Things to do in Cannes - Part 3

Welcome to the third and final part of our guide to day trips from Cannes and other great French Riviera tours. So, you’ve booked one of our rental motorbikes (if not…what’s keeping you!) and you’re planning what to do in Cannes and the neighboring areas? In this blog we look at Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and the Villa Rothschild. Following this, there’s exquisite Provence wine at Chateau de Berne and then our recommendations on Saint Tropez tourism trips and a chance to visit Monaco.

Villa Rothschild

The Villa Rothschild in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is a villa built in 1905 by Baroness Beatrice Rothschild. Today, the villa is accessible to the public. The Villa Rothschild boasts a selection of 9 different gardens such as a Florentine, Spanish, French, Japanese, Provencal, Sevres, exotic, stone and rose garden. If this is not enough, the views across the Mediterranean from Saint Jean Cap Ferrat are spectacular. Inside the mansion, you find an impressive collection of antique furniture, paintings, sculptures and rare porcelain.

Riding from Cannes to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, we recommend taking the A8 and then getting on the Basse Corniche from Nice to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Before heading back to Cannes, why not have an ice cream in Beaulieu – a nice little town a 5 min ride from the Villa Rothschild. Click here for the GoogleMaps route.

Chateau de Berne

Provence wine tasting is not be mistaken with wine drinking. Under no circumstances, would we recommend drinking and driving. The Chateau de Berne is located in the Cote de Provence region. They offer guided tours of the winery and winetasting. Should you get peckish after your Provence wine tour, there is a nice bistro and a gourmet restaurant onsite.

Chateau de Berne and the Cote de Provence make a great day trip from Cannes. Your first leg is the Route des Adrets to Frejus. You then cruise through the Cote de Provence region to the Chateau Berne. The way back takes you through the rolling hills of the Provence up to Grasse and then back to Cannes. Click here for the GoogleMaps route.

Great Things to do in Saint Tropez

Starting from Cannes, the coast road shines in red Esterel stone and the blue of the Mediterranean. After this, ride past several golf courses into Frejus and then to Le Muy. From there the sweeping road to Saint Tropez is waiting. A recent re-surface increases your “smiles per miles”. Swing a right towards Plan de la Tour - a typical Provençal village with a market place. The road leaving Plan de la Tour is scenic, but narrow. Restaurants in Saint Tropez can be overpriced due to the popularity of Saint Tropez tourism. We suggest riding up to Ramatuelle which offers beautiful views of the bay. There are plenty of things to do in Saint Tropez so why not take a coffee break and get a glimpse of the yachts, whilst a stroll through the town should not be missed.

For the return you enjoy the inland route via Grimaud and Garde Freinet. A fantastic motorcycle road. The last leg takes you on the exceptional Route des Adrets to Cannes. Click here for the GoogleMaps route.

Day Trip to Monaco & Italy

Cannes is not far from Italy so if you can get to visit Monaco why wouldn’t you? To make this trip comfortably in one day, you will need to take the A8 motorway to Nice. Then climb up the mountain road to L’Escarene and continue your ascent to Sospel. You will be impressed by the scenery around Breil sur Roya. Then cross the mountain border into Italy and follow the meandering River Roya to Dolceacqua and ride past Perinaldo straight down to Bordighera. There we suggest the restaurant called Pizzeria Napolitana located on 250 Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 18012 Bordighera. One word of caution, this restaurant only accepts cash. If you’re renting one of our motorcycles then there’s a good chance you’ll be interested in motor racing. So after your Espresso get on the motorway and peel off at Monaco where we recommend a tour of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. Then ride on to Nice and back to Cannes. Click here for the GoogleMaps route.

And so concludes our 3 blog series on getting out and about in the Cannes region. The region is packed full of beautiful and exhilarating places to visit on one of our rental motorcycles. If none of our recommendations grab your imagination then why not explore anyway and let us know about your favorite spots and discoveries. Contact us for more information on renting one of our motorcycles, motorcycle storage or one of our great motorbike tours and get your adventure started today.