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<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-64167" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/67926/MARSEILLE-City-Guide-main.jpg" alt="" width="100%">
<h2>Marseille</h2>
France's second largest city, and home to a metropolitan population of nearly 2 million people. Marseille is one of the largest cities on the Mediterranean.&nbsp;As the capital of the Provence region, Marseille is an excellent base to explore the south of France.
For many years Marseille has struggled to shake off it's reputation as an industrial port city. Now visitors are welcomed to a vibrant cultural centre that is blessed with gorgeous weather in the summer months.
When in Marseille, you will find excellent cuisine (you must try bouillabaisse), historic architecture, fantastic shopping opportunities, a diverse gay scene and museums galore.
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<h2>Gay Rights in France</h2>
For gay rights in France, please see our <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/essential-guide-to-paris/">Gay Paris City Guide</a>&nbsp;page.
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<h2>Gay Scene</h2>
Unlike Paris, Marseille does not have a defined gay district. Most of the gay venues are scattered throughout the city resulting in a quirky and unique gay scene with its own distinct flavour.
The "tough guy" image attached to Marseille still hangs over the city, so public displays of affection are relatively uncommon. Marseille does, however, host a large and vibrant pride celebration on the first week of July.
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<h5><img class="alignnone wp-image-64761 size-full" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/67927/Marseille-MuCEM-e1523943123663.jpg" alt="Mus&eacute;e des Civilisations de l&rsquo;Europe et de la M&eacute;diterran&eacute;e" width="100%">MuCEM&nbsp;</h5>
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<h2>Getting to Marseille</h2>
By plane
Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is located 27 km away from the city centre and is France's 5th busiest airport. As well as acting as a hub for flag carrier Air France, the airport offers links throughout Europe and connections to Asia, Africa and the Americas.
You will need to take the free shuttle from Terminal 2 to Marseille Vitrolles where a direct train takes you to Marseille Saint Charles in 15-25 mins. Services run from about 6 am until around 10.30 pm with more services around rush hour. Singles cost &euro;4.50 and can be bought online, at the airport or at the station.
A direct bus service from Terminal 2 takes you to Marseilles Saint Charles. Journey times are around 25 minutes and leave between 4am and 11.30pm with a waiting time of 15-20 minutes. Singles cost&nbsp;&euro;8.30 and can be bought online or at the counter.
Taxis are available from the airport and to the centre of the city. They will cost around &euro;50-60 depending on time of day, the amount of luggage and any tolls on the road. You can book in advance to save time. As always make sure you get in an official taxi to avoid being ripped off.
By train
Marseille Saint Charles is a well-connected rail hub with good links to the rest of France. A high-speed rail service links Marseille to destinations in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany Switzerland and the Netherlands. The Eurostar service also links Marseille to the UK.
By sea
Marseille is a popular destination for cruises and its port offers scheduled ferry services to Corsica, Sardinia and destinations in North Africa. If luggage free you can walk in half an hour to the centre of town. Joliette is the nearest public transport hub.
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<h5><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-64764" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/67929/Parc-Longchamp-Marseille.jpg" alt="" width="100%">Parc Longchamp</h5>
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<h2>Getting around Marseille</h2>
On foot
Marseille is best explored by foot as only then can you really get a feel for its winding streets. It can, however, be extremely hot in the summer months and the walk up to the old town is quite steep.
By metro, bus and tram
Marseille is incredibly accessible via its integrated public transport system with two metro lines, two tram lines and an extensive bus network getting you where you need to be. Singles cost &euro;1.60 per hour and day tickets cost &euro;5.20.
Metros run from 5.30 am to 10.30 pm Monday to Thursday with services extended until half past midnight over the weekend. Trams run from 5 am to 1 am every day. Buses run regularly throughout the day with a less frequent night bus service available.
By water taxi
Mostly an experience for tourists, the popular water taxi offers water crossings from Vieux-Port to destinations on the waterfront. Services are hourly and run until later in the summer months (depending on weather forecast). Tickets start from&nbsp;&euro;5 and can only be bought on board.
By taxi
It is easy to find taxis in Marseille but as with any major city be careful not to be ripped off. Pre-booking is advised to ensure you get the best rate. Most taxi drivers will speak English as well as French.
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<h2>Where to Stay in Marseille</h2>
For some of the best&nbsp;hotel selections in Marseille, visit our <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/gay-marseille-hotels/">Marseille Hotels page</a>.
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<h2>Things to See &amp; Do</h2>
Vieux Port - Marseille's old port has been the city's focal point for centuries. From here, you can people watch and admire some formidable medieval architecture.
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Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde - Marseille's most prominent landmark. This neo-Byzantine church offers fantastic views over the harbour.
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La Canebi&egrave;re&nbsp;- an elegant, almost Parisian boulevard with a multi-cultural feel. Here you will find a vibrant North African community with a fantastic market just off the street.
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MuCEM (Mus&eacute;e des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la M&eacute;diterran&eacute;e) - here you can explore the ancient and fascinating history that sprung up around the Mediterranean Sea. The building itself is impressive also.
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Le Panier&nbsp;- another wonderfully historic district of Marseille that is great to explore. It really is worth the steep journey up the hill!
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Ch&acirc;teau d'If - historic castle on an island in the harbour just a short ride away by ferry. This island features as a location in Alexandre Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
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Mus&eacute;e d'Histoire de Marseille - a great museum to explore Marseille's vibrant history. This musuem has exhibits stretching back to Roman times.
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Villa M&eacute;diterran&eacute;e - an eye catching structure designed by the architect Stefano Boeri in 2013. The building is almost more impressive than the actual museum it hosts.
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<h2 class="rmq-c48d88d6 Heading" data-radium="true">When to Visit</h2>
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Marseille enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate for most of the year, with the summer months experiencing scorching temperatures. May through to June is probably the best time to visit as the weather is not so sweltering and there are not so many tourists.
That being said Marseille's Bastille day celebrations in July are legendary and compared to Northern Europe, winter in Marseille is very pleasant. It is not uncommon to see North European tourists dining alfresco while Marseille residents are wrapped up.
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<h2>Money</h2>
France is a Euro area country. Cash dispensers are widely available. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted. Hotels, banks and some local businesses also operate foreign exchange desks.

