The gare SNCF is on rue Jean-Jaurès, five blocks north of the Orange, concrete Palais des Festivals on the seafront – the main venue for Cannes' big events, of which the premier celeb-puller is the International Film Festival in May. There are tourist offices at the train station (July & Aug Mon–Fri 9am–1pm & 3–7pm; Sept–June 9am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; tel 04.93.99.19.77) and in the Palais des Festivals (daily 9am–8pm; tel 04.93.39.24.53, www.cannes.fr), and two gare routières: one on place B.-Cornut-Gentille between the mairie and Le Suquet, serving coastal destinations; and the other next to the gare SNCF for buses inland to places such as Grasse. The Bus Azur runs seventeen lines, serving all of Cannes and the surrounding area (tel 04.93.45.20.08; €1.25 single ticket).You'll find the best concentration of hotels in the centre, between the gare SNCF on rue Jean-Jaurès and La Croisette, around the central axis of rues Antibes and Félix-Faure. The Alnea, 20 rue Jean de Riouffe (tel 04.93.68.77.77, [email protected]; €55–70), is central and has high standards of service; the Cybelle, 14 rue du 24 Août (tel 04.93.38.31.33, fax 04.93.38.43.47; €30–40), is good value, if fairly basic, and has a popular restaurant; and another above-average option is Chanteclair, 12 rue Forville (tel & fax 04.93.39.68.88; €40–55), right next to the old town. For more comfort and better facilities, try Provence, 9 rue Molière (tel 04.93.38.44.35, www.hotel-de-provence.com; €85–100). There's also a hostel, the Auberge Le Chalit, 27 av Galliéni (tel 04.93.99.22.11, [email protected]), five minutes' walk north of the gare SNCF, which has beds for €20. A three-star campsite, Le Grand Saule, 24 bd Jean-Moulin (tel 04.93.90.55.10; closed Oct–March), lies 2km out of town, off the D9 towards Pégomas (bus #9 from gare SNCF, direction "Lamartine", stop "Le Grande Saule"). Bikes can be rented from Mistral Loation, 4 rue G. Clemenceau (tel 04.93.39.33.60, www.mistral-location.com). Cannes has hundreds of eateries catering for every budget. Rue Meynadier, Le Suquet and quai St-Pierre are good places to look. For menus under €18, try Au Bec Fin, in the Hôtel Cybelle (closed Sat evening & Sun), or Le Bouchon d'Objectif, 10 rue de Constantine (tel 04.93.99.21.76; closed Sun evening & Mon). La Brouette de Chez Grand-Mère, 9 rue d'Oran (tel 04.93.39.12.10; closed Sun) has a single very filling €30 menu including wine. If you'd just won a film festival prize the place to celebrate would be La Palme d'Or in the Hôtel Martinez, 73 La Croisette (tel 04.92.98.74.14; closed Mon & Tues; €50 lunch menu except Sun; à la carte from €95). Cannes has one of the oldest gay bars in France, Le Zanzibar, 85 rue Félix-Faure (6.30pm–5am), and a lesbian bar, Exterieur Nuit, 16 rue du Duquet (4pm–2am). A lively Gay Pride march is held annually on June 30.
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