Water Taxi Marseille

Most transfers start on the Vieux-Port, on the Quai de la Fraternité side near the Gare Maritime and Norman Foster's mirrored Ombrière — it is the easiest landmark to find and a straight walk from the Vieux-Port metro. Depending on your hotel and the day's wind, your skipper may instead propose the Quai de Rive Neuve, the Quai du Port, or the Port de la Pointe Rouge if you are staying south of the Corniche. You get the exact pontoon and a pin the day before.

Count around forty minutes at cruising speed on a fast boat, rounding Cap Croisette and running along the Calanques. By road the same trip is short on the map but hostage to the A50, the tunnels and, in high season, to finding somewhere to leave the car in Cassis. If you want the scenic line past Sormiou, Morgiou and En-Vau, allow a little more and tell us when booking — it is worth it.

Yes. Short runs inside the bay are among the most requested: the Château d'If is barely out of the harbour mouth, the Frioul archipelago just beyond it, and Les Goudes and Callelongue sit where the city road finally stops, at the gate of the Calanques National Park. These work as a one-way drop, a return with waiting time, or a loop back to the Vieux-Port at the end of the day.

The mistral is a fact of life here — it comes down from the north-west, can build in a few hours and makes a short, uncomfortable chop offshore. Your skipper watches the Météo France marine bulletin for the PACA zone the evening before and again in the morning. If the sea is not right, we shift the departure by a few hours, take the sheltered side of the coast or the Frioul, or reschedule. We do not sail a transfer that will be unpleasant.

Our partner boats take up to around ten guests with a closed cabin, so a crossing works in shoulder season, in the evening, or when the mistral has cooled things down. Luggage is fine for a normal transfer — tell us if you have oversized bags, a stroller or dive gear so the skipper picks the right boat.

Yes, and it is the most common request. A Vieux-Port to Cassis transfer can pause for a swim at a calanque, and a Frioul run can wait while you have lunch at the port before taking you back. Bear in mind the Calanques National Park regulates anchoring and access, so your skipper will choose where it is legal to stop that day.

Prices are per boat, not per person, and shown as a starting point — a "from" price for a private transfer with skipper. The final figure depends on the season, the hour, waiting time and whether you want the scenic coastal route. You get a firm quote before you confirm — no meter, no surprise on the quay.