Nice & Cannes, France
Wander through the medieval rabbit warren of the old town, stroll along the famous seafront "Promenade" and see the fin-de-siècle residences that made Nice one of Europe's most fashionable winter retreats. Nearby Cannes is probably the most glamorous spot on the Cote d' Azur. Popular for its film festival and casinos, the beautiful bay, sandy beaches and pretty port are also great attractions.
Getting to and around Nice & Cannes
Nice
Nice's international airport, Aéroport International Nice-Côte d'Azur is about 6km west of the city centre. Over 40 national and international airlines fly in and out of Nice, and services to Paris are very frequent. Regular buses shuttle between the airport and city.
If you'd rather travel by rail, there are fast trains running all along the coast and an infrequent TGV (high-speed train) service to Paris - you may find it quicker to catch a train to Marseille and change there. Nice's main train station, Gare Nice Ville is 1.2km north of the beach. There are fast and frequent services to towns up and down the coast from St-Raphaël to Ventimiglia (across the Italian border), including stops at: Antibes, Cannes, Menton, Monaco and St-Raphaël.
Several bus companies link Nice with domestic and international destinations.
Some two dozen bus companies stop at the intercity bus station on blvd Jean Jaurès. There are slow but frequent services to Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, Menton and Monaco. Hourly buses run to Vence and St-Paul de Vence.
Regular ferries sail from Nice to Corsica. You can get tickets from the SNCM office at the ferry terminal or try a travel agency in town.
Buses operate frequent services around the city. Bicycles, rollerblades and motorbikes can be rented also. The main tourist office (beside the gare SNCF on avenue Thiers) provides information on all transport options.
Cannes
The nearest international airport is in Nice (27 kms away). The bus from Nice to Cannes is tortuously slow, stopping at every point on the way and taking the best part of an hour and forty minutes - your better option is 40 minutes on the train.
Cannes is on the high-speed TGV rail network and there are direct services to Paris, Nice and Marseille. The train station is on rue Jean-Jaurès, five blocks north of the Palais des Festivals on the seafront. The tourist offices at the train station and in the Palais des Festivals provide information on travelling to nearby French Riviera and inland destinations.
Cannes is very compact and easy to get around by foot. If you arrive by car, be aware that parking in the old part of town is very difficult. It´s best to use one of the larger car parks.
The A8 motoway runs all the way from Paris to Italy, via Cannes.
Nice Highlights
Old Nice (Vieux Nice) is a bustling mass of winding lanes full of little boutiques, patissieres, restaurants and touristy knickknacks – all within a compact area bound by the Cours Saleya on one side and the Albert 1st Gardens on the other. Wander the lanes and soak up the atmosphere, stop for a coffee or sample the traditional Nicois dishes at one of the many eateries. The air is perfumed with the smell of provencal lavender sachets and scented soaps.
The sun, the sea and the relaxed atmosphere are highlights of Nice and a leisurely walk along the Promenade des Anglais,"The Promenade of the English", is a must. On the way admire the belle epoque hotels and apartments, or just drink in the azure blue sea and sky. Built in 1820 by an Englishman, Lewis Way, for afternoon strolls – today the palm tree lined promenade is used by walkers, joggers, cyclists and roller bladers. The promenade runs the length of Nice's beach front.
For a relatively small city, Nice has a surprising number of very good museums. The Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain is Nice's pride and joy in the architectural stakes. Glass walkways connect the four marble-coated towers, on top of which is a must-see
rooftop garden. A major permanent collection traces the history of the European and
American avant-garde since the early sixties.
Attracted by the weather, the scenery and the proximity of his friends (Picasso, Renoir and Bonnard lived in neighbouring towns), Henri Matisse wintered in Nice until his death in Cimiez in 1954. If you like the works of Matisse, then don´t miss the excellent Musée Matisse. It houses many of his paintings, sketches, sculptures and pottery in addition to some of the original furniture and other objects that show up in his paintings.
The Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall houses the largest public collection of works by the Belarusian painter Marc Chagall (1887-1985). The museum was built in 1972 to hold the Biblical Message Cycle, a collection of 17 enormous canvases inspired by the Old Testament. Chagall's style is nothing short of magical: including imagery of brightly coloured goats, violins and floating humans.
The Cathédrale Orthodoxe Russe St-Nicolas signifies the long established Russian presence on the Riviera at the end of the 19th century. Built by Tsar Nicolas in 1912, the Cathedral contains superb treasures of icons, woodwork, and frescos. The church was the first to be designated a Russian Orthodox Cathedral outside Russia. With its six onion domes and mix of grey marble, brightly coloured ceramic and red brick, the effect is quite exotic. The cathedral is in a park setting, north of the train station. Visitors should dress appropriately: no shorts, sleeveless shirts or miniskirts.
The Parc du Château is a shady public park where local families come to stroll and admire the panoramic views of Nice and the sparkling Baie des Anges. It's a great place to beat the heat on a summer afternoon, and sometimes there are open-air concerts as entertainment. To get to the top of the chateau, take the (lift) from under the Tour Bellanda.
The Chemins de Fer de la Provence runs one of France's most scenic rail routes from the gare de Provence on Nice's rue Alfred Binet. The two-car diesel trains run up the valley of the Var between Nice and Digne-les-Bains, climbing through some spectacular scenery as it goes. Four trains run daily, year-round, and the whole journey takes three hours and fifteen minutes.
Cannes Highlights
Cannes is known for its festivals, but it is also a holiday playground of the rich and famous. The sight to see is the 3 km-long La Croisette, a long, palm-lined boulevard along the seafront, with palace hotels on one side and private beaches on the other. It's possible to find your way down to the beach without paying, but not easy. The beaches, owned by the deluxe palais-hôtels – the Majestic, Carlton and Noga Hilton – are where you're most likely to spot a face familiar in celluloid, especially during the International Film Festival.
Walking along the Boulevard de la Croisette you will see a number of belle epoque buildings in addition to the Casino d' Ete and the Casino Palm Beach. The Palais des Festivals et des Congres is the centre for many international conferences, music concerts, and of course the annual film festival in May each year when Hollywood comes to France. The streets behind the Croisette, such as the elegant Rue d'Antibes, are lined with high-class boutiques.
At the far end of the Croisette, the residential quarter known as La Californie is home to several lovely residences dating back to the sumptuous era of the 19th century including Villa Fiesole, Château Louis XIII and Villa Rothschild.
Discover the charm of the old neighbourhoods around the Port and the hill known as Le Suquet. It´s worth climbing to the top of the hill to enjoy panoramic views of the town, port and beaches. Looking over Cannes port is the Notre-Dame d' Esperance. Built between 1521-1648 in Gothic style, the church features impressive art works including busts, altarpieces and two wooden statues (one of the Virgin from the 16th century and one of St Anne from the late 15th century).
The nearby Musée de la Castre is partly housed in the former 12th century Saint Anne's Chapel. This interesting museum houses a collection of musical instruments from all over the world, pictures and prints of old Cannes and an ethnology and archeology section.
Cannes port is impressive and deserves a leisurely stroll to see the fishing boats and luxury yachts. Here, you can go on boat trips along the coast or hire a speedboat for the day. The nearby Îles de Lérins (a short fifteen minute ferry ride away) provide a great contrast to the bustling town of Cannes. The island of Sainte-Marguerite boasts a wooded park of 425 acres and some of the finest beaches on the Côte d'Azur. The dominating structure of the island is the Fort Ste-Marguerite. There are cells to see, a small aquarium hosting specimens of local marine life and a museum containing mostly Roman local finds but also remnants of a 10th century Arab ship.
The smaller island of St-Honorat is more tranquil. Owned by monks almost continuously since its namesake and patron founded a monastery here in 410 AD, the island was home to a famous bishops' seminary, where St Patrick trained before setting out for Ireland. The present abbey buildings date mostly from the 19th century, though some vestiges of the earlier constructions remain in the austere church and cloisters. A shop sells the benevolent white wine, spirits and honey produced by the small monastic community of Cistercian brothers.
