Paris 2024 Olympics in Marseilles
A true bucket list item I was able to check off while living in Italy was attending to the 2024 Paris Olympics. One of my friends sent me the ticket link in 2023 when the tickets for the smaller events went live and we made a plan to go together. To be honest, I didn’t really care what we saw, I was just excited to be there. We ended up getting tickets to sailing and the men’s football (soccer for us Americans) quarter-finals. All of these events were taking place on the southern coast of France in Marseille.
The closest airport with a flight that worked with the time my partner was able to get off of work was Nice. We flew in on a Tuesday evening and rented a car to drive the 2 hours and 20 minutes to Marseille. It was an easy drive and we made it to our AirBnb without issues.
I cannot recommend our Airbnb enough, especially with kids. I will say there was no AC (very common in Europe) and in the summer it was incredibly hot. We ended up buying fans to help us cool down but that is likely just the American in us and what we are used to — it was 95+ degrees out and we were craving some air flow. We stayed in the Endoume district which felt quiet and tucked away from an otherwise busy and chaotic city (which we are very accustomed to living near Naples). This apartment was within walking distance of the beach, cute shops and restaurants, and amazing views.
Favorites around the neighborhood:
Cécile Food Club (especially their madeleines)
LouLous Monsieur Glace (Ice Cream)
Poissonnerie Kennedy (Great dinner spot)
Plage de la Pointe d’Endoume (Beach)
Plage de Maldormé (Beach)
Le Petit Nice (Hang out on the rocks outside this hotel)
Le Vallée du Liban (Lebanese food)
Day 1
Our first full day in Marseille was dedicated to Olympic sailing, which I was incredibly excited for. I don’t think we really knew what to expect, but luckily everything was organized incredibly well and we were sent an email with all the information we needed including details on how to arrive via public transportation, what to bring with us, etc. We were even told that we could bring swimsuits and that there would be beach access within the event. Since the event started at 11, we slept in a bit, went to Cécile for breakfast, and then headed to the event space.
I have to say, this is still one of my favorite things we have done while living abroad. It was incredibly easy to get into the event an since we arrived right when the gates opened we were even able to wait in a short line to get a family photo with the Olympic rings holding the Olympic torch. Because it was so hot, we pretty much headed straight to the changing rooms to put on our bathing suits and then went to the beach. We noticed that there were people playing with Paris 2024 branded floats and asked someone next to us where they got them. It turned out that a kiosk on the beach was “renting” them — you gave them your ID as collateral and got it back when you returned the float. We got two and had an absolutely blast watching the windsurfers from the water. That is how we spent the entire afternoon. Throughout the event space they had screens where you could watch the boats actually out on the water, snack bars, and shops to get your official Paris 2024 merch.
Once we had had enough of the heat and salt water, we changed, got food and found some shade. Our original plan for the evening had been to take a boat ride around the coast but the night before we realized that the US women’s soccer team would be playing in a match. We were able to cancel our boat ride with a full refund and get tickets for the women’s game which was absolutely worth it.
Day 2
We had no Olympic events this day and friends of ours who were also in Marseille for the Olympics had found a safari 4x4 excursion in Camargue, about an hour and 15 minutes from Marseille. We did a half-day safari with Camargue Autrement, and it ended up being one of the most unexpected highlights of our trip. The whole experience felt like the complete opposite of the chaos and crowds of the Olympics and a city like Marseille—wide open skies, flocks of literally hundreds of flamingos right on the side of the road, and stopping in the middle of nowhere to say hi to baby horses.
Our guide was warm, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the land. We drove through rice fields and marshes, past canals and hidden ponds, stopping along the way to visit a traditional manade where Camargue bulls and horses are raised. We even got to try local snacks like bull sausage, focaccia, and an incredibly local pastry that I probably at half of by myself from nearby Aigues-Mortes.
The tour ended with a stop at Mas du Notaire, a local winery, where we tasted a few wines while our littles one ran around under the shade of ancient trees. It was just the right mix of adventure, nature, and culture—and such a peaceful contrast to the business of the rest of our trip.
One important thing to note is that children under the age of 10 are required to bring an age and size appropriate car seat in order to ride in the jeep.
After the safari, we were all a bit sun-tired, so even though we had been talking a big game about the other towns we wanted to go see, we ended up just getting lunch at a restaurant across the street from the tour company that our guide recommended (I tried escargot for the first time and it was incredible) and then headed back to Marseille. We spent the evening at the beach (Plage de Maldormé) and got a Lebanese takeaway for dinner.
Day 3
Again, we had been talking a big game about heading out of the city to explore another town (Gordes) before going to the men’s quarter final football match in the evening, but the heat was really getting the most of us. We all collectively agreed that we wanted to take it easy and enjoy a relaxing summer holiday day and then would meet up for dinner before the match. We really did fall in love with the area we were staying in so we spent the day at the beach again, swimming, throwing rocks, and eating madeleines.
If we had done a day trip to Gordes, here is what was on my list to see:
Domaine de La Citadelle (winery bistro)
We had dinner at Pub Le Black Stone before heading back to the Orange Vélodrome for the men’s quarterfinal match between Paraguay and Egypt. It really was a one of a kind experience to watch Olympic sports and to be there with people from all over the world. It was especially fun to take my son, who work his Napoli football jersey and was cheered for several times by Italians in the crowds.
This was truly a fantastic trip and it didn’t end in Marseille. Click here to read about our whirlwind 36 hours in Paris to wrap up our 2024 Olympics trip.