Cannes to St Paul de Vence

[ritaly]

We will be arriving on Ruby Princess Oct 25 @7am departing 5pm...would love to see more than Cannes. Is St Paul a good choice and easy to get to? What are my options for getting there....would rather stay away from ship excursions. Any other suggestions for this port?

[bobalink]

We will be arriving on Ruby Princess Oct 25 @7am departing 5pm...would love to see more than Cannes. Is St Paul a good choice and easy to get to? What are my options for getting there....would rather stay away from ship excursions. Any other suggestions for this port?

 

Last summer we used Revelation Tours while we were in port at Cannes. We met folks on our roll call to share the excursion with; there were 7 of us all together.

 

Our driver met us at the port and we went to Monte Carlo, Nice, Eze, and Saint Paul de Vence. We ate lunch at a nice cafe in Saint Paul.

 

It was a perfect day, and our driver/guide was punctual, professional and knowledgeable. I would recommend them to anyone. They know their way around, and when we hit traffic, our driver took side streets and maneuvered the van down the windy streets to get us back to the ship in plenty of time.

 

Our day in Saint Paul and Eze was one of my favorites! The little villages are just like what you see in paintings of the Mediterranean. Windy cobblestone streets, bouganvilla growing on the walls, lanterns, cafes, pottery shops, bakeries. I would go back in a heart beat!

 

Whatever you choose, enjoy your visit to the Cote d' Azur. It is beautiful.

[Hlitner]

If you want to pay the big bucks you can certainly book a private tour. Otherwise, there are a few less costly options. You can get to St Paul de Vence on public transit by taking the train from Cannes to Cagnes sur Mer (just west of Nice). Once you get off at Cagnes sur Mer you catch the bus to St Paul de Vence (I think it is bus # 400). Just ask somebody at the station to point you to the bus stop. The other method (we do this whenever we are in Cannes on a cruise) is to simply rent a car in Cannes and drive to St Paul de Vence and anywhere else you desire. There are several rental car dealers about a 20 min walk from the tender pier. When you price-out the different options you will find that private tours generally cost several hundred Euros, the train bus should be about 10 Euros (not sure of the actual price) and a one-day rental car would probably cost about 80 Euros (you can put 4 in most cars). One warning about renting cars in France (and Italy) is that most rental cars are manual transmissions. If you need an auto you will pay a lot more.

 

Hank

[ritaly]

Thank you Hank! I like the driving option especially if we can get someone to join us. Any idea how long it takes to drive and how long the train option might be? Also I've heard that Antibes is close, is that worthwhile? I'm just concerned about time issues.

[Hlitner]

Thank you Hank! I like the driving option especially if we can get someone to join us. Any idea how long it takes to drive and how long the train option might be? Also I've heard that Antibes is close, is that worthwhile? I'm just concerned about time issues.

 

Great questions. We normally do the drive in about 45 min from the rental car office (downtown Cannes) to St Paul de Vence. Once at St Paul de Vence there is a large indoor pay garage just past the entrance (marked with a blue P) that is very convenient. There is also free parking along the road (outside the walls) if you get lucky and find a spot. With a car you might also want to visit the nearby Maeght Foundation (Google it) which is a neat museum for those that like very contemporary art (not me). They have some interesting Jean Miro works including my favorite (being sarcastic) which looks like he drew a single pencil line acorss a white canvas (this work is worth a fortune).

 

As to Antibes, we actually have done exactly this driving itinerary. We go to St Paul direct from Cannes (we use the Autostrade to save some time) and then later drive straight back all the way to the coast and use the smaller coastal roads as we head back towards Cannes. This does take you right to Antibes which is a nice place for a stroll (near the Marina and old town section). My only caution is that once you start using the smaller coastal roads you can run into some heavy traffic in the summer months...so you do not want to cut things too close in getting back to Cannes. But for us, combining Nice and Antibes is a wonderful way to spend a relaxing day. St Paul de Vence is one of our favorite places in the south of France and is a joy for those who like looking at small art galleries.

 

Hank

[ritaly]

Thank you Hank, I'm going the drive route. The cruise tour cost for st paul and nice is 79pp, so its a no brainer to me. Although the train/bus would probably work I like the idea of being able to be explore and stop where we want to. We've driven throughout all of Italy so I don't imagine France will be too hard for us to handle. In Italy we basically just follow the signs for the towns we're looking for...can we expect to see signs directing us. Do we need to get a map or will the one at car rental agency work? Do you have a preference in car rental company? Is a GPS necessary? Again thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

[Hlitner]

You may have problems with getting back to the rental car dealer without a decent map or GPS. We personally prefer the GPS (we finally bought our own with European maps) since it has probably saved my marriage (DW used to ask, "how can I read a map if I do not know where we are?"). It is possible to miss a turn on your way to St Paul de Vence after you get off the Autostrade (assuming you use that route). There are some signs, but some have been known to miss a sign (moi). Most of the European rental car companies rent portable GPS units for about 10 Euros a day which is actually no more then the cost of buying a couple of decent maps. You probably know this, but Europcar, Hertz, Avis and Sixt all have locations in town although most are a little hike from the tender pier (20 - 25 min walk to most). However it is a nice walk since you get to walk through some of the best part of Cannes. Be careful on checking the operating hours of the rental car offices for your day of the week (we have found ourselves waiting for agencies to open).

 

Hank

[bonnieg]

I plan to do this exact itinerary for my upcoming cruise. I already reserved months ago with Sixt car rental.

Hank: below are directions from mapquest. Does this look about right? Any lunch recommendations in Antibes? Did you park in the carpark near the marina or did you find street parking in Antibes?

 

http://classic.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Cannes&1s=Provence-Alpes-C%C3%B4te+D%27Azur&1y=FR&1l=43.553249&1g=7.01325&1v=CITY&2c=Saint-paul-de-vence&2y=FR&2l=43.699902&2g=7.1166&2v=CITY#b/maps/m:map:8:43.623752:7.077922::::::1:1:::::::::/l:::Cannes:Provence-Alpes-C&244;te+D%27Azur::FR:43.553249:7.01325:city::1:::/l:::Saint-paul-de-vence:::FR:43.699902:7.1166:city::1:::/l:::Antibes:Provence-Alpes-C&244;te+D%27Azur::FR:43.580151:7.12123:city:Alpes-Maritimes:1:::/l:::Cannes:Provence-Alpes-C&244;te+D%27Azur::FR:43.553249:7.01325:city::1:::/io:1:::::f:no:en_US:M::/bl:/e

[Hlitner]

I plan to do this exact itinerary for my upcoming cruise. I already reserved months ago with Sixt car rental.

Hank: below are directions from mapquest. Does this look about right? Any lunch recommendations in Antibes? Did you park in the carpark near the marina or did you find street parking in Antibes?

 

 

That map is very close to our route with one tiny exception. When we drive back to Cagnes sur Mer we go all the way to the coast and do not get back on the A8...but nothing wrong with doing it that way. We have had some luck parking on the street in Antibes (near the Marina) but on other trips we have used the paid car park next to the Marina. As to restaurants, we really have no favorite. DW and I love to browse restaurant menus (expecially the carte du jour). Our two weaknesses in this part of France are good fresh mussels (Moules et Frites is always a good lunch) or the local fish soup (I prefer the version they make in Nice). With the high prices in France (it seems that way with the weak dollar) we really try to take advantage of the daily specials (this is what most of the French do too). In Antibes we usually end up eating at one of the restaurants opposite the marina or within a block or two inside the walls.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

Hank, I'd like to take the train from Cannes to St Paul de Vence for the day and back. (As you know, I'm not a driver.....)

 

I found the following information on getting to the train station from where the ships dock/tender. Can you advise if this looks about right?

 

http://www.walktomycruiseship.com/cannes.htm

 

Are the trains pretty frequent from Cannes to Cagnes-sur-Mer, and the buses from Cagnes-sur-Mer to St. Paul de Vence?

