Hi guys !
I hope you all doing great in this mid september time!
It took me a little while to write my first Travel with kids (TVK) blog post, as we went in Marseille in august and then I decided to re vamp our whole blog schedule BUT long story short here we are, our first TVK in Marseille, my hometown!
As travelling with kids may be a LOT of job and sometimes overwhelming with underage kids, I tried to write a short post that I hope will be useful, with only kids friendly places :
First thing first :
Where to stay in Marseille?
We cant tell you where we stayed as my whole family lives in Marseille (Mom, Dad, one sister two brothers haha) but still here are some tips :
A LOT of families are offering their places to rent a night or more on Airbnb so it will be VERY easy for you to find some big places for a normal cost but be aware of the location :
DO NOT take ones too far unless you only want to see the beach or you dont want to travel the city;
It is often said that Marseille has well covered transportation system (buses, trams, and metro with tickets buyable in cafés, metro or the bus -prefer group tickets of lower prices by the way-) BUT they are VERY crowded especially in summer AND they STOP at 9PM (mostly).
So if you rent a place, prefer one near le Vieux Port, la Pointe Rouge, or Notre Dame de la Garde which are perfect neighborhoods as you will have lots of transportation very near, and beach or city very close by feet, so easier to take the kids for lunch or dinner or drink or ice cream!
Also these neighborhoods are the ones most likely to have lots of grocery shops around (with affordable prices).
If you dont want to go Airbnb, you’ll find flat-hotels, meaning hotels with kitchen for food. Choose the ones near la Pointe Rouge, as they have pools (cool for the kids in summer) and close to a big park, le parc Borély (will talk about it later :)).
For those who are travelling alone, Marseille has a big couch surfers community so you’ll easily find one for couple of nights!
Where to eat in Marseille ?
Something you need to know about Marseille : the people of Marseille are the owners of their city. They literally LOVE their city and are not ready to let it turn into a full touristic place.
That said, it is great for tourists as the food is then very affordable.
Of course you may find restaurants with expensive fancy Bouillabesse (typical fish soup to try) and fresh sea food BUT :
If you are on a budget : every morning on le Vieux Port fisher man are selling directly their fishing : organic and cheap.
At Nouailles (downtown neighborhood) you’ll find 50 cent (for real) quarter pizzas, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Near le Vieux Port, a little everywhere downtown you’ll find less than SIX euros food (with drink), but very often fries and burgers.
The BEST burger place I would advise : Burgers Banquet, at le Vieux Port.
The BEST sea food place I would advise : Le Grand Bar des Goudes (sea view).
The BEST ice cream place I would advise : Vanille Noire, at le Panier.
What to do in Marseille ?
As this post is about travelling with kids, one thing you need to know about Marseille is that they have LOTS OF PARCS, green places where you can have a picnic, ride a bike, or just sleep under shadow when it is too hot for beach.
Our favorite : le parc Borély, with its uge driveways where kids can run freely, mountains seeing and castle to visit. Plus the greatest point : it is linked to the beach.
The prettiest : le parc Longchamp, downtown, lots of garden and amazing to discover with kids.
When its raining :
Le MUCEM, a very pretty brand new museum free for kids under 5 (take the family tickets for a better price). It has a very interesting children corner and flash codes with iPads around it for them to explore. On roof you’ll find a restaurant to snack and then continue your visit : for less than seven euros per adult if you take the family group ticket you’ll have the opportunity to take a bridge on roof top and go see another museum with mediterranean history theme.
They also have great contemporary art gallery very interesting to check but less for the kiddos 🙂
The best thing there : looking at the big boats coming and going in Africa or Corsica as it is literally on the beach.
Last but not least : the beach!
Very crowded in summer, I advise you to go to la pointe rouge, very easy to find and go with lots of buses.
BUT if you want to do like the « locals », you may want to see the Corbière beach and its clear water, but beware there is not lifeguards there (but it is so pretty and clean haha).
These are the easiest but still funny things to do with kids in Marseille! I hope you’ll find it interesting and usefull, I did not talk about classical touristic places on purpose, feel free to ask anything in comment if needed!
X Liza
Voyager avec des enfants (TVK) # 1: Marseille
Salut à tous j’espère que vous allez bien en cette mi-septembre.
Il m’a fallu un peu de temps pour écrire mon premier billet de voyage Travel with kids (TVK), alors que nous étions à Marseille en août et qu’entre j’ai décidé de réorganiser notre agenda de blog, ma ville natale!
Étant donné que voyager avec des enfants peut représenter beaucoup de travail et être parfois difficile avec des enfants en bas âge, j’ai essayé d’écrire un petit article qui, je l’espère, sera utile et, avec seulement des endroits accueillants pour les enfants.
