Cannes

Best time to go

The town's June 2025 notice reports limits from 2026: one large ship per day, 6,000 cruise passengers per day, and 34 large-ship calls in 2026 and 31 in 2027. Its 2030 aim of ships capped at 1,300 passengers is a stated goal, not a rule in force.

The notice does not give a cruise season, so check your itinerary. The live forecast on this page shows the weather for your date.

How far from the pier

One way. Short call OK means 20 minutes or less.

• Lérins islands (Sainte-Marguerite or Saint-Honorat), by boat from Quai LaubeufFerry15 min

Ship tour or go independent?

Cannes is easy to do on your own. The Old Port has the island boats, Le Suquet and the market sit above it, and TER trains run to the rest of the Riviera. Booking your own tour gives you more choice, often smaller groups and a pace you set yourself. Because ships anchor offshore, the ship's own excursions are a simple pick if you want the cruise line to handle the timing. Browse the tours below and use the time-ashore filter to find one that fits your call.

• Ships anchor offshore in Cannes, so allow extra time for getting ashore and back to the ship.
• Pick a tour that leaves a comfortable gap before all-aboard, and be back at the landing early.
• Island boat schedules can change without notice, and Planaria's page said online ticket sales were temporarily suspended when checked in October 2026. Pick a return time and keep it.
• Marché Forville closes at 1 p.m., and Monday is a flea market day instead of the food market, so plan a market visit for a morning Tuesday to Sunday.
• The town reports a limit of one ship over 3,000 passengers per day from 2026; check with your cruise line how passengers will land.

Getting around

Rideshare limited

• WalkLe Suquet is the old quarter above the harbor, with Marché Forville at its foot. The tourist office says the climb up takes some strength. No walking times are published.
• ShuttleSuquet shuttle €0.90 per dayAn electric shuttle serves Le Suquet. The day pass is valid until the last trip but not for connections with other buses. City Palm is a separate center-of-town shuttle, Monday to Saturday.

  Suquet Forville Pass

  €0.90

  City Palm ticket

  €0.90

• BusPalm Bus city buses. Buy a one-day pass from the driver. Palm Imperial is the open-top bus along the Croisette.

  1-day pass

  €4.60

  3-day pass

  €9.20

  Palm Imperial ticket

  €1.80

• TrainTER regional trains leave from Cannes station. Fares below are full-fare one way (cheaper with a ZOU! Malin card). Nice takes about 35 minutes on average, with more than 140 round trips a day between about 5:37 a.m. and 11:37 p.m. Antibes takes about 10 minutes. The Monaco and Grasse pages give no journey time; check the TER timetable.

  Cannes–Nice (full fare)

  €9.70

  Cannes–Antibes (full fare)

  €5.00

  Cannes–Grasse (full fare)

  €6.70

  Cannes–Monaco (full fare)

  €12.80

• TaxiCannes has more than 150 taxis, available around the clock. Book by phone, online or through the Taxiclub app. The tourist office gives no fares.
• FerryBoats to the Lérins islands board at Quai Laubeuf in the Old Port, with ticket offices at the quay entrance. Four companies run them: Planaria to Saint-Honorat, and Trans Côte d'Azur, Horizon and Riviera Lines to Sainte-Marguerite. Crossings take about 15 to 20 minutes. Planaria's €19.50 adult fare is round trip (tickets listed as valid 1 Oct to 1 Nov 2026). Horizon's 2026 adult fare is €19.00; its page does not say round trip or one way.

  Planaria to Saint-Honorat (round trip)

  €19.50

  Horizon to Sainte-Marguerite (2026 adult)

  €19.00

No official source covers app rides in Cannes. The tourist office lists a taxi booking app (Taxiclub).

Money, tipping & phones

Money

The euro (EUR). Prices on local transport pages are shown in euros.

