Travel guide · France
Cannes travel guide
Croisette palace hotels, an old hilltop quarter and island boat trips
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Spike, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cannes is a compact Riviera resort strung along the Bay of Cannes, best known for the film festival held each May in the Palais des Festivals. Its seafront Boulevard de la Croisette runs about 2 km from the Palais to Pointe Croisette, lined with private beach clubs and palace hotels such as the Carlton and the Martinez. Behind the old port, the steep lanes of Le Suquet climb to a medieval tower and castle museum, and boats from the port reach the car-free Lérins Islands in 15–30 minutes. Antibes, Grasse and Nice are all short train rides away. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are June and September.
Key facts
- Country
- France
- Best time to visit
- June and September
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- NCE
- Mid-range daily budget
- $230–$420 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Cannes Film Festival, La Croisette, Palais des Festivals and Lérins Islands
Why visit Cannes
- The Croisette, the red-carpeted steps of the Palais des Festivals and the old port sit within a 20-minute walk of each other.
- Ferries from Quai Laubeuf reach Île Sainte-Marguerite, with its pine forest and Fort Royal, and the monks' island of Saint-Honorat in under half an hour.
- Marché Forville, the covered market at the foot of Le Suquet, is one of the best food markets on the Riviera.
- Antibes, Grasse, Nice and the red rocks of the Esterel coast are all reachable by train or bus in under an hour.
- Public beaches such as Plage du Midi and Plage Macé are free, a short walk from the private beach clubs.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 15 things to do.
Street · La Croisette
Boulevard de la Croisette
The seafront boulevard curves for about 2 km from the Palais des Festivals to Pointe Croisette, with palm trees and blue chairs on the promenade, beach clubs below and the façades of the Carlton, Martinez and Majestic hotels across the road.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- Photo spot
Landmark · La Croisette
Palais des Festivals et des Congrès
The concrete festival palace by the old port hosts the Cannes Film Festival and big trade fairs such as MIPIM and MIPCOM.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Le Suquet
Le Suquet old town
The medieval core of Cannes climbs the hill above the Vieux Port through narrow lanes and stairways to Place de la Castre, the 12th-century Tour du Suquet and the church of Notre-Dame d'Espérance.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Museum · Le Suquet
Musée des Explorations du Monde
Housed in the old castle of the monks of Lérins at the top of Le Suquet, this museum (long known as the Musée de la Castre) holds ethnographic collections from the Pacific, the Himalayas and the Americas, antiquities and Riviera landscape paintings.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
- Art
Market · Le Suquet
Marché Forville
Cannes's covered market at the foot of Le Suquet sells Provençal produce, cheese, olives, flowers and fish landed by local boats.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
Island · Lérins Islands
Île Sainte-Marguerite
The larger Lérins island, about 15 minutes by boat from the old port, is covered with eucalyptus and Aleppo pine and ringed by footpaths and small rocky coves.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Kids
- History
- Nature
Where to stay
La Croisette is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 7 areas.
$$$$ · Best for luxury, couples, beach and first-timers
La Croisette
Palace hotels, beach clubs and designer boutiques along the seafront boulevard
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers and culture
Le Suquet
Steep cobbled lanes, the old castle and terrace restaurants above the port
$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, budget and solo travellers
Centre and Rue d'Antibes
Shopping streets, bakeries and mid-range hotels one block back from the sea
$$$ · Best for families, beach and quiet stays
Pointe Croisette and Palm Beach
The quieter eastern tip of the bay with a marina, casino and public beaches
What to eat
- Socca — A thin, crisp chickpea-flour pancake baked in a wood-fired oven and served hot, peppered and cut into strips.
- Pan bagnat — A round bread roll soaked in olive oil and filled with tuna, hard-boiled egg, raw vegetables, olives and anchovies; essentially a salade niçoise in a bun and the ideal beach lunch.
- Bouillabaisse — The Provençal fish stew of rockfish served in two stages: first the saffron broth with croutons and rouille, then the fish.
- Pissaladière — Thick bread dough topped with slow-cooked onions, anchovies and black olives, sold by the slice in bakeries across the Riviera.
- Salade niçoise — The regional salad of tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, black olives, tuna or anchovies and raw vegetables dressed in olive oil.
- Petits farcis — Small vegetables such as courgettes, tomatoes, onions and peppers stuffed with a mix of meat, breadcrumbs and herbs, then baked.
When to go
The best times to visit Cannes are June and September, when the sea is warm, days are long and prices sit below the July–August peak. May is beautiful but dominated by the film festival, which makes hotels very expensive. April and October suit sightseeing and island walks, while winter is quiet and mild, with many beach clubs closed.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Mild and sunny, ideal for walking Le Suquet and the islands; the sea stays cool until late May, and the film festival and trade fairs push up prices. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot, dry beach weather with warm sea, fireworks over the bay and evening life on the Croisette, but crowded beaches and peak prices. |
| Autumn | September–November | Warm sea and fewer visitors in September, mild October days between storms, and a quiet, rainy November. |
| Winter | December–February | Cool but often sunny, with mimosa on the hills in February; low hotel prices, but many beach clubs and some restaurants close. |
Getting there and around
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is about 27 km east of Cannes. Express coaches run from the airport to Cannes in about 45–60 minutes depending on traffic, and regional trains from the station near the airport reach Cannes in about 30 minutes. Taxis and private transfers take about 30–45 minutes.
Central Cannes is small enough to walk: the station, the Croisette, the old port and Le Suquet are all within 15–20 minutes of each other. Palm Bus city buses cover La Bocca, Le Cannet and Pointe Croisette, regional TER trains run along the coast, and boats from the old port serve the Lérins Islands.
Plan your days
Two days covers the Croisette, Le Suquet, Marché Forville and a half-day on the Lérins Islands. Four days lets you add day trips to Antibes, Grasse and Nice or a drive along the Esterel coast, with time left for the beach.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- French
- Plugs
- Type C and E sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- Service is included in restaurant bills in France.
Cannes is generally calm, but bag and phone theft happens on crowded beaches, the Croisette and at the station in summer, and cars with visible luggage are targeted. Summer heat can be intense, so carry water on island walks.
Flights to Cannes
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Cannes?
Two days covers the Croisette, Le Suquet, Marché Forville and a half-day on the Lérins Islands. Four days lets you add day trips to Antibes, Grasse and Nice or a drive along the Esterel coast, with time left for the beach. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Cannes?
The best times to visit Cannes are June and September, when the sea is warm, days are long and prices sit below the July–August peak. May is beautiful but dominated by the film festival, which makes hotels very expensive. April and October suit sightseeing and island walks, while winter is quiet and mild, with many beach clubs closed.
+What is Cannes known for?
Cannes Film Festival, La Croisette, Palais des Festivals, Lérins Islands, Palace hotels, Private beach clubs and Le Suquet old town. The Croisette, the red-carpeted steps of the Palais des Festivals and the old port sit within a 20-minute walk of each other.
+Is Cannes expensive?
Cannes is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $230–$420 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Cannes?
Not for Cannes itself, where parking is expensive and scarce. A car is useful for the Esterel coast road, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the hill villages, but trains cover Antibes, Nice, Monaco and Grasse.