Flights to Marseille with Air France

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Soak up the sun - and Marseille's unique ambiance

The Mediterranean city of Marseille is the second largest in France, with 852,000 inhabitants in the city proper. Like many cities on the Mediterranean coast, it was originally founded by Greek settlers.

Marseille is well-known for its cosmopolitan make-up, as befits its status as a major global port. Air France flights from Dublin take as little as 4 hours, which includes a change in Paris or Amsterdam. The main airport in Marseille is Marseille-Provence Airport, which is around 15 miles from the city centre and is accessed via taxi, train or shuttle bus.

Thanks to its geographical location, Marseille has an enviable climate with 2,800 hours of sunshine each year and very little rain compared to most French cities. This means that life is very much lived outdoors here, whether it's on the terrace of a local café, strolling down the Canebière, (Marseille's Champs Elysées), or having a kick-about in a local park. Marseille has been designated 2017's European Capital of Sport, and the city is definitely very passionate about sports, especially football. One not-to-be-missed visit is that of the Stade Vélodrome, home to Olympique de Marseille, the local soccer club. With a capacity of 67,000 spectators, it's the largest club venue in the country. A little to the west of the stadium, along the coast, are a series of beaches, including les Plages du Prado, where multiple aquatic leisure activities are on offer.

If you continue southwards, you'll reach the famous 'calanques', which are steep-sided sea inlets. These can be reached on foot or you can book a boat tour and see them from the seaward side.

The area around the old port has a cluster of top attractions, not least the port itself, which is now used mainly as a pleasure boat marina and fish market. Just a short distance from here may be found the following Marseille landmarks:

• The Mucem (the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations)
• the Fort Saint Jean
• Marseille History Museum
• the Abbaye Saint Victor
• the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde

The Basilica also offer tremendous views over the city, but it's the abbey which is significantly older, having been founded in the 5th century AD.

Marseille - backdrop to the Count of Monte Cristo, and other creative masterpieces

Marseille also has an amazing literary and cinematic heritage which is well-worth exploring. Alexandre Dumas' 'the Count of Monte Cristo' was set on the Château d'If, a former fortress and prison island, which can be visited by boat from the Old Port. Charles Dickens' 'the Little Dorrit' begins in Marseille, and most famous of all, Marcel Pagnol set multiple films, plays and novels in the city and wider region, including Marius, César, Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, starring Daniel Auteuil and Emmanuelle Béart.

As in all localities in France, Marseille boasts its own culinary specialities. A trip to the food markets in Noailles is a great place to start your initiation into local dishes and ingredients. It goes without saying that the most celebrated Marseille delicacy is bouillabaisse, a stew made from different kinds of fish and shellfish. Swordfish with ratatouille, mussels in herbes de provence and garlic, panisse, (fried chickpea flour cakes), tapenade (a dip made from olives, capers and anchovies) and pistou soup (a vegetable and bean soup flavoured with pistou, a sauce made from olive oil, garlic and basil), are just a few of the other delights available.

If you'd like to explore further afield, why not consider renting a car via the Air France website?