Commençons par le commencement :
Où séjourner à Marseille?
Nous ne pouvons pas vous dire où nous sommes restés car toute ma famille vit à Marseille (maman, papa, une soeur deux frères haha) mais voici encore quelques conseils:
Beaucoup de familles offrent leurs maisons/appartements pour louer une nuit ou plus sur Airbnb, il sera donc très facile pour vous de trouver de grands endroits pour un coût normal, mais soyez conscient de l’emplacement:
NE prenez PAS ceux qui sont trop loin à moins que vous ne vouliez voir que la plage ou que vous ne vouliez pas vous promener en ville;
On dit souvent que Marseille a un système de transport bien couvert (bus, tramways et métro avec des billets à acheter dans les cafés, le métro ou le bus – les billets de groupe à prix plus bas en passant) mais tous quasiment s’arrêtent à 21 heures.
Donc, si vous louez, préférez un endroit près du Vieux Port, de la Pointe Rouge ou de Notre Dame de la Garde qui sont des quartiers parfaits avec des enfants car vous aurez beaucoup de transports à proximité, et des plages ou le centre ville très proches, pratique pour emmener les enfants déjeuner ou dîner ou prendre un verre ou une glace!
De plus, ces quartiers sont les plus susceptibles d’avoir de nombreux magasins d’alimentation (à des prix abordables).
Si vous ne voulez pas utiliser Airbnb, vous trouverez des apports hôtels, c’est-à-dire des hôtels avec cuisine pour la nourriture surtout. Choisissez ceux près de la Pointe Rouge, car ils ont des piscines (cool pour les enfants en été) et sont près d’un grand parc, le parc Borély (on en parlera plus loin :)).
Pour ceux qui voyagent seuls, Marseille a une grande communauté de couch surfeurs, donc vous en trouverez facilement un pour une ou plusieurs nuits!
Où manger à Marseille?
Quelque chose que vous devez savoir sur Marseille: les habitants de Marseille sont les propriétaires de leur ville. Ils aiment littéralement leur ville et ne sont pas prêts à la laisser devenir un lieu touristique à part entière, ce qui est génial pour les touristes car la nourriture est du coup très abordable.
Bien sûr, vous pouvez trouver des restaurants haut de gammes avec Bouillabaisse et fruits de mer au top, mais c’est un choix.
Si vous êtes sur un budget: tous les matins au Vieux Port, les pêcheurs vendent directement leur pêche: bio et pas cher.
A Noailles (quartier du centre-ville), vous trouverez des pizzas au quart pour rien du tout, des fruits et des légumes frais.
Près du Vieux Port, et un peu partout en ville, vous trouverez pour moins de SIX euros de la nourriture (avec boisson), mais très souvent des frites et des hamburgers, voir des grecs.
Le meilleur restaurant de burger que je conseillerais: Burgers Banquet, au Vieux Port.
Le meilleur restaurant de fruits de mer que je conseillerais: le Grand Bar des Goudes (vue sur la mer).
Le meilleur lieu de glace que je conseillerais: Vanille Noire, au Panier.
Que faire à Marseille?
Comme ce post concerne le voyage avec des enfants, une chose que vous devez savoir à propos de Marseille est qu’ils ont BEAUCOUP DE PARCS, des espaces verts où vous pouvez pique-niquer, faire du vélo ou simplement dormir à l’ombre quand il fait trop chaud sur la plage.
Notre préféré : le parc Borély, avec ses grandes allées où les enfants peuvent courir librement, voir les montagnes et visiter le château et en plus il a un accès à la plage.
Le plus beau (pour nous) : le parc Longchamp en centre-ville, beaucoup de jardins et incroyable à découvrir avec les enfants.
Quand il pleut :
Le MUCEM, un très joli musée flambant neuf gratuit pour les enfants de moins de 5 ans (prenez les billets pour la famille pour un meilleur prix). Il a un coin des enfants très intéressant et des codes flash sur un parcours avec des iPads pour explorer.
Sur son toit, vous trouverez un restaurant où grignoter puis vous pourrez continuer votre visite : pour moins de sept euros par adulte si vous prenez le billet de groupe familial, vous aurez la possibilité de prendre un pont sur le toit et d’aller voir un autre musée.
C’est sans compter les expos d’art contemporains et/ou méditerranéen en constant renouvellement.
Le petit plus : regarder les gros bateaux qui vont et viennent en Afrique ou en Corse car le musée est sur mer.
Last but not least, la plage!
Très fréquentée en été, je vous conseille d’aller à la pointe rouge, très facile à trouver et à parcourir avec beaucoup de bus.
MAIS si vous voulez faire comme les «locaux», vous voudrez peut-être voir la plage de Corbière et ses eaux claires, mais attention, il n’y a pas de sauveteurs là-bas (mais c’est tellement beau et propre).
Voilà, ce sont les choses les plus faciles mais amusantes à faire avec les enfants à Marseille!
J’espère que vous trouverez cela intéressant et utile, je n’ai délibérément pas parlé de lieux touristiques classiques, n’hésitez pas à demander quoi que ce soit en commentaire si nécessaire!
X Liza
I haven’t been to Marseille is YEARS but I do remember it fondly as being such a stunning place to visit!!! My husband and I will certainly go back in the future because he’s NEVER been to France!
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No way!! This is going to be so cool when you guys will visit France, how exciting 🙂 !! You should totally go back to Marseille then it became even better than a couple of years ago 😉 x Liza
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How lovely! Sounds like a fantastic experience. It has been years since I have traveled to France, I cannot wait to return!
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Thank you! ❤
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Cou-cou! Merci for all of the fab tips!! Gotta put Merseille on my bucket list, for sure.
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Haha merci! Im happy my tips serve 🙂
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Traveling with kids is such a great experience for you to share! I don’t have any kids, but if I ever do I definitely plan on traveling with them and showing them the world.
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Thank you for your comment! Kids are such great discover you’ll see 🙂
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It so refreshing reading a « local » travel guide. So much better when you get the real information about a city from someone who really knows it well. I remember Marseilles from many moons ago, but sadly we were only there for two days and didn’t get to see much. I would love to go back one day
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Thank you so much for your comment! This is exactly what I wanted ! Real tips from real people living it haha 🙂 I hope you’ll go back one day! x Liza
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Travelling with kids is always so hard! Sounds like you had a great time though!
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It was thank you! x Liza
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It sounds like Marseille is a nice city to explore, especially with the sea nearby and lots of parks. I like that it’s not such a touristic city and you can still find a lot of authentic places to eat at.
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Thank you! I like that too! It keeps the city affordable for everyone to visit and a great place to take the kids 🙂 x Liza
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One of my friends is doctor in some place at Marseille. She says it’s a great place. I guess I’ll visit that place too sometime. And seems you had a great time because your post is cool.
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aww so cool! She’s right it is haha 🙂 Thank you so much for your comment ! x Liza
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This sounds like a beautiful city, and I love your vibrant, colorful pictures! I’d love to take a trip.
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Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I really choose carefully my pics as I dont want to spam readers 😉 x Liza
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We haven’t visited Marseille yet but we went to Paris with our son years ago and had an amazing time.
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So cool your had a great time in Paris! Marseille is slightly different but definitely a stop by when heading south of France 🙂 x Liza
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Never been but I hope I get to go soon! I enjoyed reading your blog 🙂
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Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I hope you’ll visit someday! x Liza
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J’aime beaucoup votre blog. Un plaisir de venir flâner sur vos pages. Une belle découverte et blog très intéressant. Je reviendrai m’y poser. N’hésitez pas à visiter mon univers. Au plaisir
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Merci beaucoup Angelilie pour tous ces beaux compliments! J’irai sans aucun doute visiter votre univers également 🙂 Au plaisir!
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This sounds like a great place to visit with beautiful places to explore. I can’t wait to visit France
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I’m sure you’ll love it! Thank you for your comment! x Liza
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This sounds like a perfect little vacay spot. I think I would have to opt to split my trp into between the city and the beach. Perhaps rent to different spots with Airbnb.
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Exactly! Lots of great places are to rent there but some are really beach oriented or city and you really just enjoy this or that neighborhood life so changing place is a great idea! x Liza
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This is such a great post and so informative. I love that we get tips from someone who knows all about Marseilles because it your home town. you have made me want to go visit with the kiddos. Sometimes I read reviews but they don’t really mention a lot of things that are helpful for families traveling with kids.
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Thank you so much! Im very happy then because this was my goal when I wrote this and the way I want to write my post about travelling with kids : practical for families 🙂
x Liza
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I would love to go to france one day and visit. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
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Thank you! I hope you’ll visit one day 🙂
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I have never been there! Sounds like great place for vacation with family x
Laura
https://pinkfrenzymissl.blogspot.com/
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It totally is! Thanks for your comment! xLiza
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Ok, I need to check out that 50 cent pizza place! Marseille seems to be a cool place to get a taste of French culture!
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You’ll have half a BIG pizza for 1 euro! Shippest ever but delicious 🙂 It is a great place that enlights French culture as it is still typical 🙂 Thanks for your comment! X Liza
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Did you get to go to Calanques de Cassis. It’s so beautiful there . I really like Marseille.
