How to get from Nice to Cannes
Cannes is known for luxury and glamor mainly because of the famous Cannes Film Festival held every year in May, but anyone can experience the beauty of Cannes on the cheap on a day trip from Nice. On our day trip to Cannes we shopped at the Forville Market for a picnic lunch, explored Old Town called Le Suquet and took a ferry to the Ile Saine-Marguerite, but other popular attraction include shopping on Rue d'Antibes and lounging on sandy beaches like Croisette Beach. Whatever you choose to do it’s worth a trip to Cannes from Nice:
By Train:
Taking the train is the most popular way to get from Nice to Cannes and the option we chose for our trip. From Nice Ville the train costs €8.40 each way and takes about 36 minutes. You can also take TGV train for €10.20 that is a little faster. You don’t need to purchase tickets in advance, but during busy summer months it can be helpful to purchase online if there are long lines at the ticket machines. Once in Cannes the train station is only a 10 minute walk from Le Suquet (old town). You can purchase your tickets through clicking the SNCF icon below.
Pro Tip: Create an account with SNCF and set up price alerts so you can be alerted to low prices for your trip. Learn how to here
By Bus:
It is possible to take the bus from Nice to Cannes but it takes much longer (around an hour and ten minutes up to two hours). First you’ll need to get to the Parc Pheonix bus station near the Nice airport on the L2 tram and then take the 620 bus to Cannes. The bus costs 2,50 and you can purchase a ticket from the driver. When leaving Nice you can purchase a Ticket Azur for €2.50 which includes both your tram ticket and your bus ticket to Cannes. On the way back you need to buy your ticket from the driver (cash only) and a separate tram ticket back into Nice. So while it is possible to get to Cannes on the bus you should just take the train.
By Car:
If you already have a car available then you can definitely drive to Cannes from Nice, but we wouldn’t recommend renting a car just for the occasion. Since the train is so convenient and most of what you want to see is walking distance it isn’t worth it to rent a car to go to Cannes. If you do drive the trip takes 38 minutes with tolls (on the A8) or 48 minutes with no tolls if there is no traffic. We’ve never tried to park in Cannes, but the Cannes city website boasts a lot of parking spaces and has a full list of parking lots and prices you can check out.
By Ferry:
For a unique experience you can take a ferry to and from Nice to Cannes. The boat leaves Nice at 9am and arrives in Cannes at 10:10am. You then have until 5:45pm to explore Cannes before the boat heads back and you arrive in Nice at 7pm. They don’t do trips everyday all year round so be sure to check the schedule and book your ticket here.
Don’t feel like figuring out to get to Cannes yourself? Check out the following tours: