Rent a car, Cannes

Being the resort that it is, Cannes is accessible by all means of transportation, that is, by air, by car, by train or by boat/ferry. In addition, it features reliable infrastructure connections to all major French Riviera resorts, such as Nice and St. Tropez, and it is also extremely close to Monaco, trips from Cannes to Monaco (and the other way around) being pretty regular among both the locals and the visitors of Cannes.

Getting by air to Cannes

In view of getting to Cannes by air, one has two choices, namely, to resort to the Nice International Airport or to the smaller, but excellent Cannes-Mandelieu Airport (located 6 kilometers from the center of Cannes). Indeed, the latter has a rather exclusivist dash, being mostly frequented by private and small sized aircrafts, whereas the Nice International Airport, though located 24 kilometers from Cannes, has the reputation of servicing the entire tourist platform of the French Côte d’Azur, Monaco included. The airport is fitted with excellent facilities and services, such as banks, restaurants, coffee shops and bars, not to mention the two passenger terminals meant for making the passage as swift as possible. One of the most significant benefits featured by this airport, at least as far as Cannes visitors are concerned, is that certain public transport operators deliver their services here, covering the distances between this main entry on the Côte d’Azur and the center of Cannes. The connection between the city and the airport is also assured by certain hotels which pick up their guests for free and bring them to the respective establishment. But, again, this is a facility only certain tourists can benefit from.

Getting by train to Cannes

The second most popular and efficient way to get to Cannes is by train. Given that Cannes is located on the Marseille-Nice railway and that the city is serviced by three types of international trains, namely, Trains Bleus, the TEE (Trans-Europe Express) and the TGV (high speed trains), it is easily accessible from Paris (about 7 hours to Cannes by train), for instance, from Marseille, from Basel (about 10 hours), Milan (5 hours), Venice and Rome (about 10 hours each), Brussels (about 7 hours).

The distance between Cannes and Nice can be easily covered by train in about half an hour, and the fact that there are two trains an hour enables tourists and locals alike to make this distance pretty often. As efficient as these trains may be in terms of ensuring the connection between these two major French Riviera cities, a downside still manages to occur, at least as far as tourists arriving on Côte d’Azur are concerned: the Nice International Airport has no train station, the closest one – the St. Laurent du Var – being located about 30 minutes walk from the Terminal 1 of the respective airport.

Another favorite trip of Cannes holidaymakers is to Monaco, the distance between these two cities being easily covered in about 50 minutes by train. The regional train ticking off the resorts on the French Riviera is also a necessary means for those who must commute daily, which means that tourists are not the only ones to opt for this type of transport.

Another aspect essential for those choosing the train to get to or out of Cannes is the fact that the main train station in Cannes – also referred to as Cannes-Ville or Gare de Cannes – is located on 1, Rue Jean Jaurès, 06400. It offers rapid access to the main thoroughfares of Cannes, which is why plenty of locals and visitors chose traveling by train. Further and more specific details can be obtained by visiting the official website of the national train operator in France, namely, www.sncf.fr.

Getting by car or by bus to Cannes

Cannes and, for that matter, the entire Côte d’Azur are connected to the European network of motorways. Thus, Cannes is linked to Paris by the A8 Estérel motorway, a distance which is coverable by an 8 hour ride. The same road provides access to Nice and Monaco, but an alternative is represented, as far as Nice and Monaco are concerned, by N98 which directly links Cannes to Nice and Monaco.

Other alternatives are known to be preferred by those familiarized with the French Riviera roads, but regardless of the one chosen, the ride is pretty rewarding, since the view is more than stunning. Should travelers happen to drive outside traffic rush hours, the ride from Nice to Cannes, or the other way around, should not take more than 30 minutes. However, this is not a general truth, since traffic fluctuations are significant, depending on seasons and the time of day, which is enough of a reason to opt for traveling by train. Taxis and cars for hire are available both in Nice and Cannes, so the trouble of coming with the personal vehicles is generally not worth undergoing.

Traveling by bus from Nice to Cannes is yet another reliable alternative to resort to, and it comes with certain advantages. Besides being reasonably efficient – it takes less than an hour for the buses to get from Nice to Cannes – the buses pick up travelers precisely from Terminals 1 and 2 of the Nice International Airport and drops at the Cannes Buss Station, which is extremely close to the Palais des Festivals. Bus number 210 (also called Cannes Xpress) is, as it were, the more rapid option in terms of buses because it makes no stops on the way, whereas bus number 200 is known for its numerous stops, which is why it makes an about 2 hour ride in order to get to Cannes. However, this buss is popular with tourists and locals given its low ticket price.

Getting by boat/ferry to Cannes

Ferries coming from Bastia and Calvi in Corsica arrive in Nice and pick up passengers in view of offering them a pleasurable and useful trip along the coastline. Travelers can resort to this means of transportation if in search of a more atypical experience, meaning that despite the fact that ferry trips do last longer – it takes about 3 hours and 40 minutes to 4 hours and 45 minutes for ferries from Bastia to cover the distance, and 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours and 45 minutes for those from Calvi – the scenery is, eventually, worth admiring and rewarding. Ferries aside, speed boats can be chosen for making the distance between Nice and Cannes or, for that matter, to reach from one point on the French Riviera to another. Further information is available on www.riviera-ports.com.

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