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We did! But we went to Sormiou 🙂 I did not talk about Calanques as I know going there with kids might be challenging! Im glad you went in my city! x Liza
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That’s true! The trail to Calanques is a bit steep!
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It is right ? 🙂 My twins are 5 so maybe next year we’ll give it a try 🙂
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Yes! It’s quite steep.
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I have never heard of this place, but it’s nice to see that it is very family friendly. The beaches sound fabulous though!
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They really are! I wanted to talk about it as we go every summer and it is not that known although it is a great place for family vacation!
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Oh, how lovely. It sounds like a fun experience. I have never been to Marseille.
xo Corina
https://unbouquetdamour.com
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Thank you! It is a great place to visit! x Liza
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I have never been to France but I definitely will be checking out this location when I go. Thank you for sharing these tips.
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Thank you for reading ! x Liza
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You have cute kids! Sounds like a great place to visit. Thanks for sharing!
http://www.gregdemcydias.com
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Awww thank you so much! x Liza
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I’ve never been to Marseilles, but should I go I will keep your tips in mind.
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Thank you so much! I hope one day you will! 🙂
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I can’t believe I have never been to France! I want to plan a trip to Marseille ASAP! Loved all of your recommendations. -Tonya Morris
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Thank you so much Tonya! I hope one day you’ll visit 🙂 x Liza
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Marseille sounds wonderful! I found this to be very informative and like how you broke it down with where to stay, eat, and what to do.
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Thank you so much Sam! I want my blog to be practical thats why I broke it that way 🙂 Not too long with the infos needed ! x Liza
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Aw it sounds lovely, we have been to France many times but not to Marseille! I can imagine the beach is a great place for the kiddies, the parcs sounds great too 🙂
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The parcs are so Wonderfull! A different carousel in each ones! x Liza
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What a wonderful travel post! I love to visit new places and prefer to get tips from locals who know where to enjoy things that are off the tourist beaten part. I’m bookmarking this for my next trip to your area. ❤
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Thank you so much for your comment! Im glad you found it useful 🙂 x Liza
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I would love to take my family here one day! We brought our children – 6 and 8 – to Europe for the first time last year, and they absolutely loved it.
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Awww so cool you took them to Europe! I hope one day you’ll make the discover my city! x Liza
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I spent a summer in southern France but never made it that far south. But I hope to get there one day.
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I hope too! It is not well know but great to visit! x Liza
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i haven’t been myself but it sounds like an amazing place to visit! def one for the bucket list for sure!
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Thank you for your comment! x Liza
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It sounds like a great experience. I never been to France before, but I really wanna visit it someday! France is a beautiful place, I hope could travel this year!
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I hope you can! Thank you for your comment 🙂 x Liza
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Wow what a fab guide. I love the sound of the down town restaurant Nouailles as I love pizza x
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You have to go one day! It is so cheap yet amazing!
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I was only in Marseille for a day and wish I had had more time to explore. Hopefully one day I will go back and explore some of those plentiful parks! Side note: I really love that you have both French and English in this post. I studied French in high school and college and unfortunately have no practical use for it now. It was fun to read the French version and test myself!
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Hi Elaine! Thank you so much for your comment! Im so glad you love the bilingual side of my post! im trying to keep my posts bilingual as I have French followers too 🙂 x Liza
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Sounds like you had such a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing all that Marseilles has to offer.
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Thank you for reading it Danielle! x Liza
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I would love to visit Marseille! Your photos are wonderful.
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Thank you so much Michele! x Liza
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I was just watching the last few episodes of « Parts Unknown » travel show and it was featuring Marseilles. Such a beautiful place!
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Oh! I did not know that! So cool you saw video of it :). x Liza
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Great tips! I would definitely want to visit one day with the kids! Looks like an amazing place to go to~
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It totally is! Thanks for your comment! x Liza
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We’ve never thought about visiting Marseille but heading to Paris next month with family for a week. Sounds like an amazing place to visit x
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So cool! I hope you’ll have an amazing week in Paris! You’re lucky it is going to be sunny! 🙂 xLiza
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France is definitely on my travel list. This would be such an awesome adventure with the kiddos.
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Im sure they’ll love it! 🙂 x Liza
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What a lovely post about traveling to Marseille and loving your photos too, so glad to see your kids enjoy themselves
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Thank you so much! x Liza
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Thanks for sharing all of these tips!!! It was nice to see what I could do as well because I don’t have kids! Sounds like a beautiful place with a ton to do. The food sounds amaizng!
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Sometimes we travel alone too 🙂 The food is on top! :). x Liza
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It’s nice to know you had family there with you. Being with everyone can be exciting.
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It totally is! So important when we live far away from family ! x Liza
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