Getting There

By Air

The airport is situated 24km (15 miles) southeast from Cannes. France’s leading airport after Paris, it has direct flights to the main cities of France and Europe, and to North America, Africa and the Near East. There are hourly flights to Paris.

Major airlines: France’s national airline is Air France . Other carriers include British Airways, Lufthansa, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

Airport facilities: Services include duty-free shops and boutiques, a pharmacy, restaurants, a self-service cafeteria, a bar, bureaux de change and ATMs. Ada, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt provide car hire services. Disabled services are available . A free shuttle bus (navette), between terminals one and two and the car parks, departs every eight minutes during peak times, otherwise every 15 minutes. The airport organises a personalised welcome for VIP visitors on request.

Business facilities: The airport business centre , located in terminal one, provides fully equipped meeting areas, with a capacity for 250 people, as well as smaller offices - one with Internet access.

Transport to the city: Rapide Cote d’ Azur operate buses to Cannes, daily 0900-2200 (journey time - 45 minutes) every 30 minutes, costing €76. Taxis to the centre (journey time - 30 minutes) cost around FFr390 and are provided by Allo Taxis Niçois . Fixed-price ‘taxi cheques’ are available for purchase at the transport bureau, located near the information desk . The journey takes at least an extra 15 minutes during the International Film Festival. Seven-minute helicopter flights, operated by Heli Air Monaco and Nice Helicopteres , operate from Nice to Palm Beach, departing twice hourly from 0820-1720. A single trip costs FFr400 and a return costs FFr780 (including shuttle to the town centre).

Cannes-Mandelieu Airport (CEQ)

Situated eight kilometres (five miles) from Cannes’ centre (journey time - ten minutes), Cannes-Mandelieu is France’s leading private aviation airport.

Major airlines: Aeroplanes are available for hire from Chrokee Aer Odyssey , Euro Jet France and Rath Aviation ). There is also a helicopter for hire from Heli Inter Riviera

Airport facilities: These include reception rooms, hotel-booking, limousine and helicopter services. Car hire is available from Hertz and Europcar. Boat hire is also available with New Boat .

Business facilities: There is a VIP lounge available at the airport, as well as meeting rooms and catering services.

Transport to the city: Allo Taxi are available at the airport. A trip into the city centre costs approximately €28, which must be paid in cash (journey time - approximately 10 minutes).

Approximate flight times to Cannes: From London is 2 hours; from New York is 7 hours; from Los Angeles is 13 hours; from Toronto is 10 hours and from Sydney is 25 hours.

Arrival/departure tax: None.

By Water

The Cannes Chamber of Commerce is responsible for overseeing Gare Maritime du Port de Cannes , the port of Cannes, located close to the Palais des Festivals and La Croisette. Cannes is a major port for cruise liners, with 800 moorings per annum. The port is open daily between 15 and 30 June, 0800-1900, and between1 July and 15 September, 0800-2000. Outside these months, the port is open Monday to Saturday, 0800-1800.

Tariffs vary according to the size of the boat. At present, the port is not suitable for boats larger than 65m (21ft), however, work is underway in the Vieux Port to construct a quay where luxury cruise liners of up to 152m (500ft) will be able to moor. The planned date of completion is early 2001. Located as it is in the heart of central Cannes, restaurants, cafes and other facilities are widely available. The Riviera Ports website provides information on all the Cote d’ Azur ports.

Ferry services: Trans Cote d’ Azur ) operates a daily service between Cannes and the Lerins Islands, Saint Tropez, Monaco and Nice. Compagnie Esterel Chanteclair operates a service to Lerins Islands, Monaco, Saint Tropez and the Corniche d’Or.

