Everything You Need To Know About Shopping In Marseille
Marseille is an amazing place to visit and you will love this city for so many reasons. There are museums and art galleries in nearly every part of the city as well as incredible places to eat and fun things to do and see even as you are wandering. One of the most enjoyable things to do in Marseille is to do some shopping. Marseille shopping has been famous for generations and the modern city is no different than its more antique version. You will find that there are shopping centre locations as well as department stores, and even city centre markets to enjoy when you love to shop. You can't leave without at least enjoying some shopping in Marseille.
Before you get ready to visit any shopping centres or prepare to head to a covered market, you will want to be sure that your bags are stored safely. Place your bags in secure storage in Marseille so that you can have lots of fun when you are touring the city center and finding places like antique shops or art galleries to stop in at. Lugging your suitcases around can ruin your day, and you will have a much better time shopping in any part of the city without your luggage tagging along.
Once your bags are stored safely, you will be ready to go find vintage clothes, scour flea markets, or do some Old Port shopping in Marseille.
Shopping in Marseille
Whether you have just arrived via the Gare Saint Charles, or you have come into the city using another method of travel, there are amazing shopping opportunities in nearly every part of Marseille. You will want to be sure that you are careful about budgeting your time, especially if you are going to want to partake in other experiences besides shopping. This is a city that has always had a rich history related to creating fine goods and you can get everything from handmade clothing to lovely perfumes and soaps in this historical city.
Balancing your shopping in Marseille with visits to historical locations and sites can be a lot of fun as well and you can visit the historical shopping centres on the days that you also check out the museums that teach you about the Old Port part of the city or the Roman history of Marseille. This city has been around for so long that it has a lot of stories to tell and you will be missing out if you do not engage with at least some of what makes Marseille's culture so unique and memorable.
Old Port of Marseille
If you love street vendors or a festive atmosphere, this is the place to head for your shopping experience in the city centre. You will have access to amazing Marseille street food, street vendors, and also more permanent stores that line the Old Port area. This is a really fun place to enjoy shopping of all kinds and there is even a Ferris wheel to ride here. You can also pick up tickets at this location for many of the different museums and other excursion offerings that Marseille provides to tourists.
Centre Bourse Shopping Center
Centre Bourse is a huge shopping center that is a great choice for mainstream and designer brand shopping. You can get clothing, beauty products, homewares, and much more when you head to this centrally-located gem. This is a good choice as well if you love shopping sales because they have a summer and a winter sale event that brings in people from all over the city who are hunting for good deals. The mall itself is quite contemporary and has been serving the residents and tourists of the Marseille City Centre since 1977.
Les Docks Village
This trendy mall is a great place for little, cozy shops that sell designer and handmade goods. You will be able to find everything that you could ever want here without having to head to a flea market for that outdoor street fair experience. This is a very well-rounded shopping center that is beautiful in its own right and that offers a unique shopping experience that you will not find in other places in Marseille. In all, you'll find about 30 shops here in the five historical buildings.
Rue de Rome
One of the older shopping streets in the city, the Rue de Rome is a great place for all the usual department stores but also for access to little hole-in-the-wall places that sell things like Marseille soap (savon de Marseille), herbs, tea, and coffee. This is also a great place if you want to spare yourself some walking around as there is a streetcar that comes right through the middle of the street. You can easily get on the street car and head to your next location if your hands are full of new purchases. The streetcar is one of the best ways to get around Marseille, so you're bound to become familiar with it. Even if you are window shopping, there is so much to love about this area of the city.
Rue Paradis and Rue Grignan
These two streets are where all the high-end shopping in Marseille happens. These are not very assuming streets, but they will give you access to all the designer brands that you could ever want to peruse during your trip. Even if you only look around on the Rue Paradis, it can be worth it to get to see outlets for designer brands that you have probably never gotten to physically walk inside of. For most people, imagining walking into a designer brand store like Louis Vuitton is pretty exciting. Other than Louis Vuitton, you'll also find Lacoste, MontBlanc, and BOSS stores here.