[Hlitner]

Hank, I'd like to take the train from Cannes to St Paul de Vence for the day and back. (As you know, I'm not a driver.....)

 

I found the following information on getting to the train station from where the ships dock/tender. Can you advise if this looks about right?

 

http://www.walktomycruiseship.com/cannes.htm

 

Are the trains pretty frequent from Cannes to Cagnes-sur-Mer, and the buses from Cagnes-sur-Mer to St. Paul de Vence?

 

Yep, that is almost right. If you enjoy walking, and walk at a good pace, you can get from tender pier to the train station in about 20 -25 min. Public transit is not such a great option early in the morning and even taxis can be hard to find. The trains to Cagnes Sur Mer (the same line that goes to Nice and Monte Carlo) do run quite often (generally about twice an hour). As to the buses (you would be taking the #400 bus it does depend somewhat on the time of day. Here is a link (hope this works for you) to the PDF file timetable:

http://www.lignesdazur.com/ftp/lignes_FR/400%20(5).pdf

 

The stop marked "Square Bourdet" is close to the Cagnes sur Mer train station (ask somebody in the station to point you to bus stop). Keep in mind that the #400 bus originates at the Nice bus station and travels through Nice (with several stops) before getting to Cagnes sur Mer.....so the actual times in Cagnes sur Mer can vary by a few minutes depending on the traffic.

 

When you get off at St Paul de Vence you should see the return bus stop on the opposite side of the road (there is a schedule posted at the bus stop). We have found the return bus schedule to be pretty accurate....but always give yourself some extra time in case the bus is running early or late.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

Yep, that is almost right. If you enjoy walking, and walk at a good pace, you can get from tender pier to the train station in about 20 -25 min. Public transit is not such a great option early in the morning and even taxis can be hard to find. The trains to Cagnes Sur Mer (the same line that goes to Nice and Monte Carlo) do run quite often (generally about twice an hour). As to the buses (you would be taking the #400 bus it does depend somewhat on the time of day. Here is a link (hope this works for you) to the PDF file timetable:

http://www.lignesdazur.com/ftp/lignes_FR/400%20(5).pdf

 

The stop marked "Square Bourdet" is close to the Cagnes sur Mer train station (ask somebody in the station to point you to bus stop). Keep in mind that the #400 bus originates at the Nice bus station and travels through Nice (with several stops) before getting to Cagnes sur Mer.....so the actual times in Cagnes sur Mer can vary by a few minutes depending on the traffic.

 

When you get off at St Paul de Vence you should see the return bus stop on the opposite side of the road (there is a schedule posted at the bus stop). We have found the return bus schedule to be pretty accurate....but always give yourself some extra time in case the bus is running early or late.

 

Hank

 

Excellent; sounds pretty straightforward and doable. Thanks!

[Deb0702]

I plan to do this exact itinerary for my upcoming cruise. I already reserved months ago with Sixt car rental.

Hank: below are directions from mapquest. Does this look about right? Any lunch recommendations in Antibes? Did you park in the carpark near the marina or did you find street parking in Antibes?

 

http://classic.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Cannes&1s=Provence-Alpes-C%C3%B4te+D%27Azur&1y=FR&1l=43.553249&1g=7.01325&1v=CITY&2c=Saint-paul-de-vence&2y=FR&2l=43.699902&2g=7.1166&2v=CITY#b/maps/m:map:8:43.623752:7.077922::::::1:1:::::::::/l:::Cannes:Provence-Alpes-C&244;te+D%27Azur::FR:43.553249:7.01325:city::1:::/l:::Saint-paul-de-vence:::FR:43.699902:7.1166:city::1:::/l:::Antibes:Provence-Alpes-C&244;te+D%27Azur::FR:43.580151:7.12123:city:Alpes-Maritimes:1:::/l:::Cannes:Provence-Alpes-C&244;te+D%27Azur::FR:43.553249:7.01325:city::1:::/io:1:::::f:no:en_US:M::/bl:/e