Gay Marseille City Guide

Planning to visit Marseille? Then our gay Marseille city guide page is for you.

Marseille is a large port city in the south of France. It's often seen as a flyover city. Marseille was once notorious for high crime rates. Although things improved a lot recently, the reputation remains. Many travelers skip Marseille in favour of Nice. That being said, Marseille has a lot going for it. You'll find a decent gay scene in Marseille centered around several venues, including bars, clubs, saunas and cruise clubs. You can explore Marseille's port and excellent food scene. Marseille is France's second-largest city. Rather like Naples, Marseille is a rough and ready city but it has a certain charm. It's a city with an edge.

Marseille is a large port city in the south of France. It's often seen as a flyover city. Marseille was once notorious for high crime rates. Although things improved a lot recently, the reputation remains. Many travelers skip Marseille in favour of Nice.
That being said, Marseille has a lot going for it. You'll find a decent gay scene in Marseille centered around several venues, including bars, clubs, saunas and cruise clubs. You can explore Marseille's port and excellent food scene. Marseille is France's second-largest city. Rather like Naples, Marseille is a rough and ready city but it has a certain charm. It's a city with an edge.

Gay Marseille

Same-sex couples have been legally able to adopt children since May 2013, when the same-sex marriage law took effect. The first joint adoption by a same-sex couple was announced on 18 October 2013.

The ability for same-sex couples to legally adopt a child.

The age of consent in France is 15 for both male-male, female-female, and male-female sex.

The difference between legal age of consent for homosexual sex and heterosexual sex.

In 2022, France removed the deferral period for gay and bi men donating blood, replacing it with a new policy that applies to all donors, regardless of sexual orientation.

The ability for MSMs (men who have sex with men) to donate blood or tissue for organ transplants. A deferral period refers to a waiting time before a man can donate after having sex.

In July 2019, Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn announced that the deferral period would be reduced to four months of abstinence from 2 April 2020.

Proposed in 2015, the indefinite deferral was replaced by a 1 year deferral in 2016.

In 1983, in response to the HIV epidemic, the Directorate General of Health banned MSMs from donating blood indefinitely. This ban was reiterated in 2009.

Blood donations in France were legal before 1983.

In France, there are no laws restricting to discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.

Censorship or prohibition of discussing, promoting, or teaching LGBTQ+ topics in media, schools, and in the general public.

Individuals can legally change their gender in France. Sex reassignment surgery is state-funded. Requires court approval and proof. 
 
According to media reports, in 2010, France became the first country to remove "transsexualism" from their official list of mental illnesses.

Legal recognition of sex reassignment by permitting a change of legal gender on an individual's birth certificate.

