Cruise Passengers

Cruise Passengers

This year 141 cruise ships will call at Cannes with 230,000 passengers coming ashore, of which 50% will head off on excursions and the other half stay in Cannes. Visitors come to see the sites of the old town, to view the Film Festival red carpet, to shop and enjoy a French meal.

Those landing on 11 June - from the Independence of the Seas (4,400 passengers) and the Crown Princess (4,000 passengers) - will have the red carpet rolled out for them...literally. Special events are being planned in the town for these visitors including a welcome by a Provencal orchestra.

Cruise ships moor offshore and tenders ferry passengers to the Quai Laubeuf (ferries run from here to the Iles les Lerins) very near the centre of Cannes. Just walk across the car park to reach the number 8 bus stop. Take this open topped bus along the Croisette (the seafront) and see the many famous luxury hotels like the Carlton and the Martinez.

Did you know... every cruise passenger spends on average 93 euros in Cannes

Alternatively, a short walk towards town along the Quai St Pierre, with its beautiful yachts moored up, leads you to the bus station.

If you turn right along the harbour you will come to the Palais des Festivals and the tourist office. From here you can tour Cannes on a toy train with multi lingual commentary(see picture and Getting Around page).

Opposite the bus station is the Bar St Antoine (see picture right) and the beginning of Le Suquet, the oldest part of Cannes.

To visit Le Suquet, take the pedestrian way up the hill to the 12th century Tour de Mt Chevalier and the church of Notre Dame de l'Espérence. Completed in

1648, its charm lies in its wood panelling and a collection of 19^th century paintings, including a fresco by

George Roux. From the ancient rampart wall in front of the church, you can see east across the town, the port and the bay to the Cap de la Croisette, and to the west across the Gulf of La Napoule to the Esterel mountains.

While you are up there visit La Castre Museum where, besides an art gallery featuring views by painters of Cannes, you can walk amongst ancient artefacts of the classical world.

Forville market can be reached by walking up the rue Gazagnaire, nearly opposite the bus station. In the market you will find flowers, fish, fruit and vegetables as well as dairy products, spices, chickens and ducks...the list goes on. The market is open 7am till 1pm every day.

Cannes is a shopaholic’s paradise. The Croisette boasts most of the biggest name brands in the world with the rue d’Antibes offering more affordable clothes and shoe shopping. The small roads between the two have a plethora of boutiques to suit all tastes.

Bargains may be found in pedestrianised rue Meynardier which leads from Forville market to the railway station.

There are numerous places for a snack or a more substantial lunch. Le Grand Café opposite the old port is a traditional all day large French café. A huge selection of dishes, salads, oysters of all types and sizes, fish - there is a tuna and red mullet with potatoes and vegetables dish at 13.50€. Good plac

e for drinks at reasonable prices and an excellent place to watch the pétanque players in the square.

Going upmarket, a plat de jour at Gray d'Albion will cost 21€ and 26€ at Le Fouquet in the Majestic Hotel.

You may want only to relax all day on the public beach or one of the many private beaches.

But there is also the option to visit Monaco. Take the train - fares 16.40€ return (over 60s 12.40€).

The journey takes one hour 10 minutes. You may get off and on anywhere along the route.

See timetables Mandelieu/Grasse to Ventimiglia and Marseilles to Ventimiglia.

Cannes railway station

Cannes Tourist Information

The Insider Knowledge