Cannes Film Festival 2027
Getting Around During the Cannes Film Festival
For twelve days, the town changes its rules. What worked in April no longer works in May, especially at night.
The calendar
The dates and the traffic plan
The 80th Cannes Film Festival runs from 11 to 22 May 2027. The traffic measures run slightly beyond these dates: in 2026, they continued until the morning after the closing.
Each year, the town publishes its traffic plan a few days before the opening. The main principles do not change.
In town
What changes during the Festival
Traffic on the Croisette is restricted. Parking disappears: the town centre car parks are full, and the town recommends leaving your car at a park-and-ride and finishing the journey by public transport.
Around the Palais des Festivals, each access point has its own rules, and they vary with the time of day. A drop-off outside the Palais means knowing which accesses are open when you arrive.
The Palm Bus network runs evening lines: check their timetable before relying on the bus to get back.
Arriving
Getting to Cannes from Nice airport
Nice airport is about thirty kilometres from Cannes. There are two serious options.
By road, with a chauffeur who tracks your flight number and drops you outside your hotel or villa. It is the only option that handles luggage, evening wear and late arrivals.
By train, if you are travelling light. Cannes station is right in the centre, within walking distance of the Croisette. During the Festival, it is often the most predictable way to make a day return trip.
By day
On foot on the Croisette, by car beyond it
The Croisette is about two and a half kilometres long. Between the Palais, the hotels and the beaches, walking is still the fastest way to get around by day. The Marché du Film is held at the Palais, and many meetings take place in the hotels along the Croisette.
It is a different story if you are staying in the hills. From La Californie, Super-Cannes or Mougins, you have to drive down into town and back up several times a day. That is where a vehicle at your disposal saves the most time. We cover this in our guide to renting a villa for the Festival.
At night
Screenings, parties and getting back on time
In the evening, two more problems arise. The first is what you wear: for the red carpet, the dress code requires evening wear. Nobody walks a kilometre through the crowd in heels.
The second is timing. A party on a beach or on a yacht in the Vieux Port rarely ends when planned. Calling a car back every time you leave, on a Festival night, means waiting.
For these evenings, we work on an hourly basis rather than trip by trip. The chauffeur waits near the drop-off points, and you get a direct number to call when you come out. The rate is set for the service, not for the waiting time.
Self-drive
Renting a car during the Festival
A supercar during the Festival makes sense for days out of Cannes: the hinterland, Saint-Tropez, Monaco. For evenings on the Croisette, it is rarely a good idea. You will spend more time looking for somewhere to leave it than driving it.
The right combination, if you want both: a car delivered to the villa for the daytime, and a chauffeur for the evenings.
Booking
When to book everything
The Festival is the busiest time of the year for chauffeur-driven vehicles. Allow several weeks ahead for a chauffeur, and two months for a self-drive car.
Give us your dates, your address and whatever you know of your schedule. The rest is adjusted day by day with the same contact, who can be reached day and night.
See also: our private chauffeur in Cannes, hourly chauffeur hire rates and luxury rentals in Cannes.
Official sources: Festival de Cannes — official site · City of Cannes — bus information (in French)
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive in Cannes during the Festival?
Yes, but traffic on the Croisette is restricted and the town centre car parks are in heavy demand. For evenings, a chauffeur saves you looking for a parking space.
Should you rent a car during the Cannes Film Festival?
For days out of Cannes, yes. For evenings on the Croisette, it is rarely a good idea: parking disappears, and a drop-off outside the Palais means knowing which accesses are allowed at the time you arrive.
How do you get to Cannes from Nice airport during the Festival?
By road, with a chauffeur who tracks your flight, or by train if you are travelling light. Cannes station is in the town centre, within walking distance of the Croisette.
How far ahead should you book a chauffeur for the Festival?
Several weeks. It is the busiest time of the year for chauffeur-driven vehicles on the French Riviera.
Transfer or hourly chauffeur hire during the Festival?
For evenings, hourly hire. Leaving times are unpredictable, and a chauffeur who stays nearby saves you calling a car back for every journey.
May 2027
Your transport during the Festival
Your dates, your address and the evenings you have planned: we suggest the right vehicle and the right arrangement.