Transport to the city: The port is located in the heart of the city centre, just opposite the Rapide-Cote d’Azur but and coach depot, which serves many destinations including Grasse, Nice and Saint-Raphael. (more…)

Excursions of Cannes

For a Half Day

Grasse: The world capital of the perfume industry for over three centuries, Grasse is situated just 16km (ten miles) from Cannes. Four of its 300 perfume factories and the Musee International de la Parfumerie, 8 place du Cours, are open to the public. August brings the Fete du Jasmin, with a carnival atmosphere and floats of flowers. Other attractions include the fascinating Musee d’Art et d’Histoire de Provence, 2 rue Mirabeau, Amiral de Grasse Museum and the 12th-century cathedral, which contains three Rubens. Rapide-Cote d’Azur buses to Grasse depart from the Cannes train station. The Grasse Tourist Office, Cours Honore-Cresp, provides further information.

For a Whole Day

Nice: 32km (20 miles) east along the coast, Nice is a museum Mecca. The Musee Matisse, 164 avenue des Arenes de Cimiez displays a rich collection of paintings and sculptures in the artist’s former home. The Musee National Message Biblique, avenue du Dr Menardhouses the enormous dreamscapes of Marc Chagall. Proud portraits of Napoleon and Josephine, religious art and Flemish and Germanic sculpture are displayed in the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire, 65 rue de France , located in the lush turn-of-the-century Palais Massena. The prestigious Musee d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain (MAMAC), Promenade des Arts displays French and American works from the 1960s to the present day. The New Museum of Asian Arts has just opened at 405 promenade des Anglais (.

There are direct SNCF trains and Rapide-Cote d’Azur buses to Nice, departing from Cannes train station. Nice Tourism, 5 Promenade des Anglais is open Monday-Saturday 0800-2000, Sunday 0900-1800 (June-September) and Monday-Saturday 0900-1800 (October-May).

Nightlife of Cannes

The focus of nightlife, as elsewhere on the Cote d’Azur, is the casino. The streets buzz at night, particularly around La Croisette, along la rue du Dr Monod and la rue Saint Antoine in Le Suquet, except for the rare occasions when it rains. Many restaurants double up as bars and clubs, as the night draws on.

On the whole, the Cannois like to dress up to go out. But visitors will feel at ease in anything from jeans to eveningwear, depending on the venue. Restaurant-bars serve drinks until about 0200, casinos remain open until about 0400 and discos and nightclubs until 0400 or 0500. Many bars have a happy hour 1800-1900. The legal drinking age in France is 16 years. While the standard price for a drink is aorund €3, prices tend to rise dramatically during high tourist season and key festivals.

Entertainment listings and information is available online and in Le Mois a Cannes, a monthly listings magazine published in French, available at the Cannes Tourist Office. However, for all its excitement, Cannes is a small town and long-term residents and revellers are often tempted to make the trip to Nice.

Bars: The popular Loft bar, 13 rue du Dr Monod, above a Chinese restaurant, is ideal for a relaxing drink. Another cosy little bar is Les Coulisses, 29 rue Commandant Andre, which plays black American music. Why Not?, 8 rue des Freres Pradignac, just a stone’s throw from La Croisette, can be relied upon for playing the latest pop tunes to a lively crowd. Le Legend Cafe, 9 rue d’Oran, plays chilled music in the early evening, before progressing to techno from 2300 onwards. Morrison’s, 10 rue Teisseire, with its entire decor imported from Ireland, acts as a magnet to Cannes’ youthful foreign crowd. There are plenty of reasons to join them - not least the wide choice of beer and drinks. Le Zanzibar, rue Felix Faure, is Cannes’ oldest gay bar. For romantic nights, head for seaside La Fregate, boulevard Jean Hibert, to watch the sun slowly rise - this restaurant-bar is open 24-hours.

Casinos: The Carlton Casino Club is located on the seventh floor of the smart Hotel Carlton, 58 La Croisette. The Casino Croisette Club is situated inside the Palais des Festivals. Gaming at both venues is restricted to those over 18 years and French law requires the presentation of an identity card (EU nationals) or passport at all casinos. Casual dress is accepted for the slot machines, however, formal attire is required to gain access to the gambling rooms.

