Marseille, verdict by verdict

Marseille is France's oldest city and its least polished: a working port first and a postcard second, where the rewards are the Vieux-Port at dusk, the painted lanes and laundry lines of Le Panier, MuCEM's dark lattice sitting on the water, Notre-Dame de la Garde's 360 panorama over city and sea, and above all the Calanques, limestone fjords where a boat drops anchor inside a cove for the swim of the trip.

The caveat is the grit. Graffiti, litter and rough edges are part of the package, the city beaches are average so serious swims mean a boat or bus to the Calanques or Cassis, and anyone after the manicured version of Provence or a beach-first holiday should base elsewhere. The wind rules the islands: mistral days cancel the Chateau d'If quay, calanque boats turn choppy or stay in port, MuCEM's labels run mostly French-only, and the Saint-Charles blocks read gritty after dark.

Two to three days covers the city: Vieux-Port and Le Panier on foot, the Good Mother and Chateau d'If for the big views, bouillabaisse at source for dinner, then a day on the water if the weather plays along. Sleep at the Vieux-Port, check the mistral forecast before counting on the islands, and arrive by the A1 bus rather than betting on the newest fare hike's taxi math.