Famous for its Film Festival and other world-class celebrity gatherings, Cannes, 35 km (22 miles) southwest of Nice, is also a pretty French Riviera town with good beaches and interesting historic districts.

The Festival de Cannes takes place each July, packing Cannes with film stars, cognoscenti, paparazzi, hangers-on and celebrity-spotters, but for the rest of the year, it's a delightful beach resort with convenient transport by train and bus to other Côte d'Azur resort towns. More...

(Note that other international gatherings may also fill Cannes's hotel rooms in various months, so reserve your accommodations in advance. More...)

Although October and November may have occasional bouts of rain, most days in Cannes are sunny and warm.

Cannes can serve as a good base for your visit to the Côte d'Azur.

A Bit of History

Founded by Ligurian sailors as a fishing village in the 2nd century BCE, Cannes was later a Roman town with a fortress on Le Suquet hill, and then a monastic center.

In the 19th century British nobles, ever in search of sunny climes with pleasant temperatures, began building villas in Cannes. By the end of the century they were coming by train rather than exclusively by boat, and the history of Cannes as a popular seaside resort was assured.

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