Is Marseille Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo travel

I felt safe but be careful people are kind but some are strange i loved food and calanque but its difficult to be host there. Talk to people to know were to go and what to do they love help and talk and most are funny

Group travel

My favorite city in the world From the moment I arrived in Marseille, I felt at home. I fell in love with the city's urban style, international cuisine, political landmarks, and alternative cafes. I highly recommend it.

Solo travel

I stayed in an airbnb room with a woman and her daughter. They were both super sweet and the room was great. I spent a day in aix-en which was beautiful but super hot I took a boat tour of the calanques which was BEAUTIFUL. It was tricky sometimes because the metro stops running at 11:00. There’s a lot of chaos happening because of the Olympics and the airport is not very easy to get to from where I’m staying in my opinion. It’s either a kind of pricey train or a bus that makes me nervous because of traffic.

Group travel

In marseille, it’s better to go out during the day. The center of the city is very beautiful, there are lots of people. However some places can be dangerous so you may want to stay in crowded areas, city center. It’s hot, there is the beach and sun

Solo travel

Even though I'd heard scary things about Marseille, I was pleasantly surprised by how safe I felt. I might've been lucky but I met so many cool people through Couchsurfing events and made friends with locals which was one of the main reasons I felt secure. I'd give the same general advice to solo female travellers: 1. Be aware of your surroundings 2. Don't go out late at night 3. Research about safe areas to stay and visit and stick to those especially for accommodation. 4. Keep your valuables as securely as possible and keep an eye on your stuff. Guard your stuff like a hawk, especially in public transport and tourist hotspots

Solo travel

I’m not impressed with Marseille. Though I feel I’ve been spoiled by staying in Avignon the week prior (which is a gorgeous city). The moment I got off the train at the central station I knew I was in a city. It feels & looks dirty & the neighbourhood my hostel is in does not make me feel safe. At dinner I walked to the harbour along a very big & touristy road, but it was filled with gangs of men staring & commenting at me. As a lone female it’s not often I feel unsafe (I grew up in London, I know how to hold myself when out & about), but this evening I had to have my wits about me & decided to get the metro home just one stop to avoid having to experience that again. It’s put me off going out tomorrow evening now. Very disappointing.

Group travel

Marseille is an amazing city with a lot of diversity and hidden treasures. The musems are quite diverse and very interesting. I highly recommend the Museum of the History of Marseille, the Mémorial des déportations and the Museum Cantini. Also, I highly recommend visiting the Calanques, it is gorgeous there :)

Solo travel

Marseille was at itself a very nice city, lots of stuff todo and French pastries are just amazing. There where quite a lot of sights like some churches and museums as well as the Harbour. BUT after dark I didn’t feel safe as a female walking around alone and not in the sketchy parts but in the touristic center inward talked to by several weird man and even followed by some drunk people and I had to seek rescue at the next store with a security guy. Overall I would recommend marseille by day, by night I wouldn’t go out alone. I even met some guys at my hostel who told me the same and they were like tall men so…

Solo travel

After researching online I was quite hesitant about my trip to Marseille due to its reputation of being unsafe for solo female travellers. Do not let this stop you from visiting this beautiful city! As long as you trust your intuitions and go to the right places, you will have a wonderful experience. I stayed in a studio apartment in La Panier, which was one of the recommended areas as it’s a tourist hotspot and therefore, usually bustling with people. I did not wander about after dark and got back to the studio just after sunset every night in which time, people were still walking around and I felt very safe. If staying in Marseille, I would recommend finding somewhere with a balcony or an amazing view from the window (like I did) as you can still enjoy the city from a distance during the night. One of my favourite experiences from Marseille was visiting the Notre Dame. It is a simple 15 minute bus ride from the port (to avoid walking up the hill) and has the most incredible views of the city. I sat in silence for about half an hour just absorbing the architecture from the inside, it is truly breathtaking.

Solo travel

I had a wonderful solo adventure in Marseille, I rented an Airbnb about 10 kilometers outside the city center, near the foot of the mountain. Plenty of mountain and coastal trails. Easy access to the bus and water transport. I stayed in a quiet area and bought all my food at small local markets.

Marseille is a tricky city. I feel very at home here now that I know it well but for people who are new, it can be a very scary and hectic city. The streets are always full of people, and if you look a little bit like a tourist people will most probably try to steal your phone or bag. More often than not, guys will also look at you and try to flirt. But it all really depends on your attitude: with time, I learned to look like I own the streets and they never managed to steal anything from me.

Marseille is as safe as others big french cities. My fem friends report me a lot of cat calling in the streets but usually people do nothing more. People speak loud but don't do nothing and there's a big solidarity between people. If anything happens to you you will find people here to help at any hours of day or night. Keep your belongings safe tho cause robbers are very good at their job and usually you won't notice a thing ;) If someone steal you and they look not very stable, let it be. Don't try to get on a fight or run after them. It's always just belongings. As a queer non binary person, men usually leave me alone which is nice but as always there's safer neighborhood than others. I recommend you to not stay in La Plaine or Cours Julien too late at night (3-4am) when the streets are getting empty. The only agression I experienced in Marseille took place there 4/5 years ago against a visible gay friend. Marseille has this reputation (at least in France) to be very dangerous. In my experience it's not more dangerous than Paris where I lived for few years. I will say the more "dangerous" thing that could happen to you is to have your phone or wallet stolen whithout even noticing :')