Clubs: Le Cat Corner, 22 rue Mace, is one of the trendiest and most happening clubs in Cannes. Jane’s Club, Hotel Gray d’Albion, 38 rue de Serbes, has themed evenings on Fridays and disco nights on Sundays. Le Jimmy’s, at the Casino Croisette, has a bar, a thumping dancefloor and a large terrace for an older crowd. Gays and straights converge at Disco 7, 7 rue Rouguiere, known for its techno music, transvestite show and party atmosphere.

Live music: Within the palatial hotels on La Croisette, there are many piano bars, such as Le Bar des Celebrites, Hotel Carlton, 58 La Croisette, and the wonderful L’Amiral, Hotel Martinez, 73, La Croisette. Or you could try Brumel’s Piano Bar, 3 boulevard de la Republique, as an alternative. Irish pubs are particularly good for live music, including Morrison’s, 10 rue Teisseire. Salsa and Latino groups play at restaurant-bar El Caliente, 84 boulevard del la Croisette, also excellent for Cuban cocktails and spicy meals.

Sports of Cannes

French tennis was born in Cannes (the ‘town of a hundred courts’) in 1879, when Sir Thomas Robinson Woolfield built the first court. The modern city has over 16 clubs with 130 courts - the oldest among them, the Tennis Club de Cannes, has welcomed both George V of Sweden and Rita Hayworth. Golf in the city dates back to the original Cannes Golf Club, set up by the exiled brother of Alexander III Tsar of Russia, in the 19th century. Watersports, including windsurfing, water-skiing, scuba diving and pedalos, are widely enjoyed. Sailing takes place at the Vieux Port (Quai St Pierre) and the marinas on the eastern side of Cannes.

The International Festival of Games, which takes place in February, features backgammon, bridge, belote, draughts, chess, role-playing, tarot-reading and crossword puzzles. The Cannes International Show Jumping Competition takes place in June. In September, the International Yachting Festival, one of the leading boat shows in France, is held at the Pantiero Esplanade. During the Royal Regattas, later in the month, fleets of yachts come to Cannes for a week of races.

Boules: Association Boulistes Kiosque, Allee de la Liberte is Cannes’ oldest boules club.

Fitness centres: All of the Cannes’ ‘Palaces’ luxury accommodation and four-star hotels are equipped with fitness centres. Aero Gym Wohl’s sports centre for women only, 15 rue Georges Clemenceau , entitles visitors to participate in all the group courses (including stretching, aerobics and aqua aerobics in the sea) as well as access to sauna, jacuzzi and fitness rooms. Men can pump their muscles at the men-only Fitness Centre, 10 boulevard du Moulin . The huge, mixed gym, Top Fit, is located close to the motorway exit for Antibes .

Golf: The best greens on the Riviera are within easy reach of Cannes. These include Cannes-Mandelieu, Route du Golf in Mandelieu , and Cannes Mougins Golf Country Club, 175 Route d’Antibes in Mougins . Membership is not required and visitors should expect to pay €90 for a day’s golfing.

Swimming: In addition to the hotel pools and the beaches, visitors can swim at Piscine Coubertin, avenue Pierre Poesi for €1.45.

Tennis: A few of the many courts in Cannes are Tennis Club de Cannes, 11 rue Lacour , Gallia Lucien Barriere Tennis, 8 boulevard Strasbourg , and Tennis Municipal de la Bastide, 220 avenue Francis Tonner in La Bastide Rouge . All charge hourly rates.

Shopping in Cannes

The shops in Cannes are concentrated between La Croisette and rue d’Antibes - a distance easily covered on foot. Shopkeepers who have signed a ‘Cannes Prestige’ charter will reimburse VAT, accept payment in the most commonly used currencies (at the exchange rate published in the Nice Matin newspaper, plus a maximum of 5%) and have at least one assistant who speaks fluent English.

A wide array of international designer shops line La Croisette, including Chanel, Dior and Gucci. A new Jean-Paul Gaultier opened May 2002, in the Gray d’Albion arcade.

