Marseille · With kids

A 283-metre crossing between the quay in front of the town hall and the Place aux Huiles side, running daily 07:30–20:20 except 1 May, every 20 minutes, and taking under five minutes. It costs €0.50 paid on board in cash or by contactless card, and it is the cheapest boat ride a child will ever be impressed by.

The island fortress of the Count of Monte Cristo, reached by boat from the Vieux-Port. Entry is €7 and free for under-18s, open 10:00–18:00 from April to September and 10:00–17:15 from October to March with Mondays closed. The crossing is not included in the ticket and the whole thing is cancelled in bad weather, so it is a fair-day plan rather than a fixed one.

RTM's seasonal maritime shuttles run from the Vieux-Port to Pointe Rouge and L'Estaque, and from Pointe Rouge on to Les Goudes, each leg taking about 35 minutes. A single leg is €5, the Vieux-Port to Les Goudes run is €8, and under-6s go free; the service runs from late April to late September only.

A large public park inland from the Prado beaches in the south of the city, with a lake, wide lawns and playgrounds, and enough space to let children run after a morning of being walked around the old town. It is free and it is the standard Marseille answer to a hot afternoon.

A monumental fountain and colonnade at the top of a long slope east of the centre, with a public park behind it and the city's natural history museum inside the building. The fountain and the park cost nothing and the museum's permanent collection is free, which makes it the reliable wet-weather option.