Cannes is a fabulous town on the French Riviera that deserves a stop on your itinerary! During my planning, I kept knocking Cannes down on my list to make room for other towns like Villefranche-sur-Mer and Menton. And while those towns certainly deserve a spot on your trip, the moment I arrived in Cannes I could not believe I almost didn’t make it here! Cannes is the epitome of the French Riviera: charm, wealth, and scenic beauty, with a splash of Old Hollywood glamor! Even though I only had a few hours to spend in Cannes, I was so impressed and overwhelmed by this former fishing town. Since my time was so short, I decided to book a tour to make sure I got to experience it all. Le Petit Train Tour in Cannes gave me that opportunity, and more!
About the Tour
Le Petit Train in Cannes offers three different tours: History Tour, Croissette Tour, and the Big Tour. The History Tour will take you through the Old Town of Cannes, while the Corissette Tour will showcase some of the Cannes-style glamor. The Big Tour, however, covers it all. For that reason, that is the one I chose!
In the summer months, the train leaves regularly from 9 am until 11 pm. However, since I visited in March (the low-season), the last tour departed at 4 pm. I also appreciated that the tour was offered in a variety of languages, so I could truly appreciate everything that I was seeing. Headsets are available on the train and are offered in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Arabic or Chinese.
Joining the Tour
To join the tour, simply arrive at the starting point here, right near the Palais des Festivals and Cannes Walk of Fame. In my experience, there was no need to book ahead. However, if you are visiting in peak season, it might be wise to arrive early as a line may form. There is a minimum of 10 people required for each tour, so we did end up waiting around for a few minutes past the hour for others to join. Thankfully, when we got up to 8 people, our guide took us out anyway! Prior to departing, you will pay your guide the €14 cash admission and you will be on your way!
Le Palais des Festivals, La Croisette, and Famous Hotels
Once it’s time for Le Petit Train in Cannes to head off, you make your way down Boulevard de La Croisette. This promenade is hugs the Med and is so beautiful and scenic. Right near the starting point of the train, you’ll pass by Le Palais des Festivals. This is where the iconic Cannes Film Festival is held each year! When I visited, there was a bit of construction going on as they prepared for the festival to start in mid-May. However, whenever there was a construction fence set up, they had posters put up on them of celebrities at the CFF throughout the years. I actually loved looking at these and trying to identify celebs.
As you continue on, on your right, you’ll pass by gorgeous beaches such as Croisette Beach and Zamenhof Beach. On your left, you’ll get to see luxury shopping stores and iconic hotels such as the Hotel Martinez and the Carlton Hotel. These hotels were swoon worthy and I can only dream of staying at either of these hotels one day! You’ll also get to see the famous Palm Beach and gawk at the boats parked in the Cannes Yacht Club.
Place de l’Étang
Place de l’Étang was one of the more interesting sights along the tour, and one that sparked a very weird rabbit hole of Googling for me. When we passed by on our Friday afternoon tour, the square was packed with locals playing some unknown game with silver balls. It looked kind of like bocce, but it wasn’t quite that. Enter: the game of pétanque!
According to Wikipedia, “In pétanque the objective is to score points by having boules closer to the target than the opponent after all boules have been thrown.” So, pretty close to bocce. I can’t explain why seeing this on the tour really struck me, but I loved seeing the square filled with so many people coming together to play a local sport. Learning more about the game reminded me how much I love traveling and learning about different cultures and traditions. If you’re lucky enough to be on Le Petit Train tour in Cannes on a Friday afternoon, keep your eyes peeled! I’m also dying to join a pétanque league now!
Rue d’Antibes
As the train made its way back around through town, we cruised down the famous Rue d’Antibes. While the street itself runs for over 11 km, this short stretch through the city center is the heartbeat of Cannes. It is a shopping haven! Home to over 800 stores, I loved getting to practice my window shopping from the train. There are a ton of variety of shops. You can find more affordable brands like Zara and Levi’s, or higher end luxuries like Rolex. It’s not a far walk from the ending location of Le Petit Train, so I actually came back here for a stroll after my tour and picked up some chocolate treats for myself at nearby Jeff de Bruges.
Le Suquet
Le Suquet is the name of Cannes’ Old Town and is unbelievably charming. The street is lined with old homes, all different shades of pastel. The cotton candy vibes were unmatched! The roads were cobblestone, and steep as we made our way up to the top of the hill. Since the train was chugging uphill, the ride was slower than when we were cruising through town. Which made for the prime opportunities to take photos of the homes! The juxtaposition of driving through La Suquet after touring through the new part of town and passing high-end hotels and stores was not lost on me. It was dreamy!
Free Time at Château de la Castre
The absolute best part of the tour however, was getting up to the Château de la Castre! Le Petit Train parked in an open area and gave us about 10-15 minutes of free time to explore and take photos. I absolutely loved the views from this point that overlooked the port, Le Suquet, and beyond! The Église Notre-Dame d’Espérance and Château de la Castre are both beautiful buildings to quickly stroll around and take photographs. Also nearby is the famous Cannes sign! Take a selfie to prove to your friends back home that you actually went to Cannes!
Back to Town
Finally, it was time to wrap up the tour and make our way back into town. The train made its way down the mountain and back through Le Suquet. You’ll drive down Quai Saint-Pierre and Prom. de la Pentiero, both which hug the Old Port of Cannes. We drove past fabulous people sitting on their fabulous yachts soaking up the fabulous sunshine. But I’m not jealous. The train ended at the same place as pickup, and then I made my way back to the train station just in time for sunset. Le Petit Train Tour in Cannes was the perfect way to see the city on tight time constraints!
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