5 UK property professionals to cycle to Cannes

If ever there was an initiative that itself deserves the title "Cannes or Bust", it must be this. Five property professionals from Liverpool in the UK are to cycle to Cannes for Mipim instead of flying. The goal is to raise £500,000 for charity. Covering the 1,500 kms will take them six days. The five are James Tottle (Savills), Barry Crichton (Drivers Jonas), Jon Matthews (HKR), Mark Whittaker (Peel Holdings) and Chris Brown (Igloo Regeneration).

If anyone has a link to this initiative, please post it below.

RailEurope and TGV simplify trains to Cannes

TGV has decided to simplify things for people travelling in Europe by train. The Raileurope service will now fall under the banner of TGV, the high-speed network that connects France, Belgium, Germany and Holland. I just had a quick look at the prices from Paris, which range from €43 to about €92 one-way depending on time and the availability of promo prices. The journey takes about 5 hours but has the enormous advantage of bringing you straight to Cannes station, a 10-minute walk to the Palais. So you skip the 40-minute trip from the airport and the extra expense. If you have never taken one, the high-speed trains are a great way to travel. Check for available times here

Midem deadline fast approaching

If you're thinking about attending Midem in Cannes this year, don't wait too long to decide. The Early Bird deadline is on December 21. The price of €805 represents a 25% discount over the walk-in rate. I also did a quick check with hotels and airlines. Most of the hotels in the inner "banana" (the area closest to the Palais in Cannes) are booked. However there are still rooms available in the "residences" outside town at reasonable prices. Shuttle buses are available to reach these. Some cheap flights can still be booked (although I only checked the European airlines flying to Nice airport).

Good luck - and maybe see you down there. For more info and bookings, visit Midem.com.

Prisoner breaks out using helicopter - again

A helicopter from Cannes was used in a daring breakout recently. Pascal Payet organsied for a helicopter hijacked from Cannes to land on the roof of his prison, and then fly him to Brignoles north of Toulon. This is the third helicopter escape Payet, a convicted murderer, has been involved in. The pilot was released unharmed.

Taxis to Cannes from Nice airport

I used to be quite intimidated by taking taxis around Cannes, which is not normal. Most people arriving at any strange airport always have a sneaking feeling they are going to be ripped off. How true is this at Nice airport? I've no figures. What I do have is a few words of advice:

* Start with "Bonjour monsieur (or madame)". Most taximen understand English reasonably well, yet many are still uncomfortable speaking it. This little courtesy is always appreciated.

* Have the name and address of your hotel printed out, with a telephone number as well. Taximen know just about every hotel. But they might not be able to understand your accent.

* Never talk over the taximan's head. I've heard tales of people getting an earful after complaining to each other in English about the driver, figuring he wouldn't understand!

* How much does it cost to get to Cannes? For two people with two cases and briefcases, you'll normally pay between €60-80. But what we call Cannes could in fact be anywhere between Juan-les-Pins and Mandelieu. If you're staying in a hotel, ask if they have a special flat rate for the ride or if they operate a shuttle. It's often good value.

* Always check that the counter is at zero when you hail a cab at Nice airport or in the street.

* There are supplements at night.

* If you feel you've been ripped off, get a receipt, note the taxi's registration number and contact the customer helpdesk of the event you're attending.

Last thing to remember: Saturday is shopping day in downtown Cannes, so everything is that much slower. If you're not in too much of a hurry and don't have too many suitcases, the airport shuttle bus is a good value option. Click the link below for more info.

If you have any tips of your own, feel free to add them!

Discount flights to Nice for Midem

Until this year, Midem delegate discounts were applicable only to Air France flights. The good news is that they now also apply to those of other Skyteam Alliance airlines, including Aeroflot, CSA Czech Airlines, Aeromexico, Alitalia, Korean Air and Continental Airlines. If you haven't got your ticket yet, visit the Skyteam website and use Code 0026S. For Air France, you have to fill out and present a form available from the transport section of midem.com.

Getting to Cannes from Milan

We often get requests about getting to Cannes from the Italian city of Milan, and the answer we often give is the train. Trenitalia runs three daily trains to Nice at 11.10 am, 13.10 and 15.10 that take roughly five hours to cover the 334 kilometers. From there, it's another 20-30 minutes to Cannes itself by train. Trenitalia rates start at about €15, although you can reasonably expect to pay more. This is an EC train so you have to reserve. I tried the booking engine online and couldn't get a final price. Try for yourself at their Smart Price promo.

The other option is by plane, of course. Air France flies direct, and several others fly with one stopover. The cheapest price I could find with a quick search was €178 return with Swiss (a 3-hour journey) or €311 direct return with Air France (1-hour journey).

If you have any better ideas for this trip, why not drop a message below?

Changes in Nice airport shuttle timetables

I don't know when it happened, but the RCA airport shuttle (line n° 210) timetable has been changed. The last one now leaves Cannes from close to the Mairie/town hall at 7pm! That's right, after 19h, you will have to fork out €70-80 to get to the airport from Cannes. The airport website still lists the last shuttle at 8pm (which is already way too early for a public service in my opinion). But the timetable at the bus stop is clear: 7pm. The bus n° 200 that goes through Antibes does run until 8.10pm (8.30 on Sundays and holidays), but it takes between an hour and 90 minutes to get to the airport and stops at Terminal 1. For the latest timetables, check the RCA timetable (in French).

If you intend to leave Cannes after 7pm, I strongly recommend planning ahead and sharing a cab.

Site of the week: Sleeping in airports

No, we've never had to sleep in Nice airport. But if you've got a very early flight, it's something that people occasionally consider, figuring that it could be more convenient than paying for half a night's sleep in a hotel and trying to pack suitcases in the morning on time for that 40 minute drive from Cannes.

Well, if you go by the comments on this site, Nice airport is far from being the worst option if you have no other choice. I quote: "I'd say Nice is a perfectly okay airport for sleeping in. The toilets were clean and had plug sockets so I could recharge my phone which was really helpful." Nice to see the girl has her priorities. The hardness of the seating seems to be the major drawback. However, for some horror stories, check the comments of people that slept at Nice railway station.

And if you think that sleeping in Nice airport might be a possibility, whether by choice or not, check out the site's Tips for Sleeping Airports.

Trains from Milan to Nice from as little as €15

Originally posted March 22, 2006. If you have the possibility of travelling from Italy, this is an option that might be worth checking. The Italian railway is currently running Smart Price deals on tickets for international destinations. Nice, which has direct and very regular connections to Cannes, is included in the list, with prices from Milan starting at €15 (Naples, Rome and Venice can be reached from as little as €35 in an overnight couchette). Conditions apply, needless to say. For details and booking in English or Italian, visit Trenitalia Smart Price.