Cannes is romantic in quiet pockets: an island with a working abbey, an old town of narrow streets, and palace hotels with sea views. A few good hours are worth more here than a packed schedule. Prices are in euros. A day on Saint-Honorat Île Saint-Honorat is the most peaceful outing from Cannes. The ferry is run only by Planaria from the old port and takes 15 to 20 minutes; a return costs €19.

Cannes is easy to walk. The seafront is flat, the old town is steep, and the islands offer car-free paths. All routes here are self-guided and free apart from ferry fares. Prices are in euros. Le Suquet, about 90 minutes Start at the Hôtel de Ville near the old port and climb Rue Saint-Antoine, a stepped street of small restaurants. At the top stand the Église Notre-Dame d’Espérance and the Musée des Explorations du Monde, on Place de la Castre, formerly the Musée de la Castre.

Cannes works as a base for several days because the coastal train reaches Antibes, Nice and Monaco in under an hour and the Lérins Islands are a ferry ride away. Prices are in euros. Three days in Cannes Day 1: the town. Walk the Croisette from the Palais des Festivals to Pointe Croisette and look at the palace hotels from outside: the Carlton, the Martinez and the Majestic. Pass the star handprints on the Chemin des Étoiles.

Most Cannes sights are within walking distance of the Palais des Festivals. Prices are in euros, and museum hours change by season. The Croisette Boulevard de la Croisette runs along the bay with palm trees on one side and hotels on the other. Three palace hotels stand out. The Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, at 58 Boulevard de la Croisette, reopened in 2023 after a long renovation. The Hôtel Martinez, at number 73, is an Art Deco landmark whose restaurant La Palme d’Or is described as a two-star kitchen.

Cannes has a short list of attractions with real opening hours and tickets, and most are within a short walk of the old port or a ferry ride away. Prices are in euros and change by season, so treat the figures below as a guide. Palais des Festivals guided tour The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès at 1 Boulevard de la Croisette is the home of the film festival. Outside congress and festival periods the forecourt and red-carpet steps can be seen from outside.

Cannes suits families best in summer, when the sand beaches, short ferry rides and car-free islands do most of the work. Prices are in euros. The city has no aquarium, zoo or animal show to recommend, so plan around beaches, boats and walks. Beaches Cannes beaches are sand, with gentle shelving. Plage du Midi, on Boulevard Jean Hibert west of the old port, is public and has supervised swimming in season, though dogs are not allowed.

Cannes sits on the coastal rail line, so most day trips need no car. The TER regional trains run all day, and the fares below are single prices for 2026 from the TER Sud route pages. They drop with a Zou card, so check the price when you buy. Grasse Grasse is the perfume town in the hills, about 17 to 25 minutes by train. A single ticket costs about €6.

Cannes is a compact resort city on the Côte d’Azur, and most of what to do here sits within a few kilometres of the Palais des Festivals. Prices are in euros. UK Foreign Office advice carries no warning against travel to the area, only a note that demonstrations and strikes can disrupt transport. On the water The Cannes Jeunesse nautical base at Port Pointe Croisette rents single, double and triple kayaks.