 

Bonnieg, I was wondering how your trip to Cannes-St Paul-Antibes turned out.. How was your day? Did everything go to plan? By the way how long was your port time? I'd love to hear more about it as we are considering the same trip. Our port time in Cannes is short 9AM-6PM and I'm not sure we'll have time to do it all. :)

[Hlitner]

Bonnieg, I was wondering how your trip to Cannes-St Paul-Antibes turned out.. How was your day? Did everything go to plan? By the way how long was your port time? I'd love to hear more about it as we are considering the same trip. Our port time in Cannes is short 9AM-6PM and I'm not sure we'll have time to do it all. :)

 

You are right to have some concern with your port hours. Keep in mind that since Cannes is a tender port a 9am arrival might mean that many passengers (especially independent travelers) might not be ashore until at least 10. And the last tender would leave the pier at 5:30.

 

Hank

[Deb0702]

You are right to have some concern with your port hours. Keep in mind that since Cannes is a tender port a 9am arrival might mean that many passengers (especially independent travelers) might not be ashore until at least 10. And the last tender would leave the pier at 5:30.

 

Thanks for your input Hank. I was afraid of that. I keep reading there's not much to see or do in Cannes itself and to think of it as a good entry point into the more enjoyable parts of the French Riviera. But it seems we won't have enough time. Part of me is thinking we should just stay put in Cannes and soak in the French Riviera atmosphere. Let me ask, how would you advise someone who has never been to the French Riviera before and only has 7 hours in port?

[bonnieg]

Bonnieg, I was wondering how your trip to Cannes-St Paul-Antibes turned out.. How was your day? Did everything go to plan? By the way how long was your port time? I'd love to hear more about it as we are considering the same trip. Our port time in Cannes is short 9AM-6PM and I'm not sure we'll have time to do it all. :)

 

Our day turned out very well. Our port time was 8-5. We tendered in arriving around 8:45. We walked to Sixt car rental located right on La Croisette Blvd (the street bordering the sea). It was quite a distance away and took about 25 min to walk to it. There is also a bus that runs along La Croisette, but we didn't see it coming so decided to walk. We reserved a economy car and was surprised to find it was a Fiat 500, what a fun ride! They spoke very good english at Sixt and had us in and out very fast. They gave us directions out of Cannes and to St. Paul de Vence. The highway signage was very good to St. Paul, then to Antibes and back to Cannes. We made 1 mistake and that was right on the road close by to St. Paul de Vence. We starting seeing the sign for Vence(another town which is further along the road), instead of St. Paul de Vence. We looked to the left and saw the town of St. Paul de Vence across a valley and high up on a hill. We thought we went too far and turned around. The actual turn off was just a short distance further on the road. This mistake cost us about 1/2 hr.

 

We arrived in St. Paul at 10:45(later than we expected to) and parked in the indoor car park. Unfortunately our favorite cafe(1st cafe on the right entering town) was already out of the incredible croissants we were so looking forward to. We left St. Paul around 12:15 and made it to Antibes very quickly and found parking in the car park by the marina near old town. There were plenty of parking spaces. We walked around Antibes and had lunch at LaForge http://www.laforge-antibes.com/ which was very good. There are lots of creperies and restaurants in Antibes. The Provencal market which we wanted to visit was closed. It is closed on Mondays, but I read somewhere that in summers it is open, but it was not to be. I found Antibes very charming and less touristy than other towns. We left Antibes at 3:15 and arrived back at the car rental at 3:30. The distance was only 7 miles and there was no traffic. This was our best day on the cruise. You will have plenty of time to do this if you pace yourself right. If you decide to stay in Cannes, you should at least do a ship tour to St. Paul de Vence. It's a beautiful place.

[srpilo]

Bonnieg

Thanks for the update..

 

 

 

Srpilo

[Deb0702]

Bonnieq, your days sounds wonderful (except for the bit about the croissants and market). Thank you for updating.. maybe we can make it work afterall. We still have lots of time to think about it. :)