So I recently went to Cote d’Azur! A place that gained a reputation for being high-class and quite expensive. Many celebrities and even royalties spend their vacations here, you can find designer brand stores at nearly every corner. Despite all that, it’s a destination affordable for almost everyone!
Transfer from Nice airport
When you get there, you land in Nice, and from there you have many ways of getting to the city. There are 2 Express Lines, the price for a ticket is 6 Euro, there’s also a bus that’s 1.5 Euro/ride.
The distance between Cannes and Nice is about 25 km and the fastest way to get from one place to another is by train. You can get to Monaco-Monte Carlo or Saint Tropez just as easy.
Accommodation
If you want to stay in a nice 2 star hotel, I recommend L’Esterel, Splendid’s little brother. It has a nice balcony with a beautiful view of Cannes. The price for a double room starts at 42 Euro/night, with or without a breakfast (depending on the time period or their active offers) and can go up to 90 E/night during Cannes Film Festival. I think it’s a fair price for a room during such an exclusive event!
Another advantage of this hotel (beside the beautiful view) is it’s proximity to the train station and the other tourist attractions: the old city or the beach.
If you can afford it, you can stay at the Splendid Hotel, or get a room at the famous Carlton.
The Carlton Hotel is one of the most prestigious hotels in Cannes, it’s part of the Intercontinental Hotels chain and it’s famous for all the celebrities it has „seen” throughout the years. According to rumors, the stars that choose this hotel rent the rooms for 30 years during the Film Festival. The Carlton „starred” in movies, music videos, and it seems Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco first met here in 1955.
Take a tour with the Cinema Train!
One of the best ways to see the city and learn a few things about it’s history is to take the Cinema Train tour. Cannes isn’t a big city, but you could easily miss some of the historical places and don’t even know it! It’s nice to take a trip back in time and learn about Cannes’ stories, a place once filled with opulence. The ticket for the Cinema Train is 10 Euros and I think it’s worth it.
It will take you by Palm Beach Casino, opened in 1929 and a lot more historical landmarks and finally up the hill to the cathedral in the old town. You can take the stairs up to the top and enjoy the amazing panoramic view, then I recommend wandering the narrow streets, instead of taking the train back.
Cannes Old Town
It’s not at all like the rest of the city or the seafront, where there’s a lot of opulence, instead you can find here the friendly and cozy atmosphere of any small town in France. There’s a very joyful market for you to discover, it’s full of shops which sell cheese, fish, vegetables and many local specialties.
For example Soca, a pancake made from chickpeas, often seasoned with pepper. In restaurants, you can find a variety of dishes with all sorts of salads and salmon.
Good, fresh and cheap fish
Fish dishes are ever present, you can find menus below 30 E with fish, coffee and a glass of wine included! Delicious food and excellent wine! Cannes is also a culinary destination, not just a visual one.
Recap:
*Bucharest – Cannes plane ticket
* Transfer from the airport to Nice 1,5 E and from Nice to Cannes 3 Euro
* Accommodation – double room from 42 E (21 E/pers)
* Meal at a medium-high restaurant – 30 Euro: three courses, wine and coffee
* The Cinema Train – 10 Euro
* a visit to the local market – 0 Euro
* you can visit the supermarkets where you can buy things for breakfast
Have fun travelling! Hope this Cannes travel guide was useful!
All pictures are taken with Olympus OM-D M10 from F64!
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