7 best day trips from Cannes

Day trips compared

The day trips

11 km · About 10–15 minutes by train

1.Antibes and Juan-les-Pins

Antibes has ramparts above the sea, a morning Provençal market on Cours Masséna and the Picasso Museum in the Château Grimaldi, where Picasso worked in 1946. Port Vauban is one of the largest yacht harbours in the Mediterranean, and neighbouring Juan-les-Pins has sandy beaches and a summer jazz festival.

Getting there

TER train from Gare de Cannes

Best for

Culture, Couples, Beach

17 km · About 30 minutes by train

2.Grasse

The hill town above Cannes has been the centre of the French perfume industry for centuries. Long-established perfume houses offer free factory tours and workshops where you can blend your own scent, and the Musée International de la Parfumerie explains the history of the trade.

Getting there

TER train from Gare de Cannes to Grasse

Best for

Culture, Couples, Families

33 km · About 30–40 minutes by train

3.Nice

The Riviera's capital has the Promenade des Anglais, the market and baroque churches of Vieux Nice, Castle Hill viewpoint and museums devoted to Matisse and Chagall. Socca from a wood-fired oven in the old town is the obligatory snack.

Getting there

TER train from Gare de Cannes to Nice-Ville

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Food lovers

20 km · About 30 minutes by car

4.Esterel coast and Théoule-sur-Mer

West of Cannes, the red volcanic rocks of the Esterel massif drop into the sea along the Corniche d'Or, one of the most scenic roads in France. Small coves around Théoule-sur-Mer and Le Trayas are good for swimming and snorkelling, and trails climb to viewpoints such as the Pic du Cap Roux.

Getting there

Car via the Corniche d'Or coast road, or train to Théoule

Best for

Couples, Beach, Quiet stays

55 km · About 1 hour by train

5.Monaco

The principality packs the Prince's Palace on Monaco-Ville rock, the Oceanographic Museum, the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the yacht-filled Port Hercule into two square kilometres. Most of it is walkable from the station, with public lifts linking the levels.

Getting there

TER train from Gare de Cannes to Monaco-Monte-Carlo

Best for

First-timers, Luxury, Families

30 km · About 40 minutes by car

6.Saint-Paul-de-Vence

A walled medieval hill village of galleries and cobbled lanes where Marc Chagall is buried. The Fondation Maeght, just outside the walls, is one of France's leading modern-art museums, with works by Miró, Giacometti and Braque in its gardens.

Getting there

Car, or train to Cagnes-sur-Mer then bus

Best for

Couples, Culture

8 km · About 20 minutes by car or bus

7.Mougins

A circular hilltop village just north of Cannes where Picasso spent his last years. Its lanes are full of art galleries and restaurants, and it has a long reputation as a gourmet village.

Getting there

Palm Bus or car

Best for

Couples, Food lovers, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Buy tickets from machines or the official app; drivers may not sell them on every line.
• Trains are the easiest way to reach Antibes and Nice in summer, when coastal roads are jammed.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask