A Day Trip to Cannes from Nice, France – French Riviera

July 2024

A Day Trip to Cannes from Nice, France – French Riviera

Less than an hour train ride to the east from Nice, the town of Cannes is available for exploration. Cannes is one of the most famous towns along the French Riviera for the film festival held each year. Starting in 1939 but delayed to 1946 due to World War II, the Cannes Film Festival was the second international location for a film festival of this time. The festival attracts thousands of media outlets from all over the world to cover the event as celebrities from various genres make their appearance the red carpet staircase.  No phones or reporters on the red carpet which gives the Cannes Film Festival a different vibe.The Palme d’Or it Golden Palm is the biggest aware made of 18 carat gold! We were looking forward to learning more about Cannes and the festival itself.

The train station is a short walk from the downtown area and when the train load of people disembarked and migrated in a singular direction, we followed the school of fish. Cannes vibe is a bit different that the other locations we visited along the French Riviera. I was surprised to find myself feeling less safe around the characters we saw walking around and there was a noticeable increase in the homeless and beggars. I did not expect this since we were towards the end of our trip and felt very safe up until this point, it certainly was not aggressive or everywhere but it was not able in comparison to the other destinations we visited in the French Riviera.

Our first stop was the market since those close early in every town. And I must say, Cannes’ market is very impressive. The diversity of stands far exceeds the markets we visited on this trip. From cheese and cured meats, to fish and crustaceans, to fruits and vegetables, rotisserie chickens, fried zucchini flowers, and so much more. If you are staying in Cannes, this market can certainly fuel many home cooked meals. 

Kevin requested his second coffee of the day and around the corner was a super well rated spot Amamo. And indeed, the reviews certainly reflected our experience – a really great cafe spot that we would be at constantly if we were staying in Cannes.

The next attraction was the Cannes Film Festival building. There was scaffolding around the building but signs indicated that the ticket office was just around the corner. On our way there, we noted the hand prints in the ground of various actors – similar to what we have seen in Hollywood. 

Upon entering the ticket office, a red carpet was lined with pictures of celebrities at the famous film festival. And as we turned the corner into the ticket office, there was nothing. Nothing! There was a gift shop, and few cardboard cutouts of celebrities, and that was about it. Kevin even asked the staff there what there was to do and he said “nothing”. 

So, there is a building for one of the most famous film festivals in the world and all there is for visitors to enjoy for the other 51 weeks of the year the festival is not going on… Is a staircase? What a missed opportunity – they really should have something for guests to visit and participate in, especially during the most popular tourist season in the summer. Have an exhibit that showcases the nominations and the winners, prop displays, something! And somehow… There are over 20,000 reviews on Google with 4.3 stars and a hyperlink to buy tickets – I have no idea how that is, but wow did it fool us. I am still baffled at a visitor center with nothing to visit.

We looked at each other and really had nothing else in Cannes that had our attention. We figured a film museum of sorts would have taken an hour or two of time, and since that did not exist we found ourselves ready to move on from Cannes. 

Before we left, we took a walk to the coast and viewed the various beach spots and beach clubs. If we had planned for it, this would have been a better use to time visiting Cannes since we really ran out of things to occupy the time. 

Overall, Cannes was a disappointing stop along the French Riviera. There is so much untapped potential for Cannes to offer much more. How there is not a museum or exhibit for film really baffles me and is a missed opportunity. I also found Cannes to feel a bit seedier and less safe than Nice so I would not recommend making your base for exploring the French Riviera. If you do decide to come here, I would recommend, after exploring the town, grabbing a spot at a beach club since these beaches have sand which is often more desirable than the rock / pebble beaches found in Europe. 

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