When one thinks of chic, sophistication, elegance and charm, one's mind can only be directed to Cannes, a resort on the French Riviera that is easily accessible by private jet, a travel solution that VIP tourists use to gain access to exclusive services, unprecedented comfort and privacy.
The French town is served by an very important international airport for the area, an ideal hub for those who like to travel privately while enjoying flexibility and speed: the hub, in fact, provides several transfers that allow VIP tourists to travel to the most glamorous events Cannes hosts, from the International Film Festival to the Monaco Grand Prix, via the Roland Garros tennis tournament, all while counting onpersonalized assistance to the millimeter.
Cannes, however, still offers a great deal to those who decide to explore it up close: the Palais des Festival et des Congres, for example, is one of the town's most important historic buildings, while the Promenade de la Croisette is a palm tree-lined boulevard that runs entirely through the town center where VIP tourists can dabble in luxury shopping thanks to high-fashion boutiques.
The pearl of the French Riviera is also crowded with exclusive beaches and has a beautiful harbor where luxury yachts dock, drawing in large numbers of visitors from all over the world looking for a vacation of charm, elegance and luxury.
Not only that, the strategic location of both Cannes and its airport allows passengers on private flights to travel between the other gems of the French Riviera such as Saint Tropez, Nice and Monte Carlo in a completely convenient, fast and safe manner.
Anyway, let's look at that and more in this travel guide that will examine the main attractions in Cannes, some historical and geographic background, as well as key info on chartering a private jet to this wonderful classy location that continues to attract travelers from all over the world.
Historical and geographical background on Cannes
Cannes is a small town located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, an area bounded to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and to the north by the Maritime Alps. The town overlooks the gulf of Napoule, on which it stretches for about 9 km; other major cities such as Nice and Monaco, 30 km and about 50 km away, respectively, are located in its surroundings, not to mention its great proximity to the Italian border. The earliest historical traces concerning Cannes date as far back as the Neolithic period, although it was not until the 2nd century B.C. that its settlement was founded by Ligurian tribes, soon becoming a transit area for local populations. Subsequently, troops of the Roman Empire occupied Cannes, starting a series of battles against the Gauls until the conquest of Provence. During the Middle Ages, the Chateau de la Castre was built, a fortress around which Cannes developed; in the following centuries, the French aristocracy helped the town grow demographically by improving its urbanization but, unfortunately, when the plague came to town the population was almost halved. The nineteenth century was a fairly prosperous period for the little jewel of the French Riviera thanks to the development of the merchant fleet, which ensured its wealth and prosperity; since then, Cannes has become one of the most popular resorts on the French Riviera, often frequented by members of the elite class and VIP tourists.
What to do and see in Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes is best known for one of the most glamorous events of the year, namely the Film Festival, an annual occasion held in May that lasts a full 2 weeks. It is a festival attended by many international stars who show themselves to the public by parading on the traditional Red Carpet to present their new upcoming films. The jury, made up of internationally renowned film personalities, awards various prizes to the most deserving films in competition, such as the Palme d'Or for Best Film, the Grand Prix, the Best Director Award, or awards for Best Male and Best Female Performance. As this is a world-renowned event, VIPs and elite personalities attend en masse enjoying some exclusive services such as private yacht charters, access to the Festival through VIP entrances, dedicated concierge services, lunches and dinners at the scenic restaurant that the Festival provides, as well as VIP clubs and airport transfers via helicopter.
Monte Carlo Grand Prix
A very short distance from Cannes is another magnet event for world VIPs, namely the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, one of the most glamorous sporting events of the season. It is a historic circuit coveted by the vast majority of drivers given also its difficulty that can offer wealthy individuals the opportunity to admire it thanks to various services, such as the rental of private boats to be moored offshore to watch the race from a different perspective, as well as the various panoramic terraces arranged throughout the track and transfer services that allow them to get to Monte Carlo in a very short time.
Cannes Yachting Festival
Each year in September, the Cannes Yachting Festival is held, a boat show that brings together the industry's leading players in showcasing brand-new boats with brand-new amenities and extras. The event is held on the 2 ports of Cannes, the Vieux Port and Port Canto, and features all luxury yachts, super yachts and elite powerboats, in a timeless exhibition that attracts a large number of VIPs looking for new luxuries to show off during the summer season. VIP programs designed specifically for members of the elite class are varied: exclusive services offered include access to the lounge from VIP entrances, dedicated sea shuttles to travel between the two ports, courtesy cars for priority access, as well as VIP clubs and limousine transfers from anywhere in or around the city. The event also gives people a chance to stroll along Cannes' main shopping streets, such as the Promenade de la Croisette on which luxury boutiques belonging to the world's most famous clothing and fashion brands, from Chanel to Dior via Cartier and Hermés, are located.
Climate and best time to visit Cannes
Cannes enjoys a Mediterranean climate marked by hot summers and mild winters. In spring, average temperatures settle around 20°C before warming up even more during the month of May, a time when the city is populated with celebrities and stars thanks to the start of the Film Festival. In summer, temperatures rise, even exceeding 30°C (86°F) especially in July and August: beaches become crowded and outdoor activities are preferred over sightseeing at indoor venues. The weather becomes wetter with the onset of autumn, during which temperatures drop to as low as 15°C in November; this cooling of the air, however, remains quite pleasant and is ideal for sightseeing without too many tourists. In winter, temperatures can drop as low as 10°C, with even quite heavy rain showers; nevertheless, the climate is still milder than in many other European destinations. Intermediate seasons are certainly the best times to charter a private jet to Cannes, as temperatures are definitely pleasant and the city is not too crowded with tourists.
How and why to fly a private jet to Cannes
Cannes International Airport (ICAO code LFMD) sees the incredible increase in the frequency of private flights especially in May when the Film Festival begins; in fact, it is no coincidence that directors, producers, actors, sponsors and entertainment celebrities arrive from all over the world to take advantage of the airport's stopover to travel to the kermesse's designated locations. Despite being a rather small hub, Cannes Airport still offers several exclusive services to VIP passengers on private flights according to very high standards of comfort, such as a first-class VIP Lounge, free WiFi accessible in every corner of the terminal dedicated to general aviation, as well as a huge parking lot. The taxiways present are long enough to accommodate aircraft of any class, although noisy turbofan jets and Large Jets are totally excluded given the small size of the runway. The kilometers separating the airport from the center of Cannes are just 5, which can be covered through various exclusive car rental services with or without a driver; not only that, passengers on private flights can also make use of the cab, limousine and helicopter transfer service ready to take them anywhere in the city extremely quickly.
How much does it cost to fly a private jet to Cannes
One of the most important destinations from which to depart for Cannes is London's Biggin Hall Airport, about a 2-hour flight away from the jewel of the French Riviera. Hiring a Light Jet to cover this distance involves an expense of about 11,000€, while the use of a Medium Jet sees this figure rise to about 18,000€. Of course, the French capital is also well connected with Cannes by a flight that is about 1 hour and 35 minutes long given the more than 700 km distance; chartering a Light Jet carries a price tag of about €8,000 or, alternatively, using a Medium Jet involves a total cost of about €14,000. Among the ordinary routes is the one that connects Cannes to Budapest: the Hungarian capital is separated from the French town by about 2 hours total flight time. VIP passengers can opt to charter either a Light Jet or a Medium Jet, at respective costs of about €11,000 and €20,000.
The best jet to fly to Cannes
Given the rather short runway at Cannes Airport, jets available for charter include the Pilatus PC12, a propeller-driven aircraft that consists of 6 seats and is capable of reaching a top speed of about 450 km/h. Despite being a fairly small aircraft, the interior cabin is incredibly spacious and comfortable given its height of about 1.5 m and width of 1.4 m, parameters that allow any passenger to get comfortable and enjoy the flight. Light jets with the highest performance include the Nextant 400, an aircraft containing 7 seats in its cabin and capable of covering about 3500 km on a single full tank of fuel. The cruising speed it can touch exceeds 700 km/h, while the interior design ensures that every passenger can enjoy ample head and leg room, as well as sofas to relax even better and tables thanks to which they can make themselves comfortable while sipping tasty cocktails during the flight. Honorable mention goes to the Hawker 850XP, Medium Jet that offers superior performance to its predecessor due to improvements made in terms of engines and carburetion system. Its ability to travel even against the wind at a top speed of about 800 km/h without consuming too much fuel is mind-blowing, just like its spacious cabin equipped with LCD lighting, seats adjustable by touch screen controls and a spacious luggage compartment where the 8 transportable passengers can store their suitcases without any limitations whatsoever.
The most frequent flights to and from Cannes
Below of the most frequent links to Cannes:
