Cannes Yachting Festival: getting there and parking with a chauffeur
Every September, the Cannes Yachting Festival opens the season of major nautical events on the Riviera. Spread across the Vieux Port and Port Canto, the show presents an impressive fleet of new boats afloat, from tenders to large units. Between the two sites, the crowds and traffic along the Croisette call for a little organisation. Here is how to experience the event — and reach it with ease.
Europe's leading in-water boat show
The Cannes Yachting Festival is one of the most important in-water boat shows on the continent. Over around six days, it previews a wide selection of motorboats and sailing yachts, from day-boats to yachts, in a unique setting between the bay of Cannes and the Lérins islands.
It is the essential gathering for yachting professionals, shipyards and an international clientele coming to discover the season's new models.
Two sites: the Vieux Port and Port Canto
The show unfolds across two complementary harbours: the Vieux Port, at the foot of the Palais des Festivals, and Port Canto, at the other end of the Croisette. A maritime shuttle usually links the two sites, but many visitors also reach the second one by land.
This two-hub layout, separated by the whole length of the Croisette, explains the heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic throughout the show.
September in Cannes: crowds and parking
In September, Cannes remains very lively and the show draws large crowds. Parking around the Vieux Port and the Croisette, already limited at the best of times, becomes especially difficult during the event.
Trips back and forth between the two ports, the hotel and business meetings can quickly become complicated without well-organised travel.
The comfort of a private chauffeur
Entrusting your journeys to a private chauffeur removes the parking constraint: drop-off as close as possible to the entrances of the Vieux Port or Port Canto, then pick-up at the agreed point, with no hunting for a space and no long walk along the Croisette.
For guests moving between on-board visits, meetings and lunches, a chauffeur on standby smooths out the day from one harbour to the other.
Reaching the show and organising well
From Nice Airport, allow around thirty minutes under normal conditions; from Monaco or Antibes, access remains quick. During the show, allow extra time and share your key time slots (arrivals, on-board meetings, evening events) for tightly organised logistics.
With demand for vehicles and chauffeurs high in September, booking ahead secures your transport for the whole duration of the event.