Rue d’Antibes has the best confiseries, chocolatiers and delicatessens, including Chez Bruno, 51 rue d’Antibes (crystallised fruit and marrons glace), and Maiffret, 31 rue d’Antibes (chocolates made on the premises). Rue Meynadier is a bustling street, with a market atmosphere and bargain prices. The best cheese in town is sold at Ceneri, 22 rue Meynadier. Cannolive, 16 rue Venizelos, is good for small gifts, while film festival posters are sold at Cine-Folie, 14 rue des Freres Pradignac. La Vendange des Moines wines and Lerins liqueurs are a boat trip away on Ile St Honorat, or are sold at La Cave Forville, 3 Forville Market.

At Marche Forville (Forville Market), situated between the town hall and the railway tracks, locally grown flowers, fruit and vegetables are available. The fish on sale are from the day’s catch. Nearby is the colorful flower market, Allees de la Liberte. Forville Market is open daily (except Monday) 0700-1300.

Standard shopping hours are Monday to Saturday 1000-1200 and 1430-1930. In high season, many shops do not close for lunch. Sales tax varies between 5.5% (food) to 19.6% (luxury goods). Visitors from outside the European Union can claim a refund upon departure for each purchase over €175.

Activities in Cannes

The main cultural event is the International Film Festival, which was first planned for 1939, cancelled because of the outbreak of war and then rescheduled for 1946. The festival gradually grew in size and importance, with the participation in the 1950s and 60s of Cocteau, Bardot, Truffaut and Goddard and the addition of the International Film Market, International Critics’ Week and Directors’ Fortnight. By the 1970s, the festival had become big business, as important for networking as for awarding the prizes, including the prestigious Palme d’Or, and increasingly presenting mainstream Hollywood films.

Roman Polanski picked up the coveted prize in 2002, for his directorial return for The Pianist, a holocaust tale of a Polish pianist who escapes a Nazi death camp with the aid of a German officer.

For ticket reservation contact Palais des Festivals for reduced prices for groups. Tickets for general cultural performance and events in Cannes are available at the venue, online or from FNAC, 83 rue d’Antibes . The monthly French-only publication, Le Mois a Cannes, available from the Cannes Tourist Office, provides cultural listings. Listings are also available online .

Music: During the Musical Nights of Le Suquet, international orchestras perform in the Palais des Festivals, Esplanade Georges Pompidou, and chamber orchestras play on the steps of Notre Dame de l’Esperance in Le Suquet. Leading orchestras present during the festival, such as the Cannes Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur Regional Orchestra.

Others perform throughout the year, most notably during the biennial International Classical Music Festival. Other principal venues include the Theatre Debussy, in the Palais des Festivals, and the Theatre Palais Croisette in the Hotel Noga Hilton, 50 boulevard de la Croisette. MIDEM (International Market for Records and Music Publishing) programs jazz, classical and contemporary concerts in January.

Theater: During the International Actors’ Performance Festival, small venues are used to stage humorous sketches, which can be enjoyed over a drink. Productions are often performed in the Espace Miramar, on the corner of La Croisette and rue Pasteur and the smaller theater Alexandre III, 19 boulevard Alexandre III. Actors training at the prestigious theater school, ERAC (Cannes’ Regional Actors’ School), put on regular productions.

Dance: The Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, 5 rue de Colmar , prepares seven- to 18-year-olds for their Baccalaureat and a career in international ballet. In addition to regular performances, the biennial International Dance Festival, presided over by Rosella Hightower herself, comprises a mix of neo-classical, contemporary, minimalist and postmodern dance.

Film: Since the International Film Festival (website: www.festival-cannes.fr) is reserved for professionals only, the Cannes Festival Forum, in May, organizes meetings and screenings for film fans. Young critics are targeted at numerous writing workshops during Cannes’ Cinematographic Meeting, in December. In Festival Panorama, ten feature films that have won awards in various international festivals compete. Films made in Cannes and the Riviera include Truth or Dare/In Bed with Madonna (1991) and the Cary Grant and Grace Kelly classic, To Catch a Thief (1955).

Cinemas in the city include Arcades, 77 rue Felix Faure ), Olympia, 16 rue de la Pompe , and Studio 13, 23 avenue du Dr Picaud . Salle Raimu, avenue de la Borde , shows original versions of art films.
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