This Addendum is being written to actually illustrate the journey from the Nice Aeroport in Nice, France to Cannes, France - home of Film Festivals, Television Markets, beaches, old folks and other 'hoity toity' things.
Preface:Cannes is pronounced Can. As in tin, trash, soda, aluminum or of soup. It is singular. If you prefer to say it with a Parisian accent, you will remove the 'n', so you say CA-.
If you are in the general vicinity and pronounce it CANS, or God forbid
Khan, as in 'The Wrath Of...', you may be looked at oddly, be pushed past, screamed at or slapped. You have been warned.
When you arrive at the Nice Aeroport, you will have several options to get you to the city of Cannes.
The locals will usually take the train. It is, well a train. It doesn't take too long, on about a 1/2 hour or so and can be quite convenient.
You can book tickets here:
Train Tickets
I personally have not experienced this option so I cannot comment upon it. Check back from time to time as I may rectify this as soon as possible.
The most popular option is the Cannes Express Shuttle
This option is good if you have more than one piece of carry on luggage, are pressed for time and have a few extra euros to spare. At the time of this writing, the Express Shuttle costs 39 euros round trip. The ride takes about 30 minutes and will drop you off by the main bus terminals in Cannes.
You may also feel the need to hire a private car to get you to your place of residence while staying there. This too is a good option if it is your first time in Cannes, you are not familiar with French or are an Entertainment Professional trying to make a good impression. You can also rent a car if you're fearless and want to traverse the highways.
More information can be found at this location:
andEurope Car Rental
If you find yourself with a little more time, a little less funds and a little less luggage, a much better option is the local bus line.
Buses are well utilized in France, so you can usually find one anywhere you go. This is a guide to take you from the airport to the Cannes bus terminal on the coast. The ride takes about 2 hours and will cost all of 1.5 euros - at the time of this writing.
Step 1: If you fly internationally to the Nice Aeroport, chances are you will land at Terminal 2. If you are hiring a car, taking the Express or going by local bus, you will need to get to Terminal 1. Simply walk out the glass doors and look for this sign:
When you reach Terminal 1, you can choose to rent a car, take the Express or take the local bus. The Express office is right in front of you. There will be a glass door to go through, and a person behind the desk to take your reservation. If you choose to take the local bus, do not go in there and ask for the bus to Cannes. If you feel lost at this point, you can ask for the bus to the Palais de l'Anglais, but you shouldn't need it by following these steps.
Step 2: Walk away from the shuttle to cross the street. Look down. You will see a red and white walk way that looks like this:
Follow that walkway across the street and car park and rental car. You'll know you're in the right place if you see cars around you. In about 20 feet, you'll find yourself here:
Step 3: Walk along the red path:
Follow the red path seen above until you go just under the bridge. As the bridge is above you, take the path to the left and up the stairs.
Step 4: The path and stairs will lead you up to a side walk. Turn right and walk 10 feet to the bus stop with this sign:
Wait for the TAM 200 bus. They come rather often so the wait shouldn't be long.
It is a good idea to have some change available. The bus drivers don't usually have massive amounts of change on them. And you will probably be screamed at if you give the driver a 10 euro note. You can get change by buying a snack or other small item in the airport. Trust me, change is good. Hand the bus driver a 2 euro coin and they will give you a coin and a ticket in return.
Step 5: PUT THE TICKET IN THE SLOT. There are more than one type of slot things on different buses, so I can't be specific about where it is. It can be right next to the driver or a little behind them, but be sure to do it. Sometimes the ticket has to be turned upside down, but be sure to do it or you will be screamed at. Being screamed at takes a little while to get used to, but if you're like me and it happens on a regular basis, you do indeed become accustomed to the beratement.
Step 6: Stay on the bus. This may seem like a stupid thing to say, but it isn't. You'll be on the bus longer than you think. Of course if you want to get off and walk around about 1 hour through, there are beautiful small villages and towns to do so. I do recommend doing this at some point. The shopping is cheaper than in Cannes and you can experience a less 'touristy' environment. Just remember your way back to that bus stop since you will want to get back on the TAM 200 bus to continue your journey.
Step 7: Get off the bus in Cannes. This is an aerial view of the bus terminal:
As you can see, there are many bus stops, This is how you'll know you're in the right place. This is also where the bus ends. Chances are you'll be kicked out of the bus here so you really can't go wrong.
From here, you can easily find a taxi to your accommodation. They quite wisely hang around this area. Just be sure to have your final destination printed out so the driver can type the address into their GPS.
For the return journey, if you still feel up to the TAM 200, the return journey begins with the bus facing the opposite direction. The bus stop is next to the snack bar. At the time of this writing, the snack bar next to the bus stop was selling glasses of wine for 1 euro. A good way to pass the time between buses. As on the way to Cannes, the TAM 200 comes often, so don't feel bad about enjoying a glass or two.
If you get lucky, you will find yourself on a super snazzy modern bus that has an electronic display that tells you the time and place of each stop. If you have one of these, you are quite lucky and getting back to the aeroport is easy. If not, keep an eye on the time, you'll know it's about a 1 1/2 to 2 hour ride. The view of the aeroport from the bus stop looks like this:
When you see that, get off of the bus and follow the same directions back to Terminal 1.
If you just can't, can't, can't do the return journey via the TAM 200, there is an express bus you can catch. It will pick you up on the road facing the water. I don't know how to book such a ticket, but I'm sure the price is about 30 euros. It will bring you back to Terminal 1 at the aeroport.
A Word To The Wise:
Happy Travels!