Cours Julien
For a more bohemian and crafty shopping experience, you need to head to the Cours Julien. This is where the artisans of the city go to sell their wares and there is also local produce and fresh fruit and food items offered here at times as well. You will love the welcoming and authentic shopping experience that you will have here even if you are not looking to fill your bags full of souvenirs. It will likely be hard to miss this one as you go about your Marseille, France sightseeing since it's located right in the city centre.
Le Panier
Sometimes referred to as the Montmartre of Marseilles, Le Panier is the oldest neighborhood in the city. This is saying something because of the age of Marseille, and you will want to go to this part of the city just to say that you have laid eyes on it if nothing else. Head here for bakery classics like navettes (iconic Marseille cookies), for good coffee and excellent drinks, and to buy handmade goods that you can bring home with you. There are also merchants in this area that sell Marseille soap, and you will be able to shop for handmade clothing and other items as well. The food artisans are the main attraction here and you will not leave Le Panier hungry.
Marché des Capucins
If you love fresh produce and you like street markets, this is the right shopping venue for you! If you are staying in a house or an apartment while you are in Marseille, France, consider getting some fresh produce from this market to enjoy later on. You will find everything from fruit to vegetables here and there is also a fish market. This is the authentic experience that you might have been looking for and you can round out a day in the countless Marseille museums with a relaxing visit to this local favorite.
Marseille Flea Market
This is the right place to go if you love a good open-air market and if you love to shop for deals. You will have access to more than 300 stalls at this market and more than 40 of them are antique dealers. If you love antiquing, this is going to be paradise! This event has been going on every weekend for more than 20 years and even the weather does not stop the regular vendors from selling here. You will love the local feeling that you can enjoy here and you will feel welcomed into the bosom of the city right alongside its natives when you visit this flea market.
Rue de la Tour
Located not far from Centre Bourse, this shopping street falls right in the middle between the flea market and the upscale shopping that is offered in other parts of the city. This is one of the oldest shopping streets in Marseille, and you can come here to enjoy access to trendy shops, but also local sellers who are making hand-crafted goods. This is also a really enjoyable part of the city if you love street food as there are street food vendors sprinkled throughout the area.
Grand Littoral
Another large shopping center, this is a great choice for younger people who have been a bit bored at some of the places that might have been outside of their budget. This is a mall that also offers you access to food, so you could choose to spend the better part of an afternoon here. This is a different experience than a food hall or a market, but you will have a great time in this peaceful and beautiful mall as you wander from shop to shop.
Galerie Alexis Pentcheff
If you are looking to go home with some art, you will want to head to this art gallery location. This is a very nice space that is dedicated to local artists as well as provencal art as a whole. The art for sale covers various price points as well as an array of styles. This is a very nice option if you don't want to break the bank getting an art piece sent home to you so that you can commemorate your trip to Marseille with something lovely that an artist made.
La Canebière
Perhaps the most famous shopping street in the whole city, this shopping area is often busy and colorful and full of hustle and bustle. This is often called the Champs-Elysées of Marseille and you can shop both local and global brands here. This is a true shopping street experience and not a mall which makes it very special to visit even if you are not going to be buying anything.
There is everything from MAC and Louis Vuitton to locals who are selling their unique designs. The real benefit to heading to this part of the city to go shopping is how authentic and enjoyable the shopping experience will be for those who are not from places with shopping streets like this.
Shopping in Marseille is a real experience!
There are so many great ways to enjoy shopping in Marseille. You can choose to enjoy access to huge shopping malls that are full of designer brands or you might determine that you are more interested in heading to the historical shopping streets in the heart of Marseille. It can be best to experience both of these shopping experiences while you are in the city and even if you are not a fan of handmade goods, stopping in at a flea market or a street market can be exciting as well. There are few cities in the world with so many amazing shopping options and you will have tons of fun when you head to Marseille with shopping in mind.
Always make sure that you have placed your luggage into secure storage before you start planning how to spend money at the stores and shopping centers in this city. You will not have very much fun shopping if you are having drag your luggage all over with you as you try to have your hands free to check out clothing, home goods, and so much more. When your bags are stored securely, you can count on having tons of fun in a special place like Marseille.