UKC

Just planning a bit of a road trip for the autumn, including the Marseilles area.

It's always had a bit of a rep for vehicle thefts; still the case?

I'll be vanning so its not so easy to 'leave nothing in the car' as is the normal advice.

I may overnight by crags and go cragging early morning or check in to a central campsite and unload stuff into a tent (though I have heard tales of tents being robbed...)

Is this paranoia or am I walking into a certain robbery......

Last problem in the nineties... Leave nothing in the car means documents, money, camera... These guys are not really interested in your dirty underwear. And - dont lock the car, what is really annoying is to have  the locks repaired when nothing was to be found.

Just my2c. 

Ta. Normally take passport, wallet, phone etc with me but, as I say, with a van you are inevitably leaving some quite valuable bits behind.

Parking at the University (Luminy) is safe and gets you to some good areas,

Chris

Not true, unfortunately. When our van was broken into near Naples the thieves systematically took everything, including our dirty underwear. The idea is that you will have stowed your valuables amongst your other belongings and they can sift through them when they get back to base. 

If you want to climb at En Vau leave your van at the campsite (don't wildcamp!) and walk or get a boat to the crag. 

Aye. Thought about that for Sormiou.

I am not 100% but I half recall seeing somewhere on the web that they have moved the parking for en Vau even further away - coming in from Cassis would be the best option,

Chris

Luminy is good for Sugiton and Morgiou, Sormiou is quite a hike if I remember correctly. 

How depressing that this is still gping on and there doesn't appear to be any secure car parks or CCTV. Yearscago we had our car broken into at En Vau and Baume.

The advice about leaving unlocked doesn't always work - we did that and they still shoved a screwdriver in the lock and smashed it without even trying the door first.....

I’ve spent a good bit of time there and wouldn’t want to leave a van or anything looking like a camper unattended. 

Also thought I’d point out its ‘Marseille’ - there’s no extra S.. 

To be honest I didn’t think the climbing around Marseille was all that good anyhow - certainly not worth getting all your stuff nicked for. En Vau is very pretty but the rock is on a par with Peak lime. 

While you are correct, Marseilles (and Lyons, for that matter) is an archaic English spelling.  Not implying that Andy is archaic, of course ...

I can handle it, Jon

You French and your language purity stuff....

Pah! Your mother was a hamster...