CANNES
How to get to Cannes
Cannes is situated along the coast of the French Riviera which is incredibly well serviced by rail links, road network, bus routes and Nice International airport. Cannes also has it's own small airport for private planes, private charters or helicopter connections. It's only weakness is Ferries from other European countries with entry points located in the North and East of France.
Getting to Cannes by airCannes is 20kms west Of Nice and therefore the easiest acces route to Cannes is via Nice Cote d'Azur International airport. Nice airport is the second busiest airport in France after Paris with almost ten million passengers passing through its doors last year. There are daily direct flights from North, South and Central Europe as well as North Africa, the Middle East, the United States and Canada.
Once you arrive in Nice then the airport is located right on the edge of the city centre, at the end of the 7km stretch of sea front that runs the length of this coastal town making it one of the most conveniently located city airports in Europe, with nearby access to trains, taxis and buses.
Getting to Cannes by railThe TGV provides a high speed rail service with a newtwork that links from all over Europe into Paris and then fans out into a web that connects all of France to the rest of mainland Europe and the UK. While Cannes does not have a direct high speed rail link from Paris, the TGV does however take you as far as Marseille where a slower rail link connects you to the city in less than two hours.
If you are travelling to Cannes from further south TrenItalia operate services into the French Riviera from Rome, Milan and Genoa further connecting Cannes to more Southerly countries in Europe. For rail links and contacts look in the RG directory.
Getting to Cannes by roadThe road network in France is exceptional. Destinations are very clearly signposted and no matter how small the village the signposting never drops off leaving you stranded. The motorways are signposted in blue and marked with 'Peage' where they are tolled. The national routes are marked with green signs and these routes, while slower, are free. It is better to navigate using place names rather than road numbers and to note which direction you need to travel in; north, south, east or west.
The motorways have excellent facilities with frequent services and stop areas with food, toilets and picnic areas although fuel prices are at a premium rate compared with the cheaper supermarket prices. Cannes is located at Junction 41 off the A8 Motorway which runs East to West along the entire French Riviera from nearby Aix-en-Provence to the Italian border at Menton.
Getting to Cannes by SeaGetting to Cannes via the sea will depend on your point of departure. The busiest main ferry routes into France are in the more northerly ports. Le Harve, Calais and Cherbourg which service routes between the UK, Ireland and Northern Europe. To reach Cannes from these locations you will have to link up to the exceptionally good road network or rail links.
The Mediterranean sea is crossed mainly by cruise companies and pleasure boaters rather than big commercial Ferry operators. There are limited services between Marseille, Italy, Tunisia and Corsica but the easiest route to Cannes is by road, rail or air. Cannes port does have visitor berths, by prior arrangement, if you have your own boat. To find out contact detail then please look in th RG directory under Cannes.
How to get around Cannes
Once you get to the French Riviera then getting around couldn't be easier. The coast is well serviced by all modes of transport and the French authorities, with long experience of tourism in play, know how to cater for visitors to the region. There are information points in the airport and in the towns with free maps, guides and brochures available while services are clearly marked, clearly priced, clean, reliable and on time.
 | | Once you arrive in Nice International airport then there are Taxi ranks waiting outside each of the terminal buildings. Cannes is about 34.9km west of Nice and so the journey should only take about forty minutes depending on the traffic.
Fares begin at €65 with increases depending on how many bags you have and what time of night it is. It's always a good idea to see if anyone wants to share a cab with you and share the cost. |
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Agree the fare before you leave the airport. It will clarify the charges for you. |
 | | There are bus terminus' outside the arrivals halls of Nice airport Terminals. The bus journey to Cannes will take about 1 hour and 40 minutes from Nice and you can buy your tickets at the 'Caisse/parkings' outside the terminal.
There are tourist day passes with unlimited bus travel available for €4 but they are not valid on airport routes. A new service this year, called Noctam'bus means that there are now night buses running too, until 4.00am |
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Nice airport website is the best place to decipher the complicated websites. |
Riviera busesThe bus service all along the Cote d'Azur is very efficient. The Conseil General has tried to streamline and simplify the service specifically with visiting cusomers in mind. The fares within the towns have been standardized so that every journey now costs the same, €1 and there are day passes available to make it easier to hop on and off the buses at will.
All very good however, trying to figure out timetables and routes by using the internet is an exercise in confusion and the only people to sell the day passes are registered lignedazur agents. The best place to get information on the buses is the Nice airport website, see the RG directory for contacts, where you can get information translated into English and find out timetables, bus numbers, cost of your journey and how long the journey will take.
| Getting to Cannes from Nice airport by train first involves a bus ride into Nice Gare to get to the train station. The journey to Cannes will take about 45 minutes and will cost 5€60.
The trains are regular and you can buy your tickets from machines or ticket desks in the train station. You can also prebook tickets online via the website although there is no English translation on the page. It is easy to figure out anyway. |
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The train station has a tourist info centre and you can pick up free timetables to keep on you. |
| The road network in France is exceptionally good. There are two types of road; the motorway, which is signposted in blue and the route national, which are signposted in green.
The stretch of motorway that services this part of the Riviera is the A8 motorway and is a peage. It is an expensive stretch of motorway by virtue of the fact that it has a difficult terrain to traverse and has to be impeccably maintained against dangers like rockfalls or damaged tunnels. |
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It may be that the next or previous exit may be cheaper of even free. |
Riviera MotorwaysThe motoway services in France have quite an array of services which you can check online in advance if you want to plan your stops accordingly. There are the usual restaurants, toilets and service station facilities but also play areas for children, scenic picnic areas and alternative fuels such as GPL.
The A8 motorway is said to be the most expensive stretch of motorway in France but having said this it does have to cut through, climb or bypass some of the steepest, rockiest and impassable mountains in all of France. You can also opt not to drive via the motorway and use one of several more scenic roads.
The tolls vary locally from 50cents to €3/4 dependng on your exit or how long you have been on the motorway. From northern France you can expect your journey to cost in the region of €60/70 but you will save almost a tank of fuel and many hours driving time.
 | | Cannes has it's own small airport located on the west side of Cannes in Mandelieu. This airport, while not open to large commercial airlines, does operate private services for corporate jets, private planes and helicopter trips.
There are also several flying clubs that have found their home here. To find out contact details for the operators out of this airport then go to the RG directory and look under Cannes - Transport.
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If you have a private aircraft Cannes airport maybe more flexible than Nice International airport. |
 | | Cannes is well known and popular port of call along the French Riviera. There are cruise ships operating, private pleasure boaters and small ferry cruisers who will take you out to the islands or on tours along the coast.
The Port has visitor berths but these are heavily in demand especially during Cannes' key events such as the world famous Cannes film festival. There is a procedure with downloadable forms available on the internet. |
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There is great information and all the contacts you'll need. Start in the RG directory to find them all. |
Renting holiday Accommodation in Cannes
This should answer all your questions with regards to how to get to Cannes. If you want to book a villa or a holiday apartment in Cannes then please use our search facility below or click on 'Browse Rentals' in the main menu. You will be able to choose from luxurious apartments or simple holiday lets. Thank you and Happy holidays.
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Some of our vacation rentals in Cannes |
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Moulin de Cannes is an 18th century Mill House.
The property is located in the exclusive residential area of La...
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Cannes centre, Large modern villa, beautifully furnished and renovated that can sleep 10 comfortably. Very well...
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Cannes Film Festival luxury apartment on the Croisette. This penthouse is available for the Cannes Film Festival and is...
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