Where is rue d'Antibes in Cannes?

In the centre of Cannes, parallel to La Croisette, one or two streets back from the sea. It runs from rue du Maréchal-Joffre in the west to the Général-Maubert roundabout in the east. Cannes railway station is two streets to the north.

Is rue d'Antibes pedestrianised?

No. Cars use it. However, rue Félix-Faure, which extends it to the west, and rue Hoche, right next to it, are pedestrian streets and hold most of the terraces.

Are the shops on rue d'Antibes open on Sundays?

Mostly not. A few shops open on Sundays, but they are exceptions. From Monday to Saturday, usual hours are around 10 am to 7 pm, sometimes a little earlier or later depending on the shop. Check before you go.

How does it differ from La Croisette for shopping?

La Croisette has the big luxury houses and their flagship stores. Rue d'Antibes has the fashion chains, the designers and most of the independents, at normal town prices. You look on one and buy on the other.

How long does it take to walk rue d'Antibes?

About twenty minutes from end to end without stopping. Allow an hour and a half with stops and a return along La Croisette, and half a day if you have really come to shop.

Rue d'Antibes, Cannes: a guide to the shopping street

Rue d'Antibes is the street where Cannes shops. It runs in a straight line, parallel to La Croisette, one or two streets back from the sea, from rue du Maréchal-Joffre in the west to the Général-Maubert roundabout in the east. On the map that is a little over a kilometre, or about twenty minutes without stopping, which never happens.

Our view: La Croisette is a shop window, rue d'Antibes is a shop. On the boulevard, you look at the luxury houses behind their doormen. Here, you walk in, try things on, compare, and leave with a bag. The names range from big chains to designers, with independents in between. The tourist office counts more than 800 shops across the shopping district as a whole.

There is nothing new about the street: it follows the line of the old royal road from Toulon to Antibes, set around 1830, and has carried its name since 1852. A tram ran along it from 1899 to 1933. Here is how to walk it today.

Rue d'Antibes, a user's guide

N° 01

Which direction

West to east, starting from the Palais

We would start from the west. You set off from the Palais des Festivals area, reach rue du Maréchal-Joffre and head east, with the numbers rising. The railway station is two streets to the north, which makes rue d'Antibes the natural route between the train and the sea. The street is not pedestrianised: cars use it, and the pavements fill quickly on Saturday afternoons. At the far end, you drop down to La Croisette in three minutes and return along the seafront: the full loop takes an hour and a half with stops.

N° 02

What you buy

Chains, designers, and a few landmarks

The first third holds the big international fashion and beauty names, the ones you already know. The further east you go, the larger the share of designer boutiques and independents. Two landmarks from our notebook: Morgan at number 35, and the concept store The Store 133, at the number its name gives away. For the picture by type of shop, see our pages on concept stores and jewellery.

N° 03

The side streets

Where rue d'Antibes gets interesting

The street is best read with its cross streets. Rue du Commandant-André runs down to La Croisette with contemporary boutiques. The Gray d'Albion arcades form a covered passage between the street and the boulevard. Little rue Tony-Allard is home to jewellers, including Maison Or & Bijoux at number 5. Rue Notre-Dame has Le Shop 17. And at the far western end, at 5 rue du Maréchal-Joffre, the wine merchant 1862 Wines & Spirits marks the starting point.

N° 04

Eating

Not on the street, right next to it

Rue d'Antibes is not a food destination: it mostly offers a quick lunch between two shops. The tables are in the neighbouring streets. Pedestrian rue Hoche is lined with terraces, including Le Grain de Sel at number 25. Rue Félix-Faure, which extends the axis to the west and is pedestrianised, has Astoux et Brun at number 27. Rue Bivouac-Napoléon, towards the Palais, has Chai Dee and La Cantine Provençale. On the street itself, L'Angle des Saveurs, at number 160, is the mid-priced address in our records (4.4 from about 650 reviews, 20-30 €).

N° 05

Look up

The façades nobody looks at

Everyone looks at the windows, almost nobody looks above them. That is a pity, because the street keeps buildings from the Belle Époque and the interwar years. At number 11, the former Crédit Lyonnais dates from 1929. At 77, the Hôtel Mondial is from 1928. At 101, the Résidence Le Cid, around 1885, has a Haussmann-style façade with caryatids. At 102, a former theatre from 1881, converted into housing, has kept its classical masks. It takes not one minute more, and it costs nothing.

N° 06

Staying

Who the rue d'Antibes area is right for

Those who want to do everything on foot. Between rue d'Antibes and La Croisette, the block that locals call the Carré d'Or puts the station, the beaches, the Palais and the restaurants less than a quarter of an hour's walk away. It is the right choice for a short stay without a car or for a conference. It is not the quietest: lower floors on the street hear the traffic and the morning deliveries. Ask for a high floor or a room on the courtyard. The full comparison is in our guide to where to stay in Cannes.

What we'd skip

What we would skip: coming on a Sunday. Most shops on the street are closed that day, with a few exceptions, and the street loses its point. Usual hours are around 10 am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday, varying by shop: check them one by one.

What we would also skip: driving along it or looking for a parking space there. The street is narrow, traffic is slow, and the underground car parks in the centre do the job better. You come on foot from the station or from La Croisette, and leave the same way.

Finally, do not confuse rue d'Antibes with luxury shopping. The big houses are on La Croisette. If you are looking for a palace-hotel shop window, you are one street too far north; if you are looking for a pair of trousers, you are in exactly the right place.

When to go

The best slot. On a weekday, between opening time and noon. The shops are empty, the staff are available, and the pavements are passable. The afternoon is the busiest time, especially on Saturdays. In summer, the street has one advantage over La Croisette in the middle of the day: its buildings shade one pavement, whereas the boulevard offers no shade at all on the sea side.

The special periods. The winter sales, in January, and the early summer sales transform the street: more people, real markdowns. During the Festival, in May, everything within three streets of the Palais is saturated, and you move at a crawl. When it rains, this is one of the few walks in Cannes that still makes sense.

Rue d'Antibes: the street where Cannes really shops.

La Croisette is a shop window, rue d'Antibes is a shop