Cannes Travelers Recommend

Truly Cannes is a place to walk the promenade, people-watch and soak up the sun. Begin with coffee. Coffee is very important in France, as is the croissant. Explore the old town, the historic buildings, the churches and museums. Then wander along the famous beachside, palm-tree lined La Croisette boulevard. Windowshop in the exclusive boutiques or lounge on the sandy beaches. On your first day in town get with this leisurely program and by the time the sun sinks below the horizon, you’ll be totally at home in the restaurants on the La Croisette boulevard or indeed the Casino Croisette (jacket required). Now that you know the lay of the land, it’s time to get those sea-legs on the sparkling Mediterranean. For the ultimate glamour-to-glamour trip, cruise over to St Tropez, an even more upmarket resort.

By road or rail, Monaco is easy to visit in a day, the journey taking only about an hour each way by rail, longer by road with all those twists and turns and views to admire. Monaco itself is small – the population is 35,000 - with almost the whole country filled by its city Monte Carlo. The apartment buildings climb steeply up the hill behind the port, which is usually full of expensive yachts and once a year is raced around by Formula One cars. Monaco is the wealthiest country in the world and has zero unemployment. The casino sits prettily and temptingly on a cliff top next to the town, while on the far side of Monte Carlo and its expensive shops, is the Grimaldi Royal Family’s castle, home of Prince Albert II, Ruler of the Principality of Monaco. Nearby is an old part of town where you’ll find shops and restaurants without the rich and famous and their price tags. If you have time on the way back to Cannes, it’s worth exploring the many small towns.