Cannes - The Pearl of the French Riviera
Famous mainly for the film festival that draws impressive numbers of famous people here each year, Cannes is also one of the best and most sought after yacht charter France locations. Seen as a mainly upmarket resort, Cannes does however attract people from all social strata thanks to its beauty but also its exclusive and luxurious appeal.
General Info
Situated on the Southeastern French Mediterranean coast in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, Cannes gets a great number of visitors each year. The transition from fishing village to Yacht Charter resort was made during the 19th century and ironically the British aristocracy was the first to tap into the region’s potential. The rest is history and it still can be seen today in the city’s architecture.
Travel & Arrival
As always, the quickest way to get to Cannes is by plane, via the Nice International Airport, 28 km northeast of the city. After touching down you can choose from express coaches, buses and the notoriously expensive taxis for the half-hour drive back into town via the A8 motorway.
Though some of the most beautiful and expensive cars can be seen in and around the city center, parked in front of snazzy cafes, getting to Cannes by car is a nightmare. The old narrow streets frequently generate traffic jams, especially in the high season, when even the roads leading up to it have lines of cars of Yacht Charter enthusiasts running for miles. But all arrivals by car should be done via the A8 road, regardless of whether you come from Paris or from the opposite direction, from Monaco or Nice.
Arriving by train should be taken into consideration too. The national operator is SNCF which has trains arriving here from all over France. The trip from Paris takes 5 hours with the high-speed train via Marseille.
Being a port town, the Yacht Charter resort is also accessible by sea, regular ferry rides being run from Nice, Bastia and Corsica. The downside is that almost all these trips take several hours and there are only about 4 ferries a day.
Avant & Apres Sail
With its quaint architecture, its laid back style and its tourist pedigree, Cannes has a number of venues and locations that attract not just the first timers but also the Yacht Charter regulars. Of these, the promenade of La Croissete with the endless strings of luxury boutiques and hotels running on both sides is by far the most popular.
Other places you might want to check out include the Old Town, the Covered Market (also a good place to grab a bite to eat), the port, the Musée de la Mer and the Palais des Festivals which acts as headquarters for the famous Cannes Film Festival each year. Outside of town, the Iles de Lérins are two islands which should definitely appear on any Yacht Charter devotee's “to see” list. These are also accessible by ferry.
As you’d expect from a French luxury Yacht Charter resort, eating is held in high regard here and gourmands should find something to whet their appetite. The cosmopolitan feel is reflected in the city’s cuisine, which is a mix of French and Provencal, Italian, Japanese and even Argentinean dishes.
All high-end restaurants can be found in the big hotels like The Majestic, Martinez, Hotel Gray d’Albion and Carlton. For strictly Provencal food, head to the port where a number of smaller restaurants specialize in seafood recipes. A special treat for tourists and Yacht Charter regulars are the chocolatiers and the delicatesens found on the rue d’Antibes.
Shopping is elevated to the rank of national sport in France and nowhere is this truer than in Cannes. So Yacht Charter seamen should get ready for a shopping experience you won’t soon forget. Most famous fashion designers (Chanel, Dior, Gucci to name but a few) have boutiques here, concentrated on the La Croisette and the rue d’Antibes.
Events & Actions
It’s impossible to leave Cannes without a tan, as the town has miles upon miles of beaches overlooking the Mediterranean. Most are privately owned by the hotels, but some do allow access to the public for a fee. There are also public beaches outside of town, but these are always very crowded, especially during the summer months when tourists are drawn like moths to a flame to this Yacht Charter resort.
The other favorite past time in Cannes is sailing. In fact, most of the rich jet-setters arrive here in their personal boats which can be admired in the harbor every night. But you can also get your own Yacht Charter here, as Cannes is the Yacht Charter capital of the world. They have anything from bareboats to crewed ships and from power boats to catamarans.
Cannes host numerous events throughout the year, but perhaps none more popular than the International Film Festival, the Palm d’Or, the European version of the Oscars, which brings a hoard of stars to the Mediterranean shores of France every year. Other events include the Cannes Lions, an advertising film festival, the MIPTV (Cannes film market) and the MIPIM (international real estate market).
For the Yacht Charter aficionados, Cannes has several events done in the usual glitzy and flashy style. There is the Annual Boat Show or the Régates Royales. Sailing is held in high regard here and almost all people here have been on a yacht at least once in their live.