A 3-Day and 5-Day Cannes Plan by Train
Cannes is a good base for a long weekend or a week. The ferries cover the islands and the coastal train reaches Antibes, Grasse, Nice and Monaco. Prices are in euros.
Plan A: three days
Day 1, the seafront and the old town
Start at the Palais des Festivals and walk the Croisette to Pointe Croisette past the Carlton, the Martinez and the Majestic. Climb Le Suquet in the afternoon to the Musée des Explorations du Monde; it costs about €6.50, closes on Mondays outside summer, and opens from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 in winter. Dinner on Rue Saint-Antoine.
Day 2, Île Sainte-Marguerite
The crossing takes about 15 minutes. See Fort Royal, open daily June to September, then walk the shaded loop and swim or snorkel in calm weather inside the marked zone by the statues.
Day 3, Île Saint-Honorat
Take the Planaria boat, €19.50 return online for adults, walk the coastal path, visit the free fortified monastery and lunch at La Tonnelle by online booking. The official island site lists boat notices.
Plan B: five days
Keep Plan A and add:
Day 4, Grasse and Antibes
Take the train to Grasse, about 17 to 25 minutes, then see the free Fragonard factory visit. Come back through Antibes, about 10 minutes from Cannes, for the Musée Picasso at about €12.
Day 5, Monaco
About an hour by train. The State Apartments open from late March to mid-October at €13. The Musée Océanographique charges €22.50, and the Casino atrium is free.
Festival week and summer
The 80th Festival de Cannes runs from 11 to 22 May 2027. The public cannot buy tickets to the main screenings, but the Cinéma de la Plage on the beach is free. Rooms are very hard to book during the festival. In July and August, expect fireworks over the bay on six evenings and hot afternoons: keep a long lunch for the shade. Check Esterel closures before a summer hike.
Getting around
TER trains leave from the Cannes station all day. Single fares in 2026 were about €5 to Antibes, about €6.70 to Grasse and about €9.70 to Nice, and each is cheaper with a Zou card. Buy tickets at the station or on the TER Sud site and check the return time before you go. Monaco is about an hour away. City buses run by Palm Bus cover the town, and their app sells single, 10-trip and day tickets; the town centre is compact enough to walk.
Where to stay
Choose a hotel within walking distance of the station for the rail days. Cannes hotels on Booking.com lists options. Read more: Cannes day trips and the 6-day Cannes itinerary .