General Information about the area

     Area Maps      Riviera Associations and Radio Stations
     Shopping, Restaurants, Art and Jewelry      Driving and Getting Around
     Golf      Winter Skiing
     Paragliding/Hang-gliding      Backcountry Hiking, Horseback Riding & More
     Biking, Motor-scooters      Weather
     Water Sports - Scuba, Rafting, Sailing      Tennis/Swimming (Public Pools)

Last Minute Car Rentals

MAPS

Michelin Map #11341 - This is new!!

Michelin Map #341. The local area map for our Maritime Alps area. Includes City Plans for Nice and Cannes as well local place name index.

Michelin Provence / Cote d'Azur Map

Michelin Map #245 - Regional map with comprehensive road information. This or Maps #114, #115, #341 recommended for local area daytrips.

More maps & guidebooks here!

RIVIERA ASSOCIATIONS AND Radio Stations

 Associations Radio Stations

Driving and Getting Around the Riviera

To see the best of the Riviera and most any other area recommended here on the website we strongly advise that you get a rental car. Be sure to familiarize yourself with road signs and rules of priority before you head out. Most intersections have signs pointing the way to major cities, towns, sights, parking garages, and main roads. Traffic reports are broadcast in English during local hours of road congestion on Riviera Radio, 106.5FM. Listening to this or other local stations above in French is a good way to get "into" the local culture and goings on before you arrive.

AngloInfo.Com has information on most anything local, and a page devoted to transportation. For taxis try Allo Taxi Cannes, Tel: +33 (0)4 22 99 27 27, Fax:+33 (0)4 93 99 90 77, Email: taxicannes@taxicannes.com. You can register here to schedule one for pickup. Finding a taxi on the street is rare, unless you're near a local taxi stand. Call the number above and a taxi will meet you.

If you're going to drive here, and you're from North America, Australia, etc. or otherwise unfamiliar with local driving regulations, road signs, etc. then try this good UK site Rothery.Org with their link to European Road Signs. These will give you some quick lessons before you get there.

More info here!

Golf

Several Guests have provided input and have recommended the Royal Mougins Golf Club/Golf Country Club (the old St.Donat/Cannes Mandelieu Course). One of the region's most challenging courses, Country-Club de Cannes-Mougins, 175 av. du Golf, route d'Antibes, Mougins (tel. 04 93 75 79 13), 6.5km (4 miles) north of Cannes, was a 1976 reconfiguration by Dye & Ellis of a course laid out in the 1920s. Noted for the olive trees and cypresses that adorn a flat terrain, it has many water traps and a layout loaded with technical challenges. It has a par of 72 and since 1981 has hosted the Cannes-Mougins Open, an important stop on the PGA European Tour. The course is open to anyone (with proof of handicap) willing to pay greens fees of 100€, depending on the day of the week. An electric golf cart rents for 45€, and golf clubs can be rented for 24€. Reservations are recommended.

Skiing

There are numerous opportunities for winter skiing in the Maritime Alps that are easily reached from the coast. In addition to downhill skiing opportunities, there are also cross-country skiing circuits that criss-cross the highlands of La Vésubie, Roya-Bevera, Haute Tinée and Haut Var. More info:

PARAGLIDING AND HANG GLIDING

A familiar sight drifting silently over the high plateaus of the Var and the Maritime Alps - we captured one of these gliding over our restaurant in Gourdon. We could have gone two kilometers up the road for our very own experience...but decided to pass.  For braver souls interested in where and how, more information is available at this link PARAGLIDE.

Tips for Paraglider Pilots - In-depth information for paragliders with photos, instructions and much more.

Backcountry Trails - Hiking, Trekking, and Tours

Some of these sites cover the areas of the Var, the Maritime Alps, and the Estérel Mountain preserve. You'll find a hiker's paradise in the mid to upper altitudes of the Maritime-Alps with over 3,500 kilometers of marked hiking trails.

