Cassis
France
A small fishing port under the highest sea cliffs in France, at the eastern door of the Calanques
Photo by Anthony Salerno on Unsplash
Photos by Manuel Rheinschmidt, Chloé Mormin, Arno Senoner and La coccinelle on Unsplash
Best time to visit all of France
May to June, and September to October — in high summer the Calanques close on fire-risk days and the car parks fill by nine
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 80mm in Oct
Where it is
43.21°N, 5.54°E Open in Google Maps
Things to do
Several days- Check the next day’s massif access map the evening before any walk between June and September
- Walk to En-Vau early in the morning and be on the way back by midday
- Take the boat trip if you cannot do the walk — it shows the cliffs the path does not
- Drive the Route des Crêtes to La Ciotat in the late afternoon, wind permitting
- Use the park-and-ride shuttle in summer instead of looking for a space in town
Cassis travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget France
ExpensiveCards everywhere, including the boat-trip kiosks on the port. Refuse the conversion when a terminal offers to charge you in your own currency. Prices on the harbour front are Riviera prices; one street back they are not.
ATMs & cards
Use the bank machines in the town centre. There is nothing at all once you are on the path into the Calanques.
Avoid these
- independent machines on the harbour front that offer to convert to your own currency
Use these instead
- Crédit Agricole
- Société Générale
- Caisse d’Épargne
- La Banque Postale
Take what cash you need before setting out; there is nothing in the Calanques.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of France
SafeThe town is safe; the risks are in the massif. From June to September the Calanques are open or closed day by day according to fire risk — the prefecture publishes the next day’s map each evening, and on a red or black day the paths are shut and fines are real. The walk to En-Vau is rough limestone with a steep scramble at the end: proper shoes, at least two litres of water each in summer, and no flip-flops. Cars at the Presqu’île and the Gardiole car parks get broken into.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (8 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
Worth more attention
- the Calanques massif in summer — from June to September access is decided daily on fire risk, and on a closed day entering is an offence; check the prefecture’s map the evening before
- the path to En-Vau — rough limestone, no shade and a steep scramble down at the end; take more water than seems sensible
- the Route des Crêtes — closed in strong wind and on high fire-risk days, and an unfenced drop at the viewpoints
- the Presqu’île car park — break-ins at the trailhead car parks are routine; leave the car empty
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa France visa rules
No visa needed
Freedom of movement — no time limit, and no visa. Bring a passport or national ID card.
Other passports
No visa neededup to 90 days
90 days within any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area, not per country. ETIAS, a paid online authorisation, is being introduced for these passports — check the official link for whether it applies to your travel dates.
Visa required in advance€90 (Schengen short-stay visa)
A Schengen short-stay visa is applied for before travel, at the consulate of your main destination.
How to get it: Apply at the consulate or visa centre of the country you will spend most time in, typically 15 working days ahead and no more than six months before travel.
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of France
Excellent and cheapRequired to enter
No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Routine vaccinations up to date
Getting treated
EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
Very goodCassis white is the wine to drink here, made on the slopes right behind the town, and it is what goes with the local fish. Sea urchins are eaten in winter. The harbour-front restaurants charge for the view; the better meals are a street or two back.
Travel tipsGetting around
Limited- UberWorks here
- BoltWorks here
- G7Works here
- FREE NOWWorks here
G7 the taxi fleet, by app
- Against a taxi
- Much the same. The flat airport rate is a taxi rule and the apps price against it.
Time zone and your working day
Europe/Paris — 6 hours ahead of you
2 hours of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–11:00 your time, 15:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 03:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 03:00–11:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
eSIM
A data eSIM for France, installed before you fly and working the moment you land:
Works here
Works hereRevolutIn the app
Must-see
Travel tipsNearby day trips
Travel tipsSay a few words
French
- HelloBonjourbon-ZHOOR
- PleaseS'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH
- Thank youMercimer-SEE
- Yes / NoOui / Nonwee / non
4 more phrases
- Excuse meExcusez-moiex-koo-zay MWA
- How much is it?C'est combien ?say com-BYEN
- The bill, pleaseL'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON
- Cheers!Santé !son-TAY
Open with bonjour before anything else. Launching straight into a question without it reads as rude, and explains a lot of reputed French coldness.
Travel tipsReligion
Catholic, and strictly secular
Laïcité is a constitutional principle: religion is kept out of public institutions, and conspicuous religious symbols are banned in state schools. Cover shoulders in cathedrals.
Travel tipsDo's and don'ts
Do
- Say bonjour before anything else, every single time you enter a shop
- Keep your voice down in restaurants and on public transport
- Keep both hands visible on the table while eating, wrists on the edge
- Dress a notch smarter than you would at home — it changes how you are treated
Don't
- Do not ask for a doggy bag or substitutions; the dish arrives as the kitchen intends
- Do not start with English without at least attempting bonjour, parlez-vous anglais
- Do not tip more than rounding up — service is included by law
- Do not eat while walking; it reads as slightly uncivilised
Where to stay in Cassis
No Holistay rentals in Cassis yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is Cassis on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into Marseille Provence MRS
45 minfrom the airport· 37 km as the crow flies
About 45 min by hire car; without one, the shuttle into Marseille and a coach or train out again.
Also worth pricing: Toulon-Hyères TLN — smaller, about 50 minutes by road, and worth pricing in summer.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
