Marseille.

Erasmus Student Network Marseille, founded in 2009 and based near Place Victor Hugo, exists specifically to welcome and integrate international students in the city. It organises outings such as Calanques hikes, museum visits and brunches, with sign ups handled through HelloAsso and announcements shared on social media. An ESN card unlocks entry to these events plus partner discounts across Marseille and the rest of Europe. At Kedge Business School, student associations run a parallel welcome programme for exchange students on the Luminy campus throughout the year.

• Get an ESN Marseille card for events and partner discounts.
• Book outings like Calanques hikes and brunches through HelloAsso.
• Kedge students should also check the campus student associations' events.

Marseille costs less than Paris, but rents have risen and vary sharply by district. Unfurnished flats average around 14 euros a square metre citywide and furnished ones about 17 euros, with the Old Port, Le Panier and the 6th to 8th arrondissements the priciest, and the 13th and 14th the cheapest, starting near 14.10 euros a square metre. A one room studio typically runs closer to 15 euros a square metre. For groceries, skip supermarkets sometimes and head to the Marché des Capucins in Noailles, trading since 1956 and still the centre's most affordable market for fresh produce.

• Compare arrondissements: the 13th and 14th cost far less than downtown.
• Expect roughly 14 to 17 euros a square metre depending on furnishing.
• Shop at the Marché des Capucins for the cheapest fresh produce.

University housing is limited and competitive, so do not count on it as your main plan. On the private market, landlords typically ask for a signed lease, an inventory, a guarantor and one month's deposit; Visale offers a free government backed guarantee for tenants under 30 who lack a French guarantor. Kedge Business School exchange students can turn to the school's own accommodation service for help finding a room near the Luminy campus. Whichever path you take, always view a room in person and never transfer money before meeting the landlord and seeing the flat.

• Do not rely on campus housing alone, spots are limited and competitive.
• Use Visale for a free guarantee if you are under 30 without one.
• View any room in person and never pay before meeting the landlord.

RTM runs the metro, tram and bus network across the city, and anyone 25 or under can buy a Pass Annuel Etudiant for 220 euros a year or a Pass 30 jours Etudiant for 36.70 euros a month, both giving unlimited travel. From Marseille Provence Airport, the A1 shuttle bus reaches Gare Saint-Charles in about 25 minutes, with departures every 10 to 20 minutes depending on the time of day. Tickets can be bought at the airport, at Saint-Charles station, or online before you travel. Once in the city, the Le Velo bike share system is a cheap way to reach the coast.

• Buy the Pass Annuel or 30 day Etudiant pass if you are 25 or under.
• Take the A1 shuttle bus, about 25 minutes between the airport and Saint-Charles.
• Use Le Velo bike share to reach coastal neighbourhoods cheaply.

Aix-Marseille Université takes exchange students only after your home institution nominates you to its international mobility managers, who then send a link to apply on its online platform with a CV, transcript, study contract and language certificate. Courses taught in French need at least a B1 level, B2 for law and political science, while English taught courses ask for B2 English. For 2026/27, orientation runs from 27 August to 9 September 2026, with welcome activities spread across the Marseille and Aix campuses. Kedge Business School exchange students register separately through the school's own Marseille campus procedure.

• Wait for your nomination link, then apply on the university's online platform.
• Meet the B1 or B2 language level required for your chosen courses.
• Attend orientation, from late August to early September on both campuses.

Lo que necesitas depende enteramente de tu nacionalidad. Los estudiantes UE/EEE/suizos no necesitan visado y simplemente pueden matricularse. Los estudiantes no UE en un intercambio de más de 90 días solicitan un visado de larga estancia VLS-TS para estudiantes antes de llegar, luego lo validan online dentro de los tres primeros meses y pagan una pequeña tasa OFII; con menos de 90 días puede que solo necesites un visado Schengen de corta estancia o ninguno.

Reserva tiempo para el maratón de trámites: querrás una cuenta bancaria francesa, justificante de alojamiento, cobertura sanitaria (tarjeta sanitaria europea para europeos, o inscripción en la seguridad social francesa), y un seguro de responsabilidad civil. Reserva las citas de prefectura y OFII en cuanto puedas, porque las plazas desaparecen.

• UE/EEE/suizos: sin visado, solo matricúlate
• No UE, más de 90 días: visado de larga estancia VLS-TS para estudiantes, validado online tras llegar
• Normalmente se exige justificante de unos 615 €/mes en fondos
• Consigue un seguro de responsabilidad civil (assurance responsabilité civile) antes del curso

Food shopping in Marseille centres on its markets as much as its supermarkets. The Marché des Capucins in Noailles has run since 1956 and still gathers around twenty stalls of fruit, vegetables and goods from across the Mediterranean, open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 1pm. Down at the Vieux-Port, the fish market on the Quai de la Fraternité keeps the same hours every day of the year, where fishermen sell mackerel, sole and octopus straight off their boats, a tradition once known as La Criée. Both markets sit a short walk from the Vieux-Port metro station.

• Browse the Marché des Capucins mornings for Mediterranean produce and spices.
• Watch fishermen sell the morning catch at the Vieux-Port fish market.
• Both markets run from about 8am to 1pm, one daily, one Monday to Saturday.

Castellane is a central, strategically located hub with strong transport links to most university sites, which makes it practical if you want easy access across the city. Cours Julien concentrates Marseille's nightlife, street art and independent bars, though rents there run higher than average. The Vieux-Port itself puts you minutes from restaurants, ferries and the metro, if noisier and busier. For a quieter, more affordable option built around academic life, La Timone in the 5th arrondissement sits close to the university hospital campus and suits students who prioritise study over nightlife.

• Pick Castellane for fast metro and bus links across the city.
• Choose Cours Julien for nightlife, street art and independent bars.
• Consider La Timone for a quieter, cheaper base near the hospital campus.

Cassis and its calanques make an easy day trip: direct trains on the Marseille to Toulon to Nice line run roughly every 30 minutes, or bus line 78 links Castellane to central Cassis about every 45 minutes. For calanques closer to the city, RTM buses reach several entrances directly, including the M08 line toward Cassis for the Carpiagne Gineste stop near the En-Vau lookout. Aix-en-Provence works well too, a straightforward train ride of about 43 minutes with roughly 37 departures a day. Both destinations suit a tight weekend and neither needs a car.

• Take a direct train to Cassis, running roughly every 30 minutes.
• Or ride bus line 78 from Castellane to central Cassis every 45 minutes.
• Reach Aix-en-Provence in around 43 minutes by direct train.

Sort your transport pass in the first week: buy the Pass Annuel or 30 day Etudiant pass the moment you have your student card, since both cut RTM fares sharply if you are 25 or under. Join ESN Marseille early through HelloAsso so you catch the first welcome events and meet other exchange students fast. If you search for a room privately, always view it in person first and never wire a deposit beforehand, and line up a Visale guarantee early if you lack a French guarantor. Markets close by early afternoon, so plan grocery runs at the Marché des Capucins before 1pm.

• Buy your RTM student pass as soon as you have a student card.
• Join ESN Marseille through HelloAsso for the first welcome events.
• Visit any private room in person, never pay before seeing it.