Sights and ideas for your own excursion in the City of the Film Festival

Cannes Excursion Offers and Tickets

- Berths of the Cruise Liners

Cannes does not have a cruise harbour and thus, no big ships can dock. Thus, the berth is located at the sea and the anchorage is done on the spot. In this case, the guests are brought ashore with the tender boats. This often results in time delays during excursions or shore excursions which are undertaken on one's own initiative. In order to be able to keep to the schedules of the tours booked and carried out by the respective shipping companies, these excursionists are preferred to be brought ashore first. The tender boats normally moor in the western part of the port, at Quai Max Laubeuf. At the small Cruise Terminal, the Tourist Information stand is usually open, where tickets for local buses and free city maps are available. Not far from there, also the alternative places at the Quai du Large or at the Quai Saint-Pierre can be used.

- Bus Connections

The bus network of the city is very well developed and is operated by Palmbus. Many lines meet at the bus station located near the port on the Place Bernard Cornut Gentille at the Mairie de Cannes/Hôtel de Ville town hall. The artistically designed front of the police station that is directed to the bus stops is remarkable. Another bus station is located at the main station Gare de Cannes. With the buses, one can get easily and cheaply through the city area. Tickets are available at the bus stations, in many tobacconist's shops and from the bus drivers. A single ticket costs 1,50 euro and is valid from the validation for 59 minutes. It is therefore possible to change lines within this time, but you may not use the same ticket for a return journey on a line that you have already used. A 10 ticket is available for 12 Euro. The 24 hour ticket costs 4 Euro and entitles one person to any number of journeys on the Palm Bus network. With the available intercity lines, one can also get to the surrounding communities, for example to Nice and Monaco. For a better understanding of the local bus schedules, a short explanation of the weekdays. The L stands for Lundi (Monday), M for Mardi (Tuesday), Me for Mercredi (Wednesday), J for Jeudi (Thursday), V for Vendredi (Friday), S for Samedi (Saturday) and D for Dimanche (Sunday).

- Palmbus

- Connections to the surrounding area

- Stop overview Place Bernard Cornut Gentille

- Stop overview at the station

- Palm Imperial Bus

Directly after the arrival of the tender boats, one has the possibility to use the buses of the line 8 Palm Imperial, for a trip along the promenade at the Boulevard de la Croisette. With the open double-decker buses, one gets a good first overview and also gets comfortably to the beach sections that are located at the headland at the south-east. They run daily every 15 minutes in the time from 09:00-19:00 o'clock. A single ticket costs 1,50 Euro from the driver. If you want to return with the driver and complete the round, you have to pay double the price, i.e. 3 Euro per person.

- Palm Imperial Bus

Excursion offers and tickets from

GetYourGuide

further tours and transfers...

- Cannes Central Station

The modern main station Gare de Cannes (Cannes-Ville) is centrally located in the city and is a good 1.3 kilometres away from the landing stages of the tender boats. On foot, this route takes a comfortable 15-20 minutes. With the trains of the French railway SNCF you can also reach more distant destinations. For example, a trip to Nice takes about 30 minutes, and the Principality of Monaco can be reached in 50 minutes.

- La Croisette

The Boulevard de la Croisette extends for about 2.7 kilometres and connects the harbour at the Palais des Festivals with the Pointe de la Croisette to the south-east. Very popular with locals and tourists alike, the beautifully designed promenade and promenade invites you to take relaxing walks. The very best hotels are located here, and high-ranking fashion labels present the latest collections in their shops. A little cheaper for shopping is the almost parallel running Rue ď Antibes and the surrounding streets. Countless shops, boutiques and various localities are located there.

- Beaches, Croisette and Palais Festival

Cannes has beautiful, fine sandy beaches. One of them is located directly at the Boulevard de la Croisette. The Plage Croisette is in a very good location but is mostly privately owned and in most cases reserved for the guests of the adjacent luxury hotels for their exclusive use. However, if there are still enough free places in the complexes, it is not uncommon to grant access to other visitors for a corresponding fee. Of the Croisette Beach, which is divided into several sections, only the two end areas and the Plage Palais Festival to the west are open to the public. During major events in the neighbouring Palais des Festivals this beach area is often closed.

