Making the most of Cannes
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
A few smaller cruise ships berth, but most anchor and tender passengers—a very nice ride—to a quay also used by local ferries. Tender quays sit very near town beside a busy square, colourful market stalls, and a row of open-air cafés and restaurants.
On the world-famous Côte d’Azur, Cannes has museums, art galleries, botanical gardens, Gothic-style churches and a theatre district hosting the renowned international film festival. Casinos, discos and nightclubs create its legendary nightlife, while sandy Mediterranean beaches attract European sunbathers and sailboats fill shimmering blue water in summer. It is no surprise Cannes is the French Riviera’s “star”.
Cannes is easy to cover on foot. West of Vieux Port is Le Suquet, the oldest town district, with narrow shop- and restaurant-lined streets, a medieval church and a 12th-century castle now housing Musée de la Castre.
The action lies east of Palais des Festivals, venue for the Cannes Film Festival in May, along palm-lined Boulevard de la Croisette. Luxury hotels, casinos and marinas full of expensive yachts fill the area. Have a drink in one of its cafés or restaurants and watch the beautiful people drawn to Cannes.
Marché Forville, the Covered Market, is Cannes’s unrivalled food market for scale, variety and watching people. It sits at rue Meynardiers’ western end, one of the Cote’s best gourmand streets.
Tourist-office information is available in Cannes.
Getting around
The Cinema Train starts at Palace of Festivals and passes side beaches. It runs two guided tours discovering Cannes’s two facets: the History Tour of Suquet, historical centre, and the Croisette round through Croisette and Palm Beach.
Leaving the terminal, turn left and then immediately left again to reach the market square; the bus station is at its far end.
The railway station is a 5 min walk the other way, behind Palais des Festivals and Boulevard de la Croisette.
Most locations on organized tours can be reached just as easily by bus and/or train.
Nearby places
By bus, visit Nice, Villefranche, Monaco and Grasse.
By train, Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, Nice and Villefranche are within 1 hour; Monte Carlo takes just over one hour. Check train schedules.
Îles de Lérins are two bay islands well worth visiting. Smaller St Honorat has a monastery and ruined castle; monks sell monastery-made wine and other food/drink products as unique souvenirs. Larger Ste Marguerite has a castle, shops, bars and restaurants. Find a quiet cove, palm-tree shade and an inexpensive snorkel before swimming its rocky coves. Return tickets to Ste Marguerite cost €11, with ferries roughly hourly from 7 in the morning to about 05:30 at night; St Honorat tickets cost €13, and the fortified monastery can be visited...
Food and shopping
Cannes shops are concentrated between La Croisette and rue d’Antibes.
Money
The currency is the Euro.
Staying connected
For local emergencies, call 112.
Opening Hours and
French shops, businesses, information services, museums and banks generally open all day. Smaller shops and enterprises may close for lunch between 12.30pm and 2pm. Big shops trade Monday to Saturday from 8 or 9am to 6.30 or 7.30pm, smaller ones Tuesday to Saturday, though some open Monday afternoon. Boulangeries and food shops can still be found open on other closing days, normally until noon on Sunday.