Cannes
Cannes is a Mediterranean resort on the French Riviera, known for its film festival, its seafront promenade and short boat trips to offshore islands.
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Cannes is a seaside city on the French Riviera, on the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is best known for the Cannes Film Festival, held each May at the Palais des Festivals, and for the Croisette, a palm-lined promenade along the beaches. Behind the seafront, Le Suquet climbs the hill as the old town, with narrow streets, old stone houses and views over the harbor.
A two- to three-day stay fits the old town, the seafront and a boat trip, and a week leaves room for beach time and day trips. Boats leave the old port for the Lérins islands, a short crossing offshore: Sainte-Marguerite has a fort, and Saint-Honorat has an abbey. Spring and early autumn are milder and quieter than July and August, when the beaches and hotels are busiest. Nice is about half an hour away by train, so the two cities are easy to compare as a base.
Cannes in five
- Book early for festival and trade-fair weeksHotel prices and availability swing hard around the May film festival and the big trade fairs. If your dates are flexible, check the Palais des Festivals calendar before you lock them.Where to stay in Cannes
- Take the regional bus from Nice airportCannes has no airline airport visitors use, so you land at Nice. ZOU! lines 81 and 620 are listed by the airport for Cannes; the tram plus a coast train via Nice is the alternative.Nice airport to Cannes
- Cross to the Lérins islands by boatTrans Côte d'Azur serves Île Sainte-Marguerite and Planaria serves Saint-Honorat, about 15–20 minutes by boat. Its tickets are same-day round trips and non-refundable, so check the forecast first.Lérins islands day trip
- Choose a beach club or the free beachMuch of the Croisette waterfront belongs to private beach clubs that rent loungers. Free public stretches exist, so decide before you lay a towel.
- Add Nice and Antibes by regional trainRegional trains run along the coast every few minutes at peak times, so Antibes, Nice and Monaco work as easy day trips without a car.Nice
Things to do in Cannes
See all attractions in Cannes
Need to know
- Airport
- Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE); Cannes-Mandelieu is mainly business aviation
- Getting there
- TGV from Paris about 5.5–6 hours; train from Nice about 25–40 min
- Getting around
- Walkable; buses and the coast train for Antibes and Nice
- Best base
- La Croisette for sea views, Le Suquet for old streets, the center for value
- Time needed
- 2–3 days, or a base for the western Riviera
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryClear7 rainy daysHigh13°Low6°Mild, quietJanuaryClear
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 60 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, quiet
- FebruaryClear7 rainy daysHigh14°Low7°Mild, quietFebruaryClear
Mixed
- High
- 14°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 70 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, quiet
- MarchClear6 rainy daysHigh15°Low8°Spring, trade fairsMarchClear
Good
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 96 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring, trade fairs
- AprilPartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh18°Low11°Warm, quietAprilPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 73 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, quiet
- MayPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh21°Low14°Film festivalMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 72 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Film festival
- JunePartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh26°Low19°Beach seasonJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 19°
- Precipitation
- 47 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Beach season
- JulyClear3 rainy daysHigh29°Low22°Peak, hotJulyClear
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 16 mm
- Rainy days
- 3
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Peak, hot
- AugustClear4 rainy daysHigh29°Low22°Peak, crowdedAugustClear
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 30 mm
- Rainy days
- 4
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Peak, crowded
- SeptemberClear7 rainy daysHigh25°Low18°Warm sea, calmSeptemberClear
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 18°
- Precipitation
- 63 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm sea, calm
- OctoberRain9 rainy daysHigh21°Low15°Mild, quieterOctoberRain
Good
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 153 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, quieter
- NovemberClear10 rainy daysHigh16°Low10°Cool, quietNovemberClear
Mixed
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 140 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, quiet
- DecemberClear7 rainy daysHigh13°Low8°Lights, mildDecemberClear
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 98 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Lights, mild
Average daily high and low in Cannes, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Cannes
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
17
- Feels like
- 13°
- Humidity
- 38%
- Wind
- 13 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Cannes
09:47 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today17°5°0%Monday: Clear. High 17°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Tue18°8°0%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 18°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed15°9°18%Wednesday: Rain. High 15°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 18%.
- Thu16°11°35%Thursday: Cloudy. High 16°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 35%.
- Fri17°10°41%Friday: Cloudy. High 17°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 41%.
- Sat15°9°15%Saturday: Cloudy. High 15°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 15%.
- Sun14°11°36%Sunday: Rain. High 14°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 36%.
Updated 05:59 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Every year
- Feb–MarFête du CitronMenton, a day trip
- Feb–MarNice CarnivalNice, a day trip
- JulNice Jazz FestivalNice, a day trip
- JulJazz à JuanAntibes, a day trip
Day trips by train
Day trips from Cannes, the full guide- Îles de Lérinsabout 15–20 min by boatFort on Sainte-Marguerite and a working abbey on Saint-Honorat.Read the guide
- Antibesabout 15–25 min by trainOld town walls, the Picasso museum and a long harbor of yachts.Read the guide
- Grasseabout 30–40 min by bus or train and busPerfume town in the hills behind the coast.Read the guide
Before you go to Cannes
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Rules for Cannes, checked
- Trans Côte d'Azur tickets to Sainte-Marguerite are for a same-day round trip, non-refundable and valid three months from purchase.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Source
Cannes FAQ
Is Cannes worth visiting?
Yes for a beach-and-old-town stop of two or three days: the Croisette, Le Suquet and the Lérins islands are easy on foot. It costs more than Nice, so many travelers base in Nice and visit Cannes as a day trip.
How many days do you need in Cannes?
Two days covers the Croisette, Le Suquet and a half-day on an island. Three lets you add Antibes or Grasse. Stay longer only if you plan to use Cannes as a base for the western Riviera.
Is Cannes or Nice better to stay in?
Nice has more sights, a tram from the airport and lower prices. Cannes is calmer, more resort-like and closer to the Lérins islands. The two are about half an hour apart by train.
How do you get from Nice airport to Cannes?
By the regional ZOU! bus (lines 81 and 620 are listed by the airport) or by tram into Nice and a coast train. Allow roughly 45–70 minutes. A taxi is faster but costs much more; check schedules for late arrivals.
Is the Cannes Film Festival open to the public?
Screenings are mostly for accredited guests. Visitors can still see the red-carpet area and the crowds from the street. Check the festival's official site for any public events, and expect high hotel prices and crowded streets in May.