Bicycling & Motor-ScooterS

Despite the roaring traffic, the flat landscapes between Cannes and satellite resorts like La Napoule are well suited for riding a bike or motor scooter. At Cycles Daniel, 2 rue du Pont Romain (tel. 04-93-99-90-30), vélos tout terrain (mountain bikes) cost 15€ a day. Renters of motorized bikes and scooters will pay 35€ per day and must be at least 14 years old. For the larger of the scooters, potential renters must present a valid driver's license. Another purveyor of bikes is Mistral Location, 4 rue Georges Clémenceau (tel. 04-93-39-33-60), which charges 11€ per day.  Examples of Cycling Tours of the Var:

Circuit de l'Esterel

Circuit du massif de Tanneron

Weather on the Riviera

Mild winters and moderately warm summers contribute greatly to the reputation of the Cote d'Azur. The Riviera is located between the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the French Alps to the north. Many towns are open to the sea and surrounded by mountains providing an extremely pleasant and temperate maritime microclimate.  The Mediterranean acts as a thermal absorber providing a coastal sub-tropical climate, while the surrounding high relief of the Maritime-Alps provides an Alpine backdrop often noted in local photographs of the area. The Riviera enjoys about 300 days of sunshine throughout the year, with an average annual temperature of approximately 60F (16C).  Temperature swings are not extreme. Ninety-degree heat is uncommon in summer and lows in the 20s(F) are extremely rare, even in the heart of winter. Even though the French Riviera sits at roughly the same latitude as Boston, it averages fewer days below freezing than New Orleans.

Spring - In March, the mercury begins climbing from the winter minimums. Highs average in the upper 50s and nighttime lows are in the middle 40s. Freezes along the coast are extremely rare in spring, and occasional warm spells can send temperatures into the 70s. Despite the Riviera's reputation as dry and sunny, be sure to pack rain gear, as about 3 inches of rain usually fall in March. Spring rainfall sometimes comes via heavy showers, which can trigger occasional flooding and mudslides when combined with nearby snowmelt in the Alps.

Summer - Sunscreen is a necessity in the hot, dry Mediterranean summer. Average highs rise to around 80 by July and August, the two warmest months. Heat waves can send temperatures into the 90s, but stifling heat is thankfully very rare, due to the cooling sea breezes. Beachgoers typically find water temperatures from the middle 70s to lower 80s during the summer months.

Fall - Fall has generally pleasant temperatures, with rainfall picking up markedly by late September. October and November are the rainiest months of the year, averaging around 4.5 inches each. Be prepared for periods of strong winds any time of year as air cascades down the Rhone River Valley just to the west. This local wind (the "Mistral") often ushers in cold air in winter or hot gusts in the warmer seasons. Frankly, this and Winter is the time of year when we choose to visit.

Winter - Winters are short and mild. The locals take a break from the hectic busy season, and you have a better opportunity to learn more about the area as everyone seems to have more time to chat. Prices are lower, food better (and less expensive), and there is much more time for congenial conversation with shopkeepers and neighbors.  Temperatures can range from as high as 60 to low 40's.

Local Cannes weather forecasts can viewed at CNN-Weather, Weather.Com (with a 10-day forecast), Weather Underground, or Meteo-France.

Cannes Monthly Average Sunshine, Rainfall & Temperature Chart

Monthly

 Fahrenheit °F (°C) Average
Water
Temp		 Average
Days
of Rain
Avg. High Avg. Low
 January 50 (10) 35 (2) 58 (14) 8
 February 53 (12) 36 (2) 56 (13) 6
 March 59 (15) 41 (5) 56 (13) 7
 April 64 (18) 46 (8) 58 (14) 7
 May 71 (22) 52 (11) 64 (18) 8
 June 79 (26) 58 (14) 70 (21) 4
 July 84 (29) 58 (14) 73 (23) 2
 August 83 (28) 63 (17) 77 (25) 5
 September 77 (25) 58 (14) 72 (22) 6
 October 68 (20) 51 (10) 65 (18) 8
 November 58 (14) 43 (6) 64 (18) 9
 December 52 (11) 37 (3) 58 (14) 10

Temperature Converter

Celsius

Fahrenheit

Water Sports

Boating - Several companies can rent you a boat of any size, with or without a crew, for a day, a week, or a month. An outfit known for its short-term rentals of small craft, including motorboats, sailboats, and canoes, is Elco Marine, 110 bd. du Midi (tel. 04-93-47-12-62). For access to larger boats, including motor-driven and sailing yachts and craft suitable for deep-sea fishing, try MS Yachts, 57 La Croisette (tel. 04-93-99-03-51), or Mediterranée Courtage (Agence Y.P.), 22 quai Port Marseille (tel. 04-93-38-30-40).

White Water Rafting

Scuba - Scuba diving is popular along the Mediterranean coast, where many underwater artifacts date back a few centuries before the Romans began sailing along here!

  • Centre International de Plongée - Golfe-Juan, C.I.P. (International Diving Center). Mar - Nov. Boat "Le Jean -Marie Marcelle." Golfe-Juan Public Port, Quai Saint Pierre. Tel. 04 93 63 00 04 or 04 93 63 65 19

  • Centre International de Plongée - Nice, C.I.P. (International Diving Center)

  • Golfe Plongée Club. Boat "Le Souvenez-vous." Open year-round in Golfe-Juan Public Port, Quai Napoléon. tel. 04 93 64 89 27 or 04 93 64 22 67 or mobile 06 07 05 71 44

  • Loisirs Subaquatiques Detente (L.S.D.) Boat "La Valériane." Open year-round in adjacent Golfe-Juan. Odyssée Plongée, 71 boulevard des Freres Roustan. Tel. 04 93 63 15 45 - mobile 06 07 05 71 44

  • PSDiving.Com - Scuba diving from St. Laurent du Var, Antibes and elsewhere with a large choice of dive sites such as caves, caverns and reefs

  • Diving on the French Riviera

  • H2O - Diving center of Sainte Maxime, a small village near Saint Tropez. One of the main attractions of the bay is the beautiful and famous wreck of the RUBIS submarine that lies 40 meters under sea level. But there are many other things to see as well. Year-round, singles or groups, at the Sainte Maxime marina on the boat "Yvan Pierre".  Address: École de plongée de Sainte Maxime, Hameau de Guerrevielle, Ste Maxime, tel: 04 94 491 491 (h2o@lpce.com)

Cannes Public Tennis and Swimming Pools

Tennis - The city of Cannes maintains a half-dozen tennis courts (one made from synthetic resins and five clay-topped) that cost between 9.50€ and 12.50€ per hour, depending on the court and the time of day you want to play, plus 4€ per hour for lighting. In Cannes, you can find Tennis Municipal de la Bastide, av. Francis Tonner #220, tel. 04 93 47 29 33 and you can consider for the five clay-topped courts at Tennis Municipal Aérodrome, Aérodrome de Cannes Mandelieu, tel. 04 93 47 29 33, also maintained by the municipality, which charges the same rates. You might also try Tennis Club de Cannes; 150 meters from beach and Croisette and open year-round, tel. 04 93 43 58 85. Also well-known is the Tennis Club Lucien Barrière at bd. Strasbourg in Cannes, tel. 04 93 99 23 20. In Vallauris try Tuiliéres Sports Complex (Complexe Sportif des Tuiliéres) - chemin des Tuiliéres, which has eight tennis courts (2-clay, 4-hard surface, 2-synthetic grass), tel. 04 93 64 28 45, a swimming pool, tel. 04 93 64 63 38, children's games and cross-training circuits. Also in Vallauris is Tennis and Leisure (Tennis et Loisirs), chemin Lintier #308, Vallauris, tel. 04 93 64 53 91. (6-clay courts). In Golfe-Juan, you'll find 4 hard-surface courts at Tennis Munincipal des Courcettes, avenue des Courcettes (tel. 04 93 63 41 23).

Definitions for the types of courts here are derived from: "terre battue" = clay; "courts en dur" = hard surface; "gazon synthétique" = synthetic grass or Astroturf

Swimming Pools - Cannes probably has more privately owned swimming pools per capita than anywhere else in France. If you are in an apartment in the centre ville, then you might consider an excursion to the Tuiliéres Sports Complex above or Piscine Pierre de Coubertin, av. P. de Coupertin (tel. 04-93-47-12-94). Its length of almost 23m (75 ft.) makes it ideal for swimming laps. Because it's used for a variety of civic functions, including local swim team practices, hours are limited, so call ahead. Entrance costs 2€ for adults and 1€ for children 3 to 15.


 

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