We landed in France this past Saturday morning after two flights – a long red-eye from Newark to Munich, and a quick jump from Munich to Nice, which is the airport closest to Cannes.

But before we talk about France, have any of you flown through the Munich airport? It’s amazing. It has its very own on-site brewery, a giant slide, a mini-golf course, healthy food options, plenty of comfy seats, and the fast, free Wi-Fi travelers crave on the road. If we hadn’t been in a post red-eye stupor, we would’ve taken advantage of all of it. Alas, we found a quiet corner and snoozed the early morning away until our flight to France.

The flight from Munich to Nice was beautiful. We flew over the German countryside, snowcapped Alps, and incredibly blue Cote d’Azur before touching down in Nice.

After landing, we grabbed our bags and followed signs towards the car rentals. Big mistake!

Pro tip: if you land in Nice’s Terminal 1, take the shuttle over to Terminal 2 instead of walking. The route between terminals proved to be a long, bumpy maze with loads of cars and crosswalks, and zero helpful signs. We walked for nearly a mile with ~200 pounds of luggage on minimal sleep and caffeine. I was a monster by the time we finally found the car rental building. Eventually I ate a Larabar (they’ve saved me more times than I can count #notanad) and stopped sweating. The horns retracted in time to speak with the woman at Avis who helped us pick up our rental car. We then made the quick drive from the Nice airport over to our Cannes Airbnb, our home for the week.

We’re catching Cannes during its last few weeks of peace and quiet. There’s apparently a Ninja Warrior competition being filmed by the old port (?), but compared to the masses that will descend on the city in mid-May for the Cannes Film Festival, it’s pretty much a ghost town. A glorious ghost town. We’ve been walking into some of the best restaurants and bars without reservations. It’s been a joy walking along La Croisette without jostling tourists and film industry folks.

It was an excellent place to kickoff our European adventure!

What to Do in Cannes

Walk along La Croisette. La Croisette is the boardwalk and street separating the city from the beach. Palm trees line the way, towering over the high end designer stores, bougie cafes, and entrances to luxury hotels, while also providing shade to those walking and jogging along the beach. There are steps leading down to beach cafés where you can grab refreshing spritzes and fresh (albeit pricey) seafood. It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon if you love food and sunshine! (C’est moi.)

Treat yourself to fancy cocktails at the Carlton Bar. Right off La Croisette, the luxurious InterContinental Carlton Hotel that houses this bar is the go-to for celebrities visiting Cannes. The cocktails are second to none. Plus, I could’ve eaten the complimentary olives every single day for the rest of my life. Bonus points if you spot a celeb while sipping!

Stock up on fresh produce and other local goods at Marché Forville. This is one of the top indoor markets in the Cote d’Azur. You’ll find it at the foot of Le Suquet, packed to the brim with seasonal local produce, cheese, seafood, meat, flowers, and more. It’s a bit pricier than shopping at the store, but it’s all fresh and the experience is so quintessentially French.

Stroll through Le Suquet. Le Suquet is the “Old Town” of Cannes. Originally a Roman camp, this part of the city is nestled into a hill. It’s filled with winding, cobblestone streets that lead up to a castle, a church, and an incredible view of La Croisette and the Old Port of Cannes. It’s the perfect way to drink in the French Riviera.

Hit up Rue d’Antibes for some serious shopping. You’re either in for fantastic window shopping, or a smoking hot credit card with all the cute stores lining this street. Note that most shops close on Sundays.

Take a ferry from the Port de Cannes over to Île Saint-Honorat. This small island is home to the Abbey of Lérins and a community of monks. It’s only 15 minutes from Cannes, but it feels like another world; it’s the peaceful, calm counterpart to Cannes’ glitz, glamour, and nightlife. The monks have a monastery on-site, along with a vineyard (they make their own wine!) and a restaurant. You can catch a mass in French, enjoy lunch at the restaurant, or meander along one of the numerous paths around the island to relax in nature, or enjoying a picnic before taking a swim in the blue, blue water. I’m incredibly bummed I didn’t get a chance to do this myself, but it’s #1 on my list of things to do next time I’m in Cannes!