Must-sees

• Le Suquet and Notre-Dame-d'EspéranceWalkableCannes' old quarter on the hill above the harbor. Notre-Dame-d'Espérance stands at the top, in the area called the Castre, beside the medieval castle that houses the Musée des Explorations du Monde. The tourist office says the climb takes some strength.
• Marché ForvilleWalkableA covered market at the foot of Le Suquet, open Tuesday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., with produce, fish, flowers and ready-to-eat local specialties like socca and pissaladière.
• Palais des Festivals stepsWalkableThe red-carpet steps are free to climb and photograph year-round, apart from event closures. During the film festival you can see them but not climb them.
• Sainte-Marguerite islandRide neededThe largest Lérins island, about 15 minutes by boat from Cannes. Fort Royal held the Man in the Iron Mask, and visitors can walk around the island. An underwater eco-museum lies about 100 meters off the beaches and is reached by swimming.
• Saint-Honorat islandRide neededA monastic island where the Lérins Abbey monks make wine and liqueurs, with tastings. Entry to the fortified monastery is free, and the island has picnic areas, a snack bar and a restaurant.

Free & cheap near the pier

• Palais des Festivals stepsFreeClimb the steps under the red carpet for photos. Access is free, but it can be closed during events, and you can see but not climb them during the film festival.
• Marché ForvilleFree to browseBrowse the covered market for produce, fish, flowers and local specialties. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Saint-Honorat monasteryFree (boat extra)Entry to the fortified monastery on Saint-Honorat is free; the boat to the island is the cost.
• Suquet shuttle€0.90A day pass on the small shuttle up to the old quarter.
• Musée des Explorations du Monde€6.50 full priceIn the medieval castle at the top of Le Suquet. Listed as temporarily closed when checked; ask the tourist office. Normal full price is €6.50 and under-18s enter free.

Eat like a local

• SoccaA chickpea flatbread, a classic Riviera market snack sold at Marché Forville.
• PissaladièreA thick tart topped with onions, listed among the market's specialties.
• FougasseA Provençal flatbread, also on the Forville market list.
• Chard pieA sweet or savory tart of Swiss chard, a regional specialty at the market.
• Mediterranean fishFishmongers at the market sell the local catch.
• Lérina liqueurA liqueur made on Saint-Honorat island, suggested on the market's list. The monks' wines can be tasted on the island.

Rainy-day backups

• Marché Forville hallLocal producers and fishermen sell from the large market hall opposite the bandstand, with retailers on the eastern side. The town is renovating the market area, so check the current layout.
• Palais des FestivalsThe building also houses the tourist office, and the page notes a 360-degree panorama of Le Suquet and the bay from inside. No hours or prices are published there.
• Musée des Explorations du MondeA museum in the medieval castle at the top of Le Suquet, with Inuit, Oceanian, Iranian and Mediterranean collections. Closed Mondays except in July and August, and listed as temporarily closed when checked, so confirm first.

Safety & scams

Official advisoryUS State Dept: Level 2 — Exercise increased caution (issued October 21, 2026; page footer reads Last Updated August 11, 2025)

• The advisory cites terrorism and unrest. It tells visitors to avoid demonstrations and areas with heavy police activity.
• Pickpocketing and phone theft are common in crowded places such as train stations and tourist attractions.
• Strikes and demonstrations can disrupt transport, so check train status if you plan to leave Cannes.

From official government and port sources. Check the latest advisory before you travel.

Accessibility

At the pier

Large ships do not berth in Cannes. The town's notice says they stay offshore, so ask your cruise line how it handles wheelchairs, scooters and limited mobility.

Tender

The town's June 2025 cruise notice says large ships stay offshore, not in the port, and that passengers disembark and embark through the Vieux-Port. It does not describe the boats used, so ask your cruise line, and allow extra time getting ashore and back.

• Le Suquet is a climb. The tourist office points to an electric shuttle as an option for going up.
• The Palais des Festivals is listed as wheelchair accessible.