance. An appliance appearing in an illustration does not mean it is included in a booked property. Your booking’s inventory and house instructions take priority.
No property Wi-Fi is supplied in this example. Enable your phone hotspot, then select that network in the Smart TV settings. Use your own accounts and sign out before leaving.
The curtains are blackout curtains. Switch off lights and air conditioning when you go out. Follow the appliance instructions and your host’s settings.
In this example, coffee, tea and a small treat are offered by the coffee machine. These touches are listed only when your host actually provides them.
No smoking or vaping indoors. No parties or receptions. Keep noise down, especially in the evening, out of respect for neighbours.
Find the waste collection point and sorting instructions in the host’s photo. Use only the indicated parking and follow the signs; a space is never guaranteed.
For access, an appliance or a local recommendation, message your host in the booking conversation. Report a problem as soon as you notice it.
Find your departure checklist on page 23. Access and key-return information stays in the private booking conversation.
The A1 shuttle links Marseille Provence Airport with Marseille Saint-Charles. Check departures and fares on the airport website before travelling. Plan the onward journey to your actual address; the shuttle does not automatically take you to your accommodation.
Use RTM to plan journeys around the city. Enter your starting point and destination, then check travel updates on the day. Choose a ticket suited to your journeys and follow the network’s validation instructions.
Group visits in the same area instead of crossing Marseille between every stop. The Panier and the approach to Notre-Dame de la Garde involve slopes. With a pushchair or a mobility requirement, check the route and entrances before setting off.
Do not assume parking is included with your booking. Check the rules of your chosen car park and save its address. For a distant outing or dinner, plan your return as well, especially if you rely on the last public transport services.
12345678H© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
The numbers refer to the next pages: 01 Vieux-Port, 02 Panier, 03 Mucem, 04 Major, 05 Notre-Dame de la Garde, 06 Pharo, 07 Vallon des Auffes, 08 Palais Longchamp. The Calanques are covered separately, outside this city-centre map.
H marks a fictional home only. The pins do not form a marked walking route. Use a navigation application for actual directions; the plans on pages 20 and 21 help you choose and group your visits.
At the foot of the Canebière, the Vieux-Port introduces Marseille through its boats, quays and views of Notre-Dame de la Garde. The Ombrière and fish market are familiar landmarks. It is a place to understand the city as well as enjoy a stroll.
Look across both sides before choosing your stroll. Pause to watch the harbour, then head towards the Panier or plan your Mucem visit. Leave some unplanned time to enjoy the atmosphere.
For a boat trip, check boarding, weather conditions and the return directly with the operator. You do not need to book a boat trip to enjoy the quays.
The Panier unfolds through narrow streets, colourful façades, street art and workshops. The Vieille Charité is a cultural landmark in this old neighbourhood. Steps and slopes are part of the walk: this is a place to slow down.
Choose a few streets rather than a checklist of photographs. Notice façade details, visit an open workshop if you wish and take a break. You can combine the walk with the Major, depending on your route.
People live behind the façades you photograph. Respect doorways and private conversations. Check a suitable route if you have a pushchair or find stairs difficult.
The Mucem brings together a museum of European and Mediterranean civilisations and waterfront architecture. A footbridge links the J4 building with Fort Saint-Jean. Your visit can combine exhibitions, architecture and harbour views.
Choose an exhibition before setting off, then leave room for any open outdoor spaces. Take time to look at the building from the esplanade before moving on. The Major is another possible stop in this area.
Programmes, tickets and access to footbridges or outdoor spaces may change. Check the museum website for your date; an outdoor walk does not replace an exhibition ticket.
Sainte-Marie-Majeure cathedral, known as the Major, stands out for its domes and nineteenth-century architecture. Close to the waterfront and the Panier, it offers another perspective on Marseille’s development around its ports.
Look at the building from outside first to appreciate its shape. If an indoor visit is possible, enter quietly and take time to notice the decoration. Combine it with a walk in the area rather than a separate trip just for a photograph.
This is a place of worship. Services and on-site instructions take priority over sightseeing. Check visiting conditions before planning to enter.
Notre-Dame de la Garde overlooks Marseille from its hill. Known as the Bonne Mère, the basilica offers another way to understand the city: harbour, neighbourhoods, islands and sea form a wide panorama. The visit combines the view with a place of worship.
Choose an approach suited to your energy and leave time to enjoy the view. Look for places you have already visited in the panorama. If the interior is open, explore respectfully alongside people who are there to worship.
Walking up involves a real climb. Check the day’s route on RTM; the tourist office lists bus 60 among the options. Plan your way down as well.
The Émile Duclaux garden surrounds the Palais du Pharo and overlooks the Vieux-Port. This is a more contemplative stop, with views of the harbour, boats and monuments across the water.
Plan this stop after a busier visit. Choose a viewpoint, sit down if you wish and watch the boats. Late afternoon can be enjoyable when the weather and opening hours allow.
A walk in the garden does not mean the palace rooms are open for sightseeing. Check garden access and keep your belongings with you while taking a break.
Below the Corniche bridge, this small fishing harbour brings together traditional pointu boats and colourful houses. The Vallon des Auffes shows Marseille on a smaller scale: an intimate seaside scene best enjoyed without rushing.
Walk down towards the harbour to see the boats and façades, then pause without blocking passageways. To extend the outing with a meal, choose a restaurant by its menu and book directly.
This is not an equipped beach. Do not treat the rocks or harbour as a supervised swimming area. Check your route on the day and choose access suited to your mobility.
Longchamp celebrates the arrival of Durance water in Marseille. Its monument, fountain and colonnade form a striking composition. The two wings house the Fine Arts Museum and Natural History Museum, while the park continues behind the monument.
Start with the fountain and architectural ensemble, then choose between the park and a museum visit. It is a good option for combining discovery with a break without turning the day into a race between monuments.
The park and museums have separate visiting arrangements. Check programmes and hours individually. When visiting with children, allow for a shorter visit and a break.
The photograph shows Sugiton: a coastal outing to plan separately from city-centre visits. In this protected landscape, your outing depends on access conditions, weather and your chosen route. It is not a casual urban walk to decide on at the last minute.
Begin with the preparation page that follows. Choose a route suited to your experience and that of your group. A successful outing may be shorter than planned: the return matters as much as reaching a viewpoint.
At Sugiton and Pierres Tombées, a free reservation is compulsory on the peak-season dates published by the National Park. It does not allow entry when the massif is closed.
Check official access conditions, fire risk and weather. Find out whether your chosen area requires a reservation. If it is closed, change your plans: a reservation never overrides an access restriction.
Study the route and return before leaving. A beach photograph does not tell you how difficult the walk is. Choose according to fitness, any children and the group’s needs. Do not improvise shortcuts; use official maps and marked paths.
Carry enough water: the Park states that there are no water points in the Calanques. Bring suitable shoes, sun protection, a charged phone and an offline map. Adapt your equipment to the outing.
Check Park rules, stay on permitted paths and take your litter home. Tell someone your plan. If conditions or your energy change, turn back and leave room for the return. Longchamp is an alternative in the city.
Start on the quays to find your bearings. Head towards the Panier using your navigation map. Allow for a stroll through the streets and take a break when you wish. The aim is to discover a neighbourhood, not tick off every street.
Keep this time flexible. Read menus before sitting down, check prices and explain any dietary needs. If you have booked an exhibition, leave a margin between lunch and your museum entry.
Combine a look at the Major with the J4 area. At the Mucem, choose your planned exhibition and any open outdoor spaces. If tired, save one of the two places for another day instead of rushing.
Return to the harbour for a stroll, or visit Notre-Dame de la Garde if you have planned access and hours allow. This is an editorial suggestion: adapt the order to tickets, weather and your starting point.
Start with the monument, then walk through the park. If an exhibition interests you, give it time and check its admission details. Make this a flexible half-day and keep the afternoon for rest or a neighbourhood you enjoyed.
Choose the Pharo for harbour views or the Vallon des Auffes for a small-port atmosphere. Plan travel between stops before leaving; the map is not a walking route. One of these places may be enough for a relaxed outing.
Give the Calanques their own programme. Read page 19, check access and plan your return. Do not automatically add them after a day of city sightseeing. If the massif is closed, choose the gardens or a museum instead.
Replace a long walk with an open exhibition at the Mucem or a Longchamp museum. Check programmes before leaving and choose fewer stops. A break at home may be better than one final visit nobody has energy for.
For a meal while sightseeing, look for somewhere in your chosen area instead of making an unnecessary detour. The Vieux-Port and Vallon des Auffes have dining options; use the tourist office’s selection and the restaurant’s menu to choose.
Check opening days, menus, prices and booking conditions directly with the restaurant. Confirm your party size and dietary needs. A photograph in this guide is neither a reservation nor a guarantee of availability.
Ask your host for their local bakery, grocery shop and pharmacy. Save the addresses and check hours, especially on Sundays or holidays. No shop here is presented as being near the fictional property.
Bring water and plan a break between visits. If cooking at home, shop according to the space and equipment actually available. Leave a little room in your day for an unexpected discovery or somewhere you want to stay longer.
Fictional example time. Your booking is the reference. Let your host know if you leave earlier.
Wash and put away the dishes. Take waste to the indicated collection point. Turn off the lights and air conditioning. Check your belongings and sign out of TV accounts. Close the windows and lock the property. Return the keys as privately instructed and confirm departure.
A question? Contact your host in the booking conversation.
After your stay, freely share your review and suggestions. Your feedback helps the host improve the welcome.
Information reviewed on 6 October 2026. Fictional home, real places.
Office de Tourisme de Marseille
File:Vieux-Port de Marseille, France.jpg · Clément Bardot · CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Rue du Panier à Marseille (novembre 2022).JPG · Benoît Prieur · CC0
File:MUCEM et port de Marseille.jpg · Marianne Casamance · CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Marseille-Cathedral-June-2012.jpg · Acediscovery · CC BY 4.0
File:Marseille - Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde.jpg · Epgui · CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Palais du Pharo - Marseille (cropped).jpg · Knowtex · CC BY 2.0
File:Marseille Vallon des Auffes 01.jpg · Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0
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