Marseille is France’s oldest city — founded in 600 BC — and it feels like a deliberate collision: ancient history smashed into gritty, loud, modern port-city energy.In this episode of The Audio Travel Guide, we go beyond the French Riviera clichés and give you a practical deep dive into Marseille’s vibe, neighborhoods, must-do experiences, food, transport, safety, and the best time to visit.You’ll learn:• Why Marseille feels so different from Paris and postcard-Provence• The Old Port (Vieux-Port): fish market, sunsets, and the city’s beating heart• Le Panier: the oldest neighborhood + the Vieille Charité• Noailles: Marseille’s “bazaar” (a full sensory overload)• Cours Julien + La Plaine: street art, nightlife, and the best markets• The Corniche + Vallon des Auffes (hidden fishing port under a viaduct)• L’Estaque: the fishing port linked to Cézanne and the birth of modern art• Notre-Dame de la Garde (“The Good Mother”) and the best panoramic view• Château d’If (Count of Monte Cristo) + booking and weather tips (Mistral wind)• The Calanques: how to see them, hiking access rules, and summer fire closures• MuCEM + Fort Saint-Jean (the footbridge from modern to historic)• Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation (UNESCO “vertical city”)• Stade Vélodrome and Olympique de Marseille (OM)• What to eat: bouillabaisse (and how to avoid tourist traps), pizza culture, navettes biscuits, and pastis• Getting around: RTM metro/trams/buses, the tiny Old Port ferry, and why you should not drive• Arrival tips at Gare Saint-Charles (save your knees with luggage)• Safety reality check + areas tourists should avoid• Best time to visit: May/June/September/October (and why summer is tricky)Chapters00:00 Marseille: A City of Intense Contrast00:50 Why Marseille Feels Nothing Like “Postcard Provence”01:38 Marseille’s Origins (600 BC) + Port-City Identity02:19 Vieux-Port: Fish Market & Sunsets02:47 Le Panier + Vieille Charité03:45 Noailles: The Bazaar District04:20 Cours Julien + La Plaine (Street Art, Nightlife, Markets)04:56 The Corniche + Vallon des Auffes05:27 L’Estaque & Cézanne05:54 Notre-Dame de la Garde (Best View)06:39 Château d’If (Monte Cristo) + Booking/Wind Tips07:17 The Calanques: Hiking, Boats & Fire Closures08:00 MuCEM + Fort Saint-Jean Footbridge08:25 Le Corbusier: Unité d’Habitation (UNESCO)08:54 Football: OM & Stade Vélodrome09:08 Food: Bouillabaisse, Pizza, Navettes, Pastis10:27 Getting Around: RTM + Old Port Ferry + Walking11:03 Arrival: Gare Saint-Charles Luggage Tip11:21 Safety: What’s True, What’s Not11:56 Best Time to Visit (Shoulder Seasons)12:12 Final Takeaway: Earn the Beauty

Paris is the heavyweight champion of travel destinations, and also one of the easiest cities in the world to do badly.In this episode of The Audio Travel Guide, you get a practical “operating manual” for Paris: why the city looks the way it does, how to read the famous snail-shaped layout, which neighborhoods to target, and the survival tips that prevent the classic tourist experience (lines, scams, confusion, and feeling like locals are annoyed).You’ll learn:• The real story behind Haussmann’s boulevards (beauty + control)• The WWII moment Paris was nearly destroyed — and why it wasn’t• The 20 arrondissements “snail” and the simple postal code hack (750xx)• Which areas to choose: Louvre/Marais, Latin Quarter, Eiffel Tower zone, Champs-Élysées, Montmartre• Eiffel Tower tip: stairs to level 2 to skip the worst lines• Louvre vs Musée d’Orsay (and how not to museum-burnout)• Catacombs: why they exist + how to avoid the 4-hour line• Flea markets: the world’s biggest antique treasure hunt• Metro vs RER (and the ticket mistake that gets tourists fined)• CDG airport taxi scams — and the official flat rates• Polite phrases that make every interaction smoother• Restaurant basics: free tap water (carafe), tipping, and how to ask for the bill• Safety: pickpockets, Metro Line 1, petition scam, gold ring scamIf you want more France beyond Paris, check the channel for our France country overview and the food & culture episode.Chapters00:00 Paris Without the Clichés (Mission)01:28 Paris Origins: Île de la Cité to Medieval Maze02:27 Haussmann & the Boulevards (Beauty + Control)03:24 Belle Époque: Lights & the Metro03:31 Why Paris Survived WWII (1944)04:17 Paris Today: Multicultural & More Bike-Friendly04:59 The “Snail” Map: 20 Arrondissements Explained05:34 The Postal Code Hack (750xx)05:54 Where to Stay: Central Paris (1st–4th)06:24 Left Bank: Latin Quarter + Iconic 7th06:53 Right Bank Luxury: The 8th07:15 Montmartre & the 18th07:33 Eiffel Tower: How to Skip the Worst Lines08:09 Louvre vs Musée d’Orsay08:54 Catacombs: What They Are + Booking Warning09:52 Flea Markets (Antique Treasure Hunt)10:08 Transport: Don’t Drive, Use Metro/RER10:45 RER Ticket Mistake (Keep It Until Exit)11:02 Airport Taxis: CDG Flat Rates & Scam Avoidance11:26 Paris Etiquette: The Key Social Rule12:28 The Magic Phrase to Ask for Help13:08 Dining: Carafe d’eau, Tipping, and the Check14:04 Safety: Pickpockets + Common Scams14:45 The Real Paris: Slow Down and Savor It15:21 What to Listen to Next (France + Food & Culture)

Think you know France? Eiffel Tower, croissants, lavender fields. The polished postcard image is modern. Underneath it is a jagged, often violent, and incredibly complex story.In this episode of The Audio Travel Guide, we focus on history only, the foundation that makes France make sense when you’re standing in a square in Lyon, a village in Brittany, or a boulevard in Paris.You’ll learn how France went from prehistoric cave art to Greek Marseille, Celtic Gaul, Roman infrastructure, and the rise of the Franks, then through Vikings and Normandy, the Hundred Years’ War and Joan of Arc, religious civil war, Versailles and absolute monarchy, the Revolution and Napoleon, and the brutal shocks of the 20th century (WWI, WWII, Vichy, the Resistance), ending with decolonisation and France’s role in building the European project.This is the context that explains why France can feel rebellious yet traditional, proud of the state, but always criticising it.If you want practical travel logistics, food & culture, or deep dives into specific cities (Paris, Lyon, and more), check the other episodes on the channel.Chapters00:00 France Beyond the Postcards (Episode Mission)00:44 Why “France” Is a Paradox01:16 Prehistory: Lascaux Cave Art01:56 Brittany: Carnac Stones & Settling the Land02:31 Greeks Found Marseille (Massalia)02:49 The Gauls, Rome & Vercingetorix (52 BC)03:37 Gallo-Roman France: Roads, Cities, Architecture04:03 Rome Falls: Franks, Clovis & Christianity04:55 Vikings & the Birth of Normandy (911)05:36 Hundred Years’ War & Joan of Arc06:16 Renaissance & Wars of Religion (1572 Massacre)07:04 Louis XIV: Versailles as a Political Weapon08:21 1789 Revolution, Terror & the Rise of Napoleon09:16 19th-Century Political Whiplash & Modern Paris09:52 1870 Defeat, Alsace-Lorraine & La Revanche10:26 World War I: The National Trauma10:55 World War II: Fall of France, Vichy & Resistance11:32 Decolonisation: Vietnam, Algeria & Fifth Republic11:55 From Rivalry to Europe: France, Germany & the EU12:16 How to “Read” France as a Traveler13:02 What to Listen to Next (Food, Culture, City Guides)