With taxis costing upwards of €90 depending on where you are staying in Cannes, it’s always worth checking the other options. If you are travelling with one or two people and have travelled a bit, you might just want to get downtown as quickly as possible in which case the taxis are a tempting option. If you are travelling alone, on a budget and have a little time, there are three cheap ways to get to Cannes.

To determine which the best option is, think first about where you are actually staying.

• Cannes centre: the express bus and the train are the best options.
• Antibes, Golfe-Juan or Juan-les-Pins: the Golfe Juan express bus or train is the way to go.
• Cannes La Bocca or Mandelieu: go for the train (just check on a map how close your hotel is to the relevant stations).

Our first tip is the cheapest: the bus. The NoctamBus 200 takes over from the express shuttle bus (see below) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The journey takes about 90 minutes and costs just €1. It drives through Antibes, Juan-les-Pin and Golfe Juan, so is handy if your hotel is located there.

Tip n° 2: It’s a little-known secret that Nice airport has a railway station (relatively) near by: Nice-St Augustin. It brings you to Cannes in about 35 minutes for the price of about €5 (May 2009). It’s particularly handy if you are staying in Juan-les-Pins or Antibes. To reach it, take bus 23 from Terminal 1. Nice-St Augustin is the second stop. Alternatively, go to the bus station in Terminal 1 and look for the signposts for the “L’Arénas” office block. Then take Avenue Lindbergh and then a right on the Blvd Cassin. Cross at the lights and head under the railway bridge. You’ll find the station on your right. It takes about 15 minutes, not recommended if you have heavy cases but perfectly doable otherwise. Last trains are at 23:36 and 20 past midnight. Look for the latest timetable on the SNCF site or Train timetable Nice-Cannes (You might want to print this info and the timetable).

Tip 3: the Cannes Xpress bus (n° 210) is a popular option, as it leaves from Terminal 1 every 30 minutes, visits Terminal 2 and then takes the motorway straight to Cannes for €15.60 in 50 minutes (return ticket €25.50). I like this one, as you often meet people on the bus and your Cannes festival starts straight away! The last bus leaves the airport at 8.50pm. The bus arrives and then leaves from the “gare routière” near Cannes town hall. There are ample bus connections from there, or take a taxi if you’re out of town. Another express bus, n° 250, goes from the airport to Antibes, Juan-les-Pins and Golfe Juan for €8 (€15 return).

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