Germanwings fly to many airports in Germany and Greece from Nice airport.

Although many people are trying to put a brave face on it, when you’re stranded in Cannes you are still stranded. Most people have jobs to get back to, and are racking up bills for hotels and trying to keep in touch with people back home.

Several Cweeps (Cannes Tweeps) useTwitter as a way of relaying news, tips and offers to share cars and coaches to people that are stranded in Cannes by French rail strikes or volcanic ash. Many visitors living on mainland Europe can find alternative ways to get home, most of which involve 15 hour trips on motorways.

For visitors that are stuck in Cannes or Nice here are a selection of information sources:

Nice airport (which can be quite slow)
French railways (the mobile version which is admirably brief)

When Cannes was hit by the fallout of volcanic ash, one of my tips was that people use car-pooling services. Try these sites:

RoadSharing

and the newer GeoGoer.

Twitter has been invaluable in providing information and hooking people up. A number of hastags sprang up, including #stranded, #ashtag, #getmehome. My tip, however, is to use the #euva hashtag, as this is used by people such as EuroControl to exchange breaking news about European air traffic.

Follow it here #euva.

Rome is already served by Air France, Alitalia and just one other low cost airline, Blu-Express. Our tip: if you’re coming or going to Milan, you might also want to check the special deals on Trenitalia.

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).

If you have any further tips, feel free to leave them as a message. To stay informed of transport times and travel tips -and inside news about Midem, Mipim, Mip and the Cannes film festival – why not get them sent direct to your e-mail address?


So why get the news straight to your inbox as well ? Because Twitter is the instant media. Instantly there and gone just as fast. You miss things. You might want to get news about the apartments where you set the price (real offer). Or flash ticket sales from airlines. Or the apartment rental company that offered a free pass for every five people (real offer). Or last-minute hotel deals for Midem, MIPIM, MIPCOM or the festival. We don’t sell your address and you can opt-out at any time. The downside? There isn’t one! Sign up below.

]]> http://cannes-or-bust.com/2009/12/cannes-news-and-tips-to-your-desk/feed/ 1 http://cannes-or-bust.com/2009/08/nice-airport-mobile-phone-boarding-pass/ http://cannes-or-bust.com/2009/08/nice-airport-mobile-phone-boarding-pass/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:39:34 +0000 admin http://cannes-or-bust.com/?p=875 I’ve been reading for years about mobile phones being used as “tokens” that would act as concert tickets, bus passes and other uses. Nice airport is currently road-testing a system that would enable travellers to use their mobile phones as a boarding pass. After checking in (notably via the Internet), the traveller simply has to scan their phone in front of a reader at departure and do the same for the border controls. The system uses a Near Field Contact chip that means it works even when the phone’s batteries are dead (although it also means it is active everywhere you go). The system will reduce queues, save on costs (for airports) and enables travellers to be kept personally informed about departure times.

The system is being developed by Nice Côte d’Azur airport, Amadeus, Air France and IER using members of the Gold Club Airport Premier and Air France Flying Blue clubs in the experiment. The trial started in April 2009 and will run until September 2009. Nice airport services the French Riviera towns such as Nice, Cannes, Monaco and Antibes.

* Start with “Bonjour monsieur (or madame)”. Most taximen understand English reasonably well, yet many are still uncomfortable speaking it. This little courtesy is always appreciated.

* Have the name and address of your hotel printed out, with a telephone number as well. Taximen know just about every hotel. But they might not be able to understand your accent.

* Never talk over the taximan’s head. I’ve heard tales of people getting an earful after complaining to each other in English about the driver, figuring he wouldn’t understand!

* How much does it cost to get to Cannes? For two people with two cases and briefcases, you’ll normally pay about €90. But what we call Cannes could in fact be anywhere between Juan-les-Pins and Mandelieu. If you’re staying in a hotel, ask beforehand if they have a special flat rate for the ride or if they operate a shuttle. It’s often good value.

* Always check that the counter is at zero when you hail a cab at Nice airport or in the street.

* There are supplements at night.

* If you feel you’ve been ripped off, get a receipt, note the taxi’s registration number and contact the customer helpdesk of the event you’re attending.

Last thing to remember: Saturday is shopping day in downtown Cannes, so everything is that much slower. If you’re not in too much of a hurry and don’t have too many suitcases, the airport shuttle bus is a good value option (about €14). Click the link below for more info.

If you have any tips of your own, feel free to add them! (updated October 2009)

If you intend to leave Cannes after 7pm, I strongly recommend planning ahead and sharing a cab.

Well, if you go by the comments on this site, Nice airport is far from being the worst option if you have no other choice. I quote: “I’d say Nice is a perfectly okay airport for sleeping in. The toilets were clean and had plug sockets so I could recharge my phone which was really helpful.” Nice to see the girl has her priorities. The hardness of the seating seems to be the major drawback. However, for some horror stories, check the comments of people that slept at Nice railway station.

And if you think that sleeping in Nice airport might be a possibility, whether by choice or not, check out the site’s Tips for Sleeping in Airports.