Cannes Cruise Port

For all its glamorous association with Hollywood stars and European royalty, Cannes can seem a little disappointing outside the weeks of the annual film festival and it is often used as a gateway to the rest of the French Riviera including Monte Carlo.

But Cannes itself is a pretty town, with a lovely string of grand, olde-world hotels along the beachfront Boulevard de la Croisette and a small historic center, La Suquet, up the hill.

The Croisette is the place to stroll and shop, look into the high-fashion shop windows and dream of fame and fortune. Head into a store with the sign Cannes Prestige and live your Pretty Woman fantasies with personal service at a grand scale. In Cannes, you can live the life of the rich and famous, even if just for one day.

How to Get to Cannes

Cruise ships dock in the bay and tenders take you to Le Vieux Port (the Old Port) from where you turn right and it is an easy walk to the main promenade along the beachfront and into town, or you can catch a taxi. The train station is also an easy walk. Local buses along the coast are also a good option for day trips as many destinations are reached for only 1 euro.

One Day in Cannes

Cannes is a lovely place to spend the day if you like to stroll the beachfront promenade, shop or eat in lovely surroundings. French bakeries are famous so pop in there for a light lunch. If you fancy more sumptuous surrounds, head to the hotels along the front, such as the Sofitel Mediterranee with its top floor restaurant with lovely views. Or have a cocktail at the famous domed Hotel Le Carlton.

Up the hill in the old quarter of La Suquet is the Gothic church Notre Dame d’Esperance and 12th century Saint Anne’s Chapel plus panoramic view of Cannes Port.

If you want to see more of the famous South of France take a train to lovely Nice, pretty Antibes, inland, artsy St Paul de Vence, or Grasse, home to the perfume industry. The principality of Monaco is also an easy train ride away, the location of Monte Carlo’s casinos and Prince Rainier’s fine royal palace, with some dramatic views along the way.

Port Information

The language is French but some people in shops and restaurants will speak English. The currency is the euro and there are ATMs readily available.