Como or Marseille?

Marseille is the real swimming destination of the two. The Prado beaches give you room to spread out on shingle and imported sand, the Corniche inlets are handy for a quick swim, and the Calanques offer clear water under white cliffs, though getting there takes half a day on foot or by boat.

Como has no beach culture to speak of. Swimming happens at lidos with lawns and pontoons, such as the one by Villa Olmo, or from small pebble strands in villages up the lake, and only in the warm months. It is a pleasant break on a summer day rather than the reason to go.

Marseille has the richer and more varied table. Its cooking draws on the whole Mediterranean, from bouillabaisse and chickpea panisses to the North African, Comorian and Armenian shops of Noailles, and there are fishermen selling their catch on the quay every morning, plus a serious high-end tier. The tired set menus around the old port are the thing to avoid.

Como cooks Lombard lake and mountain food: perch risotto, missoltini, polenta and valley cheeses. It does this well in old-town trattorias and family-run places in the hills, but the choice is that of a small provincial city, with little street food or variety.

Marseille has the deeper and broader heritage, from its Greek founding to Notre-Dame de la Garde, the forts and MuCEM at the Vieux-Port, the Vieille Charité in Le Panier and Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse. It is spread through a working city, so it takes several days and some legwork to see.

Como's sights are fewer but packed into one tidy walled centre. There is the marble cathedral, the Romanesque churches of San Fedele and Sant'Abbondio, and Terragni's Casa del Fascio, which architects travel to see. Along the shore are the Volta temple and the silk museum, and most of it fits into a single day.

Marseille is clearly the place to go out. Cours Julien, La Plaine and Notre-Dame-du-Mont fill with graffiti-painted bars and pavement tables until late, the Vieux-Port terraces carry on into the night, and there are warehouse electronic nights and summer rooftop parties. Some streets feel edgy late at night, so a taxi home is sensible.

Como winds down after dinner. There are a few wine and cocktail bars around Piazza Duomo and a summer stroll on the lakefront, but no clubs, and young locals go to Milan for a big night.

Both cities sit right beside outstanding landscapes, but very different ones. Como offers a glacial lake between steep wooded mountains, with the funicular to Brunate, ridge paths to the Volta lighthouse, Alpine views from Monte Bisbino and the classic cycling climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo.

Marseille has a national park inside its city limits: bare limestone ridges, pine gullies and deep blue inlets such as Sormiou and En-Vau. It is famous for sport climbing, and sea kayaking and diving around Riou are excellent. In both cities spring and autumn are the best seasons, because Como's summers turn hazy and Marseille's massifs can close in summer when the fire risk is high.

Both make superb bases, and the choice comes down to what you want to see. From Como, the boat is the classic outing: up the lake to Bellagio, Varenna and the gardens of Villa Carlotta and Balbianello. By train, Milan's Last Supper, Lugano and Bergamo's upper town are all within easy reach.

From Marseille, the trips lead into Provence: Aix, Arles's Roman arena, the papal palace in Avignon, and Cassis under its cliffs. The towns are easy by train, but the Luberon villages and Les Baux really need a car.

Neither city is built for children, and neither has a major zoo, aquarium or theme park. Como is the calmer and gentler option, with boat rides, the funicular and an easy lakeside promenade for pushchairs.

Marseille has the better summer beach day, with the gentle water at the Prado and Parc Borély's lake and lawns right behind it. On the other hand, its traffic, steep streets and heat make getting around with small children much harder.

Como is the easier city to get around. Its old town and lakefront are flat and compact, and frequent trains run to Milan and Lugano. The weak spot is the lake itself: slow ferries and shore roads that clog up in summer.

Marseille has a metro, trams and handy little port ferries, but the city sprawls across hills. The buses to the beaches and the Calanques trailheads get stuck in traffic, and some coves still mean a long walk from the last stop.

Neither is a fashion destination, and each has its own local speciality. In Como that is silk, sold as scarves, ties and fabric from old-town specialists and mill outlets, with a short street of Italian boutiques. Anyone who wants serious fashion takes the train to Milan.

In Marseille the typical buys are green cubes of olive-oil soap and painted santon figures from Le Panier, and the narrow streets of Noailles are good for browsing. Rue Paradis adds department stores and chains.

Marseille is the kinder city on the wallet. Everyday food such as pizza and North African snacks is cheap, central hotels are reasonable outside summer, and walking in the Calanques costs nothing.

Como attracts an international luxury crowd, and lakeside hotels and villas are expensive in July and August. You can save by sleeping back from the water and eating in trattorias in the hills. Trains and ferries are cheap in both cities.

Marseille has much more going on. There is an art deco opera house, a national theatre in the old fish market, and the Friche la Belle de Mai for contemporary dance and concerts. The city also has a strong hip-hop and world-music scene, the summer Festival de Marseille and the Fiesta des Suds in autumn.

Como relies on the Teatro Sociale and its open-air summer Arena, plus chamber concerts in churches and villas. These are lovely occasions in fine settings, but on most nights the calendar is quiet.

Neither has a thermal or bathing tradition, but Como is much better for unwinding. The grand lakeside hotels have proper spas, and the still water, gardens and quiet villages make rest easy, especially in spring and autumn.

Marseille offers a few local hammams and some hotel spas, but the city itself is loud and intense. Its calm moments are a long harbour lunch on the Corniche or a stay out in Cassis.