- Beaches at the Pointe de la Croisette

At the headland Pointe de la Croisette, you will find the sandy beaches of Bijou Plage, Plage Palm Beach and the Plage Gazagnaire. Also here, it is a little quieter compared to the Croisette Beach. The Bijou Beach has a beach bar and small boats can be rented from the local provider. At the Palm Beach, a few trees provide pleasant shade, especially in the summer months, and one should be careful with the stones that are partly lying in the shallow water. The beach Gazagnaire runs in north-south direction and is open for surfing. The Palm Imperial bus line 8 from the port stops at the nearby bus stop.

- Forville Market Hall

Not far and north of the port is the Marché Forville. In the market hall, which is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 07:30-13:00, regional products are offered. These include fresh fruit and vegetables, sausages and meat products, fish and seafood, various spices and much more. A visit in the last hour is no longer worthwhile, as many of the traders have sold most of their goods and put their stands together. It is best to come by in the early morning hours right after opening.

- Open-Air Market Gambetta

The Marché Gambetta open-air market is a 5-minute walk from the main railway station. At this market the supply of fresh food is manageable, and the prices are a little lower than at Marché Forville. The market, which is partly covered, also sells many items of clothing and daily necessities. It is open daily, except Mondays from 07:30-13:00.

- Old Town Le Suquet

The western part of the port is part of the old town quarter Le Suquet, which runs over the hill Mont Chevalier and at its feet. On the short way up to the former fort from the 11th century, there are partly quite steep paths and stairs to overcome. Once one has left these behind, from different locations, a very nice view to Cannes, its harbour and the bay in front of it opens up. Alternatively, the land elevation is also accessible by the little tourist train or taxi. Or one uses a bus of the "Navette du Suquet". The electrically driven vehicles of this bus line have, among others, stops at the Quai Laubeuf (jetty) and at the Hôtel de Ville (city hall). Therewith, they are quite interesting for the cruise passengers who want to get individually around in the oldtown. In connection with a day ticket, one can comfortably use the buses of this and also other lines in the Hop On Hop Off principle and get in and out at any bus stop.

- Notre Dame ď Espérance

On the hill of the old town is the Church Notre Dame d'Espérance, whose bell tower is visible from afar. The decision to erect the building was taken as early as 1521, which also marked the beginning of the planning. However, decades passed before the construction work finally started and was finally completed in 1641. A few years later, the church was consecrated in 1648. The artistically crafted statue of St. Anna inside dates from the 15th century and that of the Holy Virgin from the 16th century. From the landing stage of the tender boats up to the church it is about 800 meters distance. This distance can be covered on foot and takes 10-15 minutes per direction.

- Church Notre Dame d’Espérance

- Museum and Viewpoint

In the proximity of the church and therewith also within the old castle walls there is the Musée de la Castre. The exhibition of the small museum shows ethnographic and archeological findings of past times. There are also many exhibits from the collections of the monks of the Iles de Lérins. There are also paintings and musical instruments from all over the world. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00-13:00 and from 14:00-17:00. Monday is closed. In the months of July and August is open daily and continuously from 10:00-19:00. The regular entrance fee is 6 euros per person. The Tour du Suquet tower, dating back to the Middle Ages, rises high above the old walls. Due to its location and its height of 22 metres, one has an excellent panorama view from the observation deck to the city and the adjacent Mediterranean Sea.

- Great Lerin Islands

Close to the coast of Cannes is the archipelago of Îles de Lérins. It consists of the two large, visitable islands Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat, together with the very small secondary islands Saint de la Tradeliere and Saint-Ferréol. The large Lerin Islands are easily accessible by boat or ferry from the port of Cannes. These depart from the Quai Max Laubeuf and are therefore not far from the moorings of the tender boats.

- Island Sainte Marguerite

The largest of the Lerin Islands, the Sainte-Marguerite is inhabited and well worth a visit. A ferry crossing takes just 15 minutes. During the summer months the ferry runs every half hour and costs 14,50 Euro per person for the return trip. Children aged 5 to 10 years pay 9,50 Euro each. A few metres beside the landing stage, a small restaurant welcomes its hungry visitors and at a distance of less than 600 metres from the landing stage, one comes across to the fortifications of the Fort Royal. In the past, it was also used as a prison, among others, the man with the iron mask who was held in captivity is said to have stayed there involuntarily from 1687 up to 1698. Today, the area accommodates the museum Musée de la Mer. The marine museum is mainly concerned with underwater and coastal archaeology. Among other things, many finds of damaged merchant and warships are exhibited. The prison cell of the famous imprisoned man is also accessible. The opening hours of the museum are seasonally adjusted. From October to March it is closed on Monday and open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30-13:15 and from 14:15-16:45. In April and May the museum is also closed on Monday and open from Tuesday to Sunday in the afternoon one hour longer until 17:45. Daily and continuously open is in the high season June to September from 10:00-17:45 o'clock. Free admission is on the first Sunday of November to March and generally until the age of 18. If this age is exceeded, 6 Euros per person are charged.

