When you think of Cannes you probably
think of the Film Festival, A-List celebrities, super yachts, private jets,
sports cars and all the glamour enjoyed by the rich and famous which bares
little resemblance to your family summer holidays, right? But you might be
surprised to learn that with a little planning, a family holiday in the heart
of the French Riviera can be enjoyed for about the same cost as a standard
holiday package to Spain. "How so?" I hear you cry. Well it largely
comes down to the overcapacity and ease of booking of self-catering apartments
online. That, and our old friends the low-cost carriers.
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| Cannes on a summer evening |
1. Take advantage of low-cost flights
Nice airport is the second largest
airport in France and is the gateway to the French Riviera. There are direct
flights from over 100 destinations to Nice airport including over 12 in the UK.
Low cost airlines such as Easyjet, Jet 2, Norwegian Air and Ryanair as well as
BA and others all fly direct to Nice in the summer. Flights for under £100 each
way are easily found even for the peak months of July and August. No need for
an expensive transfer either – the train to Cannes is under €7 one-way for an
adult and Uber can also work out fairly inexpensive with a one-way transfer in
daytime hours costing around €50.
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| Nice Airport Voted Third Most Scenic Airport in the World - Image courtesy of Nice Airport |
2. Rent an apartment
When travelling as a family it often
works out best to rent an apartment. An apartment provides living space that a
hotel rarely does - you can put the kids to bed and still enjoy some adult time
and you can also self-cater to keep costs down. Due to all the festivals and
conferences that Cannes hosts you will find an abundance of self-catering
accommodation for rent very centrally. If you shop around you can easily enjoy
a week in central Cannes from as little as £200 per person in peak season. For
example – this superb 3 bedroom apartment, located on a pedestrian street right in the
heart of Cannes is available for €1300 per week in July/August (2 weeks is even
better value at €2,300). (Bigger townhouses are also available - 6 bedroom townhouse (sleeps up to 11)). Be aware Cannes can get very hot
in the summer so air conditioning is a must!
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| 3-bedroom Apartment in the Centre of Cannes |
3. Make sure to eat out but also eat in.
One obvious way of keeping costs down
on holiday is to eat-in. There are some wonderful local markets in Cannes so
you can still dine on fantastic produce even if you don’t pay restaurant prices
and whilst supermarkets may seem a little more expensive for staples they are
cheaper for "luxuries" like wine etc.
That said you are on holiday so of
course you will want to eat out. France is generally quite cheap for eating out
compared to the UK/Ireland - a good 3-course
meal will cost about €20 but for €30-35 you could eat on a beach restaurant
overlooking the Med. Equally pizzas in the area are amazing as the border to
Italy is so close and a family of 4 can
have a great pizza meal for about €50 including wine. As a good balance you
could eat breakfast in your apartment then interchange between having lunch or
dinner out each day.
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| Alfresco Dining |
4. Ditch the car
Whilst in Cannes, everything is
accessible on foot - there are 2 public beaches in the centre of Cannes as well
as countless bars, cafés and restaurants. There are farmers markets, glamorous
shopping and plenty of places of historical interest all within a short walk of
the centre. Public transport is excellent in France. A €1.50 bus ticket will
bring you anywhere in the Alpes-Maritimes department (that includes Nice,
Monaco, Antibes etc). The trains are faster but a little more expensive - a
return ticket to Monaco for instance will cost about €20 for an adult, half
price for children, though family tickets are very good value in France and can
reduce these prices significantly. Antibes is just 8 minutes away, Nice about
25 and Monaco about 45 minutes on the train. And if you want to add a bit of
glamour - get the daily passenger ferry to St Tropez which completes a return
trip to Cannes each day.
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| An Easy Day Trip is to Antibes to Visit the Nomad |
5. Go for the cheaper entertainment options
Think smart on how to entertain the
kids cheaply. If you are staying in the centre of Cannes then an obvious one is
to spend the day on the beach. There are several different beaches within
walking distance of the centre and you can easily spend several days on the
sand and in the sea. Take your own towels, deck chairs and picnic and for the
price of an ice cream you’ve had a great day out. If you fancy splashing out
one day you can take the family to one of the restaurants with beach loungers
and bar service. (Approx €18 per day for a lounger). As already
mentioned there are plenty of towns to visit within easy reach on public
transport – Monaco,
Antibes and St Tropez (by boat) to name a few. If you have a car there are some
amazing day trips to the mountainous Mercantour area or the Gorge du Verdon
(Europe’s answer to the
Grand Canyon)
There are also loads of super hikes in the
area including places to dive in the sea from rocks - but you will need a car
for these.
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| Beach Days |
6. No need for a yacht take the water shuttle
You don’t need to have mega bucks to
enjoy a day out at sea – there is a great water shuttle service which runs all
summer from Cannes down the coast. For the princely sum of €10 (€5 for
children) you can hop on / hop off all day and visit some other seaside resorts
along the coast while enjoying the coastline from the water. More information
can be found on this blog: Boat Shuttle Cannes
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| Beautiful Views of Theoule from the Boat Shuttle |
7. Drink wine not beer!
And last but not least - If you come on holiday to the South of France
I am sure you are picturing glasses of chilled rosé as you watch the sun set
over the sea – and this is what it’s all about. You can easily get a glass of
rose at a beachfront restaurant for less than €5 and you won’t be obliged to
have dinner. On the other hand, beer is more expensive than home. Whilst there
are some fun Irish pubs in Cannes for a night out you will need to budget about
€7 a pint. If beer is your thing make sure to get to their Happy Hours which
will reduce a pint to about €5.
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| What Could be Better than a Chilled Glass of Rose on the Beach?! |
How does it stack up? - A family
of 5 booking flights in good time and renting a self catering apartment can
easily budget about £450 per person for 2 weeks in the centre of Cannes for flights
and accommodation. Doesn’t look too bad!
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