The City

Multicultural Marseille has a plethora of attractions for any visitor. Thanks to its history and geographic location Marseille is full of character. There is a strong North African and Middle Eastern presence in the city yet its heart is undeniable French and is the home of the French national anthem, la Marseillaise.

Marseille has over the years earned itself a bit of an undesirable reputation but don’t let this put you off as there is loads of great stuff to see and it is really quite safe. The city is cosmopolitan and vibrant although gritty in parts and with some ‘fruity’ smells around some of the backstreets. Whilst the reputation of the city and its image is improving you do have to take care not to get lost in the wrong area.

The old port is one of the touristier and certainly one of the most picturesque parts of town. It is still an active port frequented by, pleasure boats and local fishermen who can be seen unloading their catch straight into the quayside stalls near the east end. There are a few cafés in the area, a perfect location to sit and observe local life around the port.

University

There are three universities in Marseille:

Université de Provence – focuses on the arts and social sciences. The university is split and has campuses both in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence as do many of the Provencal universities.

Université de la Méditerranée – focuses on the sciences and medical based subjects, again the uni has campuses split between Aix and Marseille.

Université d’Aix-Marseille –

Food and Drink

Local Specialties; Unsurprisingly fresh fish and seafood make up Marseilles most well known speciality; bouillabaisse. It is a broth like soup, with strong flavours of saffron and garlic the soup is filled with healthy chunks of fish with croutons and ‘rouille’ thrown in.

Eating Out; Whilst you are out in France we definitely suggest that you make the most of the cheap food and drink. You will be able to find set menus (usually 3 courses) ranging from between 15-25€ depending on where you go, so there is absolutely no excuse not to try out all the local specialties.

The Marseillais love there food so there is no surprise that there is a plentiful supply of great restaurants. The old port is obviously one of the best spots to enjoy a bit of bouillabaisse in the city, with most of the ingredients being freshly caught that day. The area is picturesque and somewhat enchanting so is a good place to start.

Other areas for good restaurants include the areas around la Place Jean-Jaures.

Out on the Town

Again the old port has many interesting bars and cafés however if you fancy something a bit more lively try la Place Jean-Jaures or le quai de Rive Neuve. Both have a good choice of bars and clubs to choose from, which are suited to the younger generations.

Live music, both jazz and rock are also pretty popular in the city and definitely worth while, so check out the box offices (Fnac, Virgin etc) to see what’s on.

The boring stuff

When you first arrive in Marseille there are a number of things that we suggest you get out the way.

Housing Benefit; As a student in France you will be eligible for housing benefit. It is a monthly payment offered by the state to help students be able to afford to pay their rent. In order to receive this benefit you must apply for it at the Caisses d’Allocations Familiales or CAF as it is better known. You can apply for housing benefit either on-line or at the CAF itself.

There are a few different offices in Marseille so check out the website above to which one is nearest to you.

We do recommend that you try to complete the necessary paperwork on the internet as the waiting time at the CAF is notoriously long. If you have any problems filling out the forms don’t hesitate to ask us for a hand!

Gas and Electricity;EDF are the main suppliers of gas and electricity in France. Once we have secured your accommodation we will contact EDF/GDF to inform them that you are the new tenant. You will get your bills from these guys which we suggest you pay as soon as they arrive. Failure to pay may mean disconnection at a charge of 30€. If you have any problems with the supply of gas or electricity get in contact with the supplier and notify the landlord. The number for EDF Provence Cote D’Azur (your region) is: 0491748800.

Bank Account; When you arrive we recommend that you open a bank account asap. Having a French bank account will allow you to pay bills and manage your money more easily. There are a number of Banks to choose from all offering slightly different packages. We can however recommend La Banque Postale. This is a subsidiary of the post office ’La Poste’. The advantage of having a bank account with ’La Poste’ is that you will be able to access your money and carry out transactions from practically anywhere in France, unlike other banks who often require that you return to the holding branch to carry out any transfers or transactions.

Transferring Money; Thanks to our english banking service you are able to pay your rent into an English bank account so you will not be charged for transferring money or be stung by exchange rates. In order to fully benefit from this fact we suggest that you use travelers cheques to transfer money between accounts. Travelers cheques are secure and there is no charge for cashing them. It is an ideal way to move money between your English and French account without losing money.

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