Dripping in fame on the French Riviera, Cannes is known globally for its international film festival and flashy marina. This glamorous town in southern France is filled with high-end boutiques, chic restaurants and lavish hotels alongside historic gardens and medieval architecture. Old-world charm and modern sparkle sit side-by-side here, where streets of colourfully painted heritage villas wind down to harbours bobbing with gleaming yachts. Its coastline curves around the Bay of Cannes, leaving a stretch of sandy shoreline for sun-seekers to flock to.
Hostels in Cannes come with Riviera sunshine and the scent of the sea. Choose a Cannes hostel in a cosy converted provincial house with boutique rooms and a quaint outdoor courtyard, or dip your toes into luxury at a venue with an outdoor swimming pool. You can unwind in a hot tub after a busy day, or take to a sun terrace to socialise. Discover freebies in most places like Wi-Fi and the ultimate essential: air con. Some Cannes hostels even have their own bars where you can meet other travellers.
The jewel of Cannes is the famed Promenade de la Croisette along the seafront. This sunny boulevard is lined with boutiques, elegant hotels and a private section of beach. Around Vieux Port, you can seek out a cool waterfront bar for a glass of French wine while you survey ultra-pricey yachts in the marina. The oldest part of town is medieval Le Suquet. Once a Roman settlement, its twisty cobbled streets of pastel-coloured buildings house tiny family-run restaurants and overlook the sweeping crescent of the Bay of Cannes.
Day activities range from celebrity-spotting to buying local olives, seafood and cured meats at the daily market, Marché Forville. Take some food to the 200-acre château gardens at La Croix-des-Gardes for a picnic, then follow one of the hiking trails to the oldest part of town atop a hill for views of the city below. For indoor entertainment, the Musée de la Castre is inside a medieval castle and home to an eclectic collection of art, Asian instruments and medieval artefacts.
There are two airports close to the city: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (50 minutes by bus) and Cannes-Mandelieu Airport (30 minutes by bus). Trains and buses connect to other major destinations in France, including Nice (90 minutes by bus) and Marseille (2 hours by train into Gare du Cannes). Once in the city, see the sights by public bus, or go local by hiring a bike, canoe or even a yacht.
