Cannes

Understand

Cannes' moment to shine arrives in May as the venue for the Cannes Film Festival, entertaining the rich and famous. During the festival, fans can see actors, celebrities, and directors up close and in person on the famous steps of the Palais des Festivals at the end of La Croisette. Although its nightlife, casinos and high end restaurants give Cannes a feel of exclusivity, Cannes does have alternatives to suit all types of budgets. Tourists can check out the beauty and architecture of Le Suquet, with its cobbled streets and breathtaking views, or sit at street side tables and enjoy the favoured hobby of people watching up and down the lovely marina.

Get in

During peak season (August) transportation should be booked in advance, as it will sell out.

If travelling by public transit, two weeks before or after August, also be aware of the possibility of labour strikes. Strikes are common, anticipated, and highly publicised. Check the French newspapers or news websites before purchasing your tickets.

See

250px|thumb|La Croisette Old town — The usual narrow winding streets filled with restaurants and souvenir shops. The view from the castle ruins at the top is excellent. Covered Market (Marché Forville) — For a spectacular eating and viewing food experience, no other market in Cannes beats this for scale and variety. The market itself is at the west end of rue Meynardiers, one of the Cote's best gourmand streets. Closed as of 2026. Palais des Festivals — Down La Croisette is the famous Palais des Festivals, where stars of the screen gather and watch films screened during the festival. Irresistible not to pose for a photograph on the 22 steps leading up to the entrance. Hands of the stars — Just in front of the Palais you will find a line of dozens of hand prints of famous stars and actors. Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Murs Peints — Several houses in Cannes are painted with overly large portraits of stars and movies themes. Checkout OpenStreetMap to find them. Suquet — A quarter with a great view over the city. Port — Admire the yachts of the rich and possibly famous - though true mega-yachts will be found at the International Yacht Club down the coast in Antibes. La Croisette — Cannes catwalk beside the sea, it is the center of the city's tourist activity and known for its luxury hotels and boutique shops. Beaches — The beaches are mostly private and cost up to €30 for a day's use (including sunbed and shade). The…

Do

thumb|Cannes croix-des-gardes, hill and monumental cross by Jean-Yves Lechevallier

Buy

250px|thumb|right|Jean-Paul Gaultier store

Cannes is renowned for its luxury boutiques and designer fashion.

The shops in Cannes are concentrated between La Croisette and rue d'Antibes - a distance easily covered on foot. Here you'll find all the luxury boutiques you could possibly desire as well as other shops selling products at a more affordable price range. The old town has any number of shops selling souvenirs as well.

Stroll, or stop by, the wide array of international designer shops that line La Croisette, which include Chanel, Dior, and Gucci. Check out the l`enfant terrible of French fashion, Jean Paul Gaultier in the Gray d'Albion arcade at number 17.

For those with a sweet tooth, get your fix on Rue d'Antibes, which has the best chocolatiers and delicatessens A great street to grab yourself a bargain is on the Rue Meynadier, with a vibrant market atmosphere. Taste some sharp cheese at Ceneri, on 22 rue Meynadier, while quality wines are found at La Cave Forville, at 3 Forville Market.

A souvenir from the monastery on Ste Honorat is a good way to distinguish yourself from the other tourists toting bags of the same souvenirs.

Standard shopping hours are Monday to Saturday 10:00-12:00 and 14:30–19:30. In high season, many shops do not close for lunch. Sales tax varies between 5.5% (food) to 19.6% (luxury goods).

Eat

Although it tends to get pretty pricey to eat out in Cannes, it is possible to get a delicious meal incorporating the mouth-watering, fresh regional produce sourced from the markets.

The most popular restaurants to eat at are all along the riverfront, although they are they are not particularly value for money. While the food is ok, it's overpriced, however the people watching and posing-potential is an important compensation.

The best areas for dining are the rue Meynadier, in the beautiful old district of Le Suquet, where you can dine outdoors with a stunning view of the town below, and in the back streets of the Rue de Antibes, you can find some reasonable dining options.

Vegetarians have a bit of a rough time in France generally, in that most menus classify things as fish, meat and nothing else, and the French pride themselves in eating some fairly esoteric parts of animals not found in supermarkets back home - "testicules de mouton" for example. Traditional French cuisine is expensive at best, you could consider eating in some of the more Italian places.

The most romantic setting for dining in Cannes is away from the conference/ expense account circuit of central Cannes, in the historic quarter of Le Cannet, a northern suburb of Cannes some two kilometers away. Accessible by taxi or local buses, Vieux Le Cannet looks down over Cannes, and at its best vantage point is the large tree lined open square of Place Bellvue, tables alfresco, bounded by four or five quality r…

Connect

Check out Carrefour, most of them have free Wi-Fi.

Go next

If you fancy a change of scenery from Cannes or just want to make the most of its location then you can make a day trip to other beautiful and famous cities. A few to note are:

Aix-en-Provence is 1½ hr west by car. Monaco is 45 min northeast by car. Nice is 30 min northeast by car. Saint-Tropez is 1¼ hr southwest by car.