Cannes / Palais des Festivals
Cannes / La Croisette
The red-carpet steps of the film festival, the palm-lined Boulevard de la Croisette with its beaches, and panoramic views from the Le Suquet old town above the harbour: a full day exploring the city of cinema.
Cannes lies 30 km west of Nice, about 30 to 40 minutes by TER train (€7–8). The city's showpiece is the seafront Boulevard de la Croisette, a 3 km promenade lined with legendary hotels such as the Carlton, the Martinez and the Majestic, along with luxury boutiques. The beaches here are fine sand, unlike the pebbles in Nice. Public beaches are free, while hotel beaches charge admission. At the western end of the boulevard stands the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The red-carpet steps at its main entrance host the Cannes Film Festival each May, and outside festival season you can climb them freely for photos. The ground in front is marked with hundreds of handprints of film stars, a 'Walk of Fame'. Guided tours of the palace can be booked. By the Vieux Port, the Forville Market (Tuesday to Sunday mornings) is where locals shop. Behind it, the old town of Le Suquet climbs up stone steps to the castle museum (Musée des Explorations du Monde) and its bell tower, with views over the entire harbour and bay. If you have time, take the 15-minute ferry from the Old Port to Île Sainte-Marguerite (about €17 return) to see the cell of the 'Man in the Iron Mask' and the pine-shaded beaches. Suggested itinerary: arrive by train in the morning, then Forville Market and the old town, lunch, a stroll along the Palais and the Croisette, and return in the evening. The festival runs for about 12 days in mid-May, during which the Croisette is closed off and hotel prices rise several-fold, so non-film fans may want to avoid those dates. In summer the beaches are busy, but the water is clear.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Lérins Islands
- Antibes Old Town
- Musée Picasso Antibes
- Cap d'Antibes
- Grasse
- Gourdon
- Fondation Maeght
- Saint-Paul-de-Vence