what to do from Cannes?

[sawsea27]

we are docking in cannes...tendered...end of october..

 

have never been anywhere in this area...have not been to nice or villefranche or monaco or montecarlo..

 

what would you see and where would you go on your own..that is doable in one day...at not a frenzied pace...

[Hlitner]

We always think a good starting point, for those unfamiliar with options, is to simply look at the excursions being offered by your ship. Cannes is a gateway port to much of the French Riviera. This city is right on the main regional train line which means that if you want to leave Cannes you can easily take a train east and easily visit places such as Antibes, Nice and Monte Carlo. Our favorite places in the region (St Paul de Vence and Eze) are a bit more difficult to access with public transit, but there are plenty of posts on this forum with detailed info on how to get to just about anyplace in the region.

 

Hank

[sawsea27]

thank you hank...

 

seems to me it may be doable to go to one spot by train and then head back and explore cannes in the time remaining...

 

what one spot would you chose? st paul de vence? eze? nice? monte carlo?

 

we like to shop, stroll, have a crepe...not into museums or churches....

[TLCOhio]

we are docking in cannes...tendered...end of october.. have never been anywhere in this area...have not been to nice or villefranche or monaco or montecarlo.. what would you see and where would you go on your own..that is doable in one day...at not a frenzied pace...

 

Hank summarizes things very well. Much depends on how you want to balance the larger cities/urban areas . . . versus . . . the smaller, more charming (in my view) "country" places such as Eze. Then there are so many great places in Provence, but that takes more time. Check what your cruise offers in tours and options. By late October, things will not be as crazy with traffic, etc. as you would face during the peak summer and early fall periods. Here are some notes and pictures on Eze, other options to consider, etc.

 

COASTAL SUGGESTION: The old village of Eze, along the coast between Nice and Monaco, hangs up in the mountains above the water and crowds. It's wonderful to visit. Great, great views! Totally charming! Have lunch or dinner there at one of the two great eating places and feel like you're sitting on the edge of paradise! We ate at the Château Eza. Its website: http://www.chateauezarestaurant.com. At 1,407 feet above the Mediterranean, Eze offers commanding views of cliffs, sea, sprawling estates and off-shore islands. The village's narrow streets or more really paths among the buildings lead to the Jardin Exotique It is a maze of paths flanked by mammoth flowering plants and spiky cactuses. For about $3, you can walk up to the best view on the French Riviera. On a clear day, you can see Corsica! It does not get much better than Eze. Their tourism office:

http://www.eze-riviera.com

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

The charming mountain top village of Eze is nearby and offers great view along the coast:

 

 

 

This picture shows more of the gardens at the top of Eze that offers great views along the coast:

 

 

 

Along the scenic southern French coast west of Cannes:

 

 

 

Here’s a sampling of the fun at a market day in Provence:

 

 

 

Here is another view of Monaco with famed hotel and part of the Casino with the scenic mountains also shown:

 

[sawsea27]

ah wonderful...but again not doable in one day...

 

maybe cannes and eze....take traint to eze...and then back to cannes for the rest of time..

 

or cannes and monte carlo?

 

not sure...

[Hlitner]

thank you hank...

 

seems to me it may be doable to go to one spot by train and then head back and explore cannes in the time remaining...

 

what one spot would you chose? st paul de vence? eze? nice? monte carlo?

 

we like to shop, stroll, have a crepe...not into museums or churches....

 

For us, this is a very easy question. St Paul de Vence! However, getting there from Cannes (or anywhere) is not very simple if you use public transit. You would have to take the train from Cannes to Cagnes sur Mer (this is just before the train gets to the Nice airport) where you would then connect to the regional bus (#400) that goes to St Paul de Vence. The bus runs about every 45 min (it varies). This is not efficient, but it is the only way with public transit. We prefer to simply rent a car in Cannes (there are several major rental car dealers in town about a 25 min walk from the tender pier) and drive to St Paul de Vence (about 45 min drive). If you do drive and find you have extra time it is possible to drive to a place such as Cap d'Antibes before returning to Cannes. St Paul de Vence is a very special place. It is a very old walled town (can only be explored on foot) full of cute shops and a lot of art galleries (some are world-class). As I sit in my family room typing this,,,I am looking at a framed poster of St Paul de Vence that was done by Frank Turc, a well known local artist.

 

Hank

[sawsea27]

thanks hank..sounds wonderful...but being our first time, it is too difficult to do...maybe once we are familiar with the area we will become more adventurous...but with only one day, we better play it safe...

[Hlitner]

Well safe is sometimes a good thing. Although we have spent a few nights in Cannes, we have no love of this city except when it comes to dinner (not an issue for cruise passengers). If you are looking for a single city to spend most of your day we really like Nice (yes, Nice is nice). It is very easy to go between Cannes and Nice on the train (usually about twice an hour). There is lots of info on Nice on the internet, but we particularly enjoy just stolling around the old town and browsing the various shops. This is also a great neighborhood for lunch. If you just want to stay in Cannes the city is very walkable from the tender pier and there is also a free sandy beach if you are interested in a beach day.

Hank

[graciallen]

Any method of transportation, just make sure it takes you to St Paul de Vence, Cagnes dur Mer, and Eze. Words can't describe these areas. Once you've been, you'll never ever forget them.

[sawsea27]

yes sounds like we can do cannes and maybe NICE, by taking the train first to NICE and working our way back..

 

would love to do the others...but it is only one day...

 

thanks everyone for your help...

[sheffer]

Can anyone tell us if the shops and restaurants are open on Sunday in Cannes? Is there a market on Sunday? Any information about the old town, the Suquet is appreciated.

[bonnieg]

Hank, I've been away from The Europe boards for a while. I'm planning a cruise July, 2011. It's good to see that you're still giving out your excellent information and insight. Can you recommend a car rental in Cannes, that's not too far from port and a good price? Thank you.

Bonnie

[graceinmelbourne]

Well safe is sometimes a good thing. Although we have spent a few nights in Cannes, we have no love of this city except when it comes to dinner (not an issue for cruise passengers). If you are looking for a single city to spend most of your day we really like Nice (yes, Nice is nice). It is very easy to go between Cannes and Nice on the train (usually about twice an hour). There is lots of info on Nice on the internet, but we particularly enjoy just stolling around the old town and browsing the various shops. This is also a great neighborhood for lunch. If you just want to stay in Cannes the city is very walkable from the tender pier and there is also a free sandy beach if you are interested in a beach day.

Hank

 

We will be in port in September. We are deciding whether to spend a little while in Cannes and then take the train to either Antibes or Nice. How long does the train take to get to Antibes? Nice? If you had to choose out of the two which would be your preference?