- Ferry connection to Sainte-Marguerite

- Island Sainte Marguerite

In the island Sainte-Marguerite, one gets from different locations some beautiful views to Cannes and the surrounding sea. A circumnavigation on foot is possible without any problems and mostly runs alongside the shore. Thereby, one gets approximately 7,5 kilometres, meets some gorgeous nature with bathing possibilities and can plan approximately 1,5 to 2 hours of walking time. As there are almost no possibilities to eat, one should at least take enough drinks with one.

- Saint Honorat Island and Monastery

The much smaller island of Saint-Honorat has been inhabited by monks for centuries, is privately owned by the Cistercians and lies south of the island of Sainte-Marguerite. A large part of the land area is taken up by the monastery and the vineyards. Furthermore, the island is laid out like a park with beautiful paths and invites you to take relaxing walks. For example, a round trip can be done in a pleasant 60 minutes. There are seven more or less well preserved chapels and the fortified monastery grounds with the fortress tower on the shore. This was built in 1073 to protect the monks, who were often plagued by raids. Today it offers visitors a beautiful view of the beautiful surroundings. Only the church can be visited in the area of the monastery. Access to other areas is reserved exclusively for Cistercian monks and their guests. One of the locally produced wines and liqueurs can be tasted in the often well-attended island restaurant La Tonelle. However, the range of food and drinks on offer is not exactly cheap. The crossing to the island Saint-Honorat with the ferry from Cannes from the Quai Laubeuf takes approximately 20 minutes. During the summertime, it runs every hour from 09:00-17:00 o'clock and costs 16,50 euro per person for the return trip. Children between 5 and 10 years pay 8,50 Euro each. 

- Ferry connection to Saint-Honorat

- Island restaurant La Tonelle

- Excursion Portals and Excursion Providers

Through the tour and excursion providers GetYourGuide, Meine Landausflüge and Viator, you can book various excursions, activities, tours, tickets and admission tickets in Cannes, which are often offered at much lower prices than comparable excursions offered by the shipping companies. Thus, if you book in time, you can realize a variety of excursions on your own.

A small preselection of independent excursion offers
for, in and around Cannes,
we have compiled for you here.

- Cruises and Special Offers

If you have not yet booked a Mediterranean cruise, but would like to get to know Cannes personally and go on excursions on your own, you will find great offers from the major cruise operators in the German-speaking world. Aida, Costa and Tui Cruises - Mein Schiff offer attractive routes with their modern cruise ships, together with other interesting destinations. Book your next dream holiday directly with your favourite shipping company at fair conditions.

All ocean and river cruises can also be booked conveniently and inexpensively online with the sea travel specialist Kreuzfahrten-Zentrale Astoria. This means that you can choose from a wide range of up-to-date offers from various shipping companies. These include AIDA Cruises, Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and TUI Cruises. Also attractive are the popular special offers, with which one can travel at a particularly low price and possibly also get a great bargain.

Shore excursions Cannes ....... continue to 2nd page

More port information on popular cruise destinations in the Mediterranean

Croatia - Dubrovnik 

France - Ajaccio in Corsica

France - Cannes

France - Toulon

Greece - Iraklion, Crete

Greece - Kerkyra on Corfu

Greece - Piraeus (Athens)

Greece - Rhodes

Greece - Santorini

Italy - Bari

Italy - Cagliari in Sardinia

Italy - Catania, Sicily

Italy - Civitavecchia (Rome)

Italy - La Spezia

Italy - Livorno

Italy - Messina in Sicily

Italy - Naples

Italy - Olbia in Sardinia

Italy - Palermo in Sicily

Italy - Salerno

Italy - Venice

Malta - Valletta

Monaco - Monte Carlo

Spain - Barcelona

Spain - Cartagena

Spain - Eivissa on Ibiza

Spain - Malaga

Spain - Palma de Mallorca

Spain - Valencia