No surgery required since 2018. Missing non binary options on documents.

The National Assembly approved the new law unanimously, voting 142-0 on Tuesday evening.

Legal status of conducting sexual orientation changing therapy ("ex-gay" therapy)

Not banned, although a legislation to criminalise conversion therapy is currently progressing.

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in employment, including hiring, promotion, termination, harassment, etc.

The law of 1791 decriminalized homosexual activity, however, it does not recognize homosexuality itself. 

Consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex.

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity when applying for housing or discrimination by landlords / property owners.

France passed comprehensive same-sex marriage legislation in 2013; entitling gay and lesbian people to equal marriage rights in Metropolitan France and all its overseas departments. France was the ninth European country and the thirteenth country in the world to legalise gay marriage.

Marriage and marriage recognition between two people of the same biological sex and/or gender identity.

Under French law, both same sex and different sex couples can get a PACS, a civil union with limited rights. PACS are still available today.

The ability for homosexuals to serve in the military and be open about their sexuality.

Non-binary gender is not available. In 2023, the European Court of Human Rights decided in the judgment "Y. v. France" (2023) on the legal recognition of the gender of an intersex person. Specifically, on the case of a person who had been refused by French authorities the possibility to modify their gender marker to reflect the term "neutral" or "intersex". The ECHR rejected that such a decision was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, stating that, given the relevance of such a change to the otherwise binary French legal system, it was for the French state itself to reform its legislation beforehand. However, it acknowledged that future developments in Council of Europe member states could change its interpretation. 
 
A court ruled in August 2015 that an intersex plaintiff who was designated male at birth, could use the term “neutral gender” on personal official documents. This decision was overturned by a French appeals court.

Legal recognition of non-binary, genderqueer, or third gender identities.

A court in Tours ruled in favour of an intersex plaintiff who sought to have a third gender option recognised on official identification documents.

France

Marseille

Marseille Gay Pride 2018 crowd

Marseille Gay Pride 2018

Marseille Pride 2024

Gay pride festival in Marseille.

Grand Hotel Beauvau MGallery Collection main

Grand Hotel Beauvau MGallery Collection

Mercure Marseille Centre Vieux Port main

Mercure Marseille Centre Vieux Port

Where to Stay?

PLAY, L'Annexe Bar, etc.

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Cruise Clubs

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Gay Beach

City Guide

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Find the best gay bars, clubs, gay-rated hotels, gay saunas, cruise clubs and more in Marseille. Check reviews, photos, and more on TravelGay.com.

Gay Marseille Guide 2024 — gay bars, clubs, saunas & more

Provence

France's 2nd most populous city and largest commercial port, Marseille is known for its diverse culture and thriving gay scene

The newest gay sauna in Marseille, Les Thermes is open 7 days a week from 12:00 to 02:00. Features include a swimming pool, collective showers, a hammam, a Finnish sauna, a catering area, as well as three levels of fun and themed cabins. There are weekly events, check the <a href="https://les-thermes-toulouse.com/evenements/">website</a> for more information.

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Sauna Les Thermes Marseille

The newest gay sauna in Marseille, Les Thermes...

Well-established gay cruise &amp; fetish club in Marseille. Le Trash Bar hosts various themed nights all week, with&nbsp;guest DJ's on weekends.&nbsp;Closed on Tuesdays. There is a Naked Party on the first Sunday of the month. Check their website for details of upcoming events.

Le Trash Bar Marseille gay cruise club main

Le Trash Bar

Marseille's well-known gay cruise & fetish club.

Popular gay sauna and international men's club in Marseille. This large, modern and well-maintained sauna features Turkish bath, swimming pool, spa, steam room, Finnish sauna, showers, play areas, etc. 
 
CARGO attracts both locals and foreigners. Open 7 days a week, from 2pm (until late on the weekends).

CARGO Sauna

Popular gay sauna and international men's club in...

Marseille's longest-running gay dance club &amp; party. The New Cancan started out in 1991 by local gay icon Michel Piacenza, and is still going strong. The club attracts a diverse crowd, and plenty of young guys. Regular themed parties and live music - check their website and socials for the latest agenda.&nbsp;

The New Cancan 

Marseille's longest-running gay dance club.

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Gay Marseille

France's 2nd most populous city and largest commercial port, Marseille is known for its diverse culture and thriving gay scene

Where to Stay?

PLAY, L'Annexe Bar, etc.

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