Are there local taxis at Cannes port? Planning Day trip to Monaco also, help pls

[yoolykeme]

Rented a car at Cannes Airport to day trip to Monaco.  have 10 hours in port, so that should be cool.

 

So thinking of taxi to Cannes airport, get car, drive to Monte Carlo,  Check that out then see whatever would be cool on the way back.  Return the car in downtown Cannes, which is not open that morning bc it's Sunday, but they do allow after-hours return.

 

Do you see anything wrong with this idea?  Please and thanks.

[marazul]

There is no airport in Cannes.  The airport is in Nice, a good half hour away depending on traffic.  You may or may not find a taxi at the port in Cannes, but you can always walk to a hotel along the waterfront and you will see one or the doorman can call you one. 

[John Bull]

Is your port actually Villefranche-sur-Mer?
If so it’s far far quicker, cheaper and simpler to take a direct frequent train or bus to Monaco, about 15 to 20 minutes.

JB 🙂

 

[Hlitner]

Marazul explains it well when she she says a taxi may or may not be available.  At the Nice Cote d'Azur airport (this serves much of the coast from Cannes to Monte Carlo) you will usually find taxis.  But at the various ports (Cannes (tender), Villefranche (tender) and Monte Carlo) finding a taxi is really hit/miss.  French taxi drivers "march to their own drum" which means they work when they please and take long coffee breaks when they please.   We once tendered into Cannes about 7:30am and noticed there was not a single taxi within sight at the parking lot adjacent to the tender pier.  As we walked towards the train station (perhaps a 3/4 - 1 mile hike) we passed a cafe a few hundred meters from the port (near the Exposition Center) and saw about 8 taxis parked and double parked outside a cafe.  I walked in to get a cafe au lait and noticed most of the drivers at a long table sipping their coffee.  Outside there were a few more at a table with coffee and smokes.  After the usual "Bon Jours" I joked with one driver about no taxis at the port and they all laughed and shrugged.  

 

It is not that the taxi drivers do not want to make money but their coffee breaks simply take precedence.  We also ran into a similar situation at the LeHavre Train Station upon returning (on the train) one day about 6 pm.  There was not a single taxi waiting at the station's taxi queue and there were a few locals working their phones.  One local explained that it was dinner time for most of the taxi drivers and they were probably all home with their families.  

 

For those who are in Paris, there is an excellent "radio taxi" company called G7.  G7 even has an English speaking phone number and their taxis can be booked online and are reliable.  I have long thought that G7 had the only reliable taxis in all of France.

 

Hank

[yoolykeme]

Aéroport de Cannes-Mandelieu

+33 820 42 66 66

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KJi9DzTvdARGDY3N7

 

Is this not cannes airport?  It says there is a Hertz there. 

 

My RCL booking doesn't mention Villefranche, so I assume that it's the port southwest of DT Cannes. 

 

I would take the train, but my elderly mom will be with me, and driving makes it easier yo get around 

Edited July 3, 2022 by yoolykeme

[Hlitner]

29 minutes ago, yoolykeme said:

Aéroport de Cannes-Mandelieu

+33 820 42 66 66

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KJi9DzTvdARGDY3N7

 

Is this not cannes airport?  It says there is a Hertz there. 

 

My RCL booking doesn't mention Villefranche, so I assume that it's the port southwest of DT Cannes. 

 

I would take the train, but my elderly mom will be with me, and driving makes it easier yo get around 

I completely forgot about this airport :).  If is a good option if you have your own aircraft.  I think you can even rent hanger space if you so desire.  But finding a convenient (or any) commercial flight might be difficult.  The longest runway is about 5000 feet so you might need to tell your pilot to reduce the fuel load on your G650 :).  But seriously, this is a General Aviation airport which does not even have a ILS approach (Instrument Landing System).   But I bet it gets busy during the Cannes Film Festival when many fly-in on their own aircraft.

 

Hank

[yoolykeme]

Ya, I'm not bringing my plane this time, so that sucks 😕 

[marazul]

I forgot too. I think it may be just general aviation.  The OP said he is renting a car there. He just needs a taxi to the airport.  What I said before about taxis still applies.

Good luck.

Edited July 3, 2022 by marazul

[yoolykeme]

Lol I am the OP 😛

 

I just tried, but looks like there Uber in Cannes? 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, yoolykeme said:

Lol I am the OP 😛

 

I just tried, but looks like there Uber in Cannes? 

Must admit I find your post somewhat confusing so I hope you post your experience after you do what you suggest.  Keep in mind that if your cruise tenders into Cannes you will be dropped at the Vieux Port which is right in the city.  There are several rental car offices in the city (including Hertz's office on the Rue d'Antibes) which are a 15-20 min walk from the tender pier (all the walking is within the city) or a very short taxi ride (assuming that any taxi would take such a short haul.  Why you would want to go through the extra time and expense to go out of town to a General Aviation airport (no commercial flights) is a mystery but I guess that is what makes the world go round :).  Enjoy.

 

Hank

[yoolykeme]

Did I map the incorrect tender drop off?  

 

I get there on Sunday. The location on town is closed, as most of them are. 

[Hlitner]

11 hours ago, yoolykeme said:

Did I map the incorrect tender drop off?  

 

I get there on Sunday. The location on town is closed, as most of them are. 

Ahhh, than that does change everything and your idea of going to that airport makes more sense.  But I would suggest double checking (perhaps with a phone call) since just because the Hertz web site indicated that location is open (limited hours) the French franchise owners do not always read the web site :).

 

The tender drop off is at the old port area (near a large parking lot).  I think the closest street (if you are looking at a map program) is Quai Saint Pierre with the tender pier pretty close to the marina.  If there are any taxis they are normally in the parking area not far from the tender pier.  It is a very good tender location for those that want to simply explore the best parts of Cannes on foot.  If there are no taxis you might try walking up Quai St Pierre to where it intersects with the Promanade.  Across the street from the Promanade we have sometimes found taxis near a small cafe (where the drivers are enjoying their morning cafe au lait).  But since we are talking about a Sunday morning it is also possible there will be no taxis (the French do not like to work on Sundays or any of their many holidays).  For us, finding taxis has always been a matter of luck.  You can also try Uber but no guarantees.

 

Sundays in smaller French cities has always been somewhat of a challenge.  On Sundays we like to go to St Paul de Vence (often crowded with both French and tourists) and/or the Nice Flower Market (this is at its best between 10am and noon after which many of the vendors start to pack up.  If you cannot get a taxi or rental car than a good Plan B is to head for the Cannes Train Station (about a mile walk) and take the next regional train in the direction of Nice and Monte Carlo.  Besides those two cities many folks enjoy visiting Antibes and just walking around the port/marina area.

 

One warning about driving (if you do get that car).  Traffic along the local roads can be brutal during the busy summer tourist season.  Make sure to get back to the rental car drop with lots of time to spare.  And you would not likely find any waiting transportation at that small general aviation airport which can be frightening when you need to get back to the ship.  If the rental car office is still open you can ask them to call you a taxi (this sometime does work) or you should have some radio taxi phone numbers in your own phone.  We were recently (May) in that area and things had pretty much returned to normal.  The only COVID related restriction was that one needed to wear a mask on public transportation (including taxis).  We took the #400 bus from near Nice to St Paul de Vence (on a Sunday) and were delighted to find that village back to life with its nice variety of galleries and shops.  Getting to St Paul de Vence via train/bus is somewhat complicated and would take a long time (not great on port days). 

Hank

 

Hank

 

Hank

[yoolykeme]

Thanks, Hank, for the insight.

 

Will definitely verify with Hertz that the airport location is open.  I have contracted to return the car, after hours, to the downtown Cannes location (147 Rue d'Antibes).  Perhaps, I should verify that too.

 

So it seems like a good plan would be to get my rental car as early as possible from Cannes airport, make our way to Nice to see St. Paul de Vence and the flower market, then make our way to Monte Carlo Casino, which opens at 2pm, anyway.  Then around 4pm, I can make my way back to Cannes, drop off the rental car, and walk back to the ship, which departs at 7p.  Does that sound practical?

[Hlitner]

27 minutes ago, yoolykeme said:

Thanks, Hank, for the insight.

 

Will definitely verify with Hertz that the airport location is open.  I have contracted to return the car, after hours, to the downtown Cannes location (147 Rue d'Antibes).  Perhaps, I should verify that too.

 

So it seems like a good plan would be to get my rental car as early as possible from Cannes airport, make our way to Nice to see St. Paul de Vence and the flower market, then make our way to Monte Carlo Casino, which opens at 2pm, anyway.  Then around 4pm, I can make my way back to Cannes, drop off the rental car, and walk back to the ship, which departs at 7p.  Does that sound practical?

I am going to see if some of the other posters who know this region have a comment.  But I would not be comfortable being at the Monte Carlo casino at 4pm knowing that the last tender left Cannes at 6:30.   Yes, if everything goes right it should take you about an hour to drive back to the Rue d'Antibes Hertz location.  Assuming that you cannot get a taxi it would then take you about 30 min to walk to the tender pier assuming you are a fast walker and do not get lost.  That leaves you a safety margin of about an hour which is fine unless something goes wrong such as an accident blocking the highway (between Monte Carlo and Cannes), a flat tire, etc.   We might consider taking that risk as long as we knew we could easily catch-up to the ship the following day.

 

Hank

[marazul]

You can take the Autoroute from Monaco to Cannes, but the traffic from the exit into the city can be horrendous! It once took us one hour from the exit to La Croisette.

19 hours ago, yoolykeme said:

make our way to Nice to see St. Paul de Vence and the flower market, then make our way to Monte Carlo Casino

St Paul is not on the same road as Nice.  It is a good detour. You might want to just go to Nice to see the flower market and then go to Montecarlo.  Plan on St Paul on the way back so you will be closer to Cannes.  You could also go to Eze instead of St Paul.  

Edited July 5, 2022 by marazul

[MAVIP]

On 7/5/2022 at 5:45 AM, Hlitner said:

I am going to see if some of the other posters who know this region have a comment.  But I would not be comfortable being at the Monte Carlo casino at 4pm knowing that the last tender left Cannes at 6:30.   Yes, if everything goes right it should take you about an hour to drive back to the Rue d'Antibes Hertz location.  Assuming that you cannot get a taxi it would then take you about 30 min to walk to the tender pier assuming you are a fast walker and do not get lost.  That leaves you a safety margin of about an hour which is fine unless something goes wrong such as an accident blocking the highway (between Monte Carlo and Cannes), a flat tire, etc.   We might consider taking that risk as long as we knew we could easily catch-up to the ship the following day.

 

Hank

I have been reading with much interest the descriptions of @Hlitner and enjoyed it, as I know the region from many visits and living in Monaco for a few years. Just a few notes: 

1. I would not plan visiting Monaco/MonteCarlo and St Paul in one day with that hired car; it might result in the last sentence of Hlitner "as long as we knew we could easily catch up to the ship the following day. I agree with @marazulthat the exit from the autoroute in Cannes can be horrendous. Depends upon season, day, time.....
2. If you wish to visit Monte Carlo/Monaco, why not take the train as suggested by the others? From the railwaystation in Monaco a short ride by bus to the Casino Monte Carlo (I always loved coffee, lunch or drinks at the terrace of the  Café de Paris). walk between the Casino and Hotel de Paris, alongside and down to the harbour, maybe cross the harbour by a little ferry and find the elevator to climb the rock and visit that part of Monaco. 
3. Driving in Monaco is no problem and it has lots of underground parkings (maybe still free if you donot park longer that 30 minutes), but number  of stops to visit and parking consume your time....
4. I forgot: is you persist in visiting the very nice little town of St Paul de Vence: go there 1st thing on that Sunday morning. https://www.saint-pauldevence.com/en/loisirs/petanque-lesson/  
5. Enjoy

Edited August 8, 2022 by MAVIP
forgot to mention St Paul