Travelling to Festival des Jeux in Cannes – The FGC Guide
How do I get to Cannes? How do I get the bus from the airport? Where is the cheapest hotel? All these questions and more are answered here…
TRAVEL
Flights
Try the following sites:
Ideally you want to be arriving Thursday night and leaving Monday afternoon ^^ – you’ll also find cheaper flights that way!
NICE AIRPORT –> CANNES
Once you arrive in Nice you need to get to Cannes
EXPRESS BUS:
There is a bus (Line 210) from Terminal 1 – platform 3 & Terminal 2 – platform 3 that takes around 45 minutes direct from the airport. Be warned it costs 29 euros for a return. HOWEVER there is a slow bus that is much cheaper, like 1 euro (read below)! But just in case you are in a rush, here’s the express info.
You can buy your ticket from these locations:
Aéroport de Nice Côte d’Azur | T1, caisse parkings/bus, porte A0, extérieur – T2, caisse parking/bus, entre les portes 1 et 2 Tél: 0820 423 333 |
Gare Routière de Menton | av de Sospel Tél: 04.93.41.57.88 |
Gare SNCF Cannes | Place Pierre Sémard |
Office de Tourisme d’Antibes | 11 Place du Général de Gaulle Tél: 04.97.23.11.11 |
But it is recommended to buy your ticket online from http://uk.niceairportxpress.com/
There’s also a 20% reduction if you use the code RADIOMONACO
The 210 RCA express coach comes off the motorway and terminates at the bus station in Cannes. It has a special designated area at the front of the bus station next to the port.
The bus leaves on average every 30 mins. Here is the timetable to help you plan, don’t forget to leave time for checking in etc.
Here is the bus website if you can read french – it gives links to timetables (horaires) for both the slow and fast bus. Read on for details on the slow bus.
NORMAL (SLOW) BUS:
The bus site is here, giving timetables on slow and fast buses.
Take line 200 from Terminal 1 – platform 3. Should cost around 1 Euro 50 cents. It will take an hour or more depending on traffic.
Get off at the last stop – CANNES GARE ROUTIERE (Gare means Station)
There’s even a night bus (N200), if for some reason you have any crazy delays getting to Nice.
Once you arrive at Cannes train station get off and take the 1, 2 or 20 bus to Place du Marche, and go to Pierre et Vacances Hotel. Use Google offline maps!
TRAIN:
The train from Nice St Augustin to Cannes that costs 6.50 for a single that takes around 30 mins to reach Cannes.
It is around 10 mins walk from either the airport or Cannes central.
Arriving at Cannes station you will see that it isn’t far at all from the Palais, where WGC is held – it’s 5 mins walk.
You can get a bus directly from the station to the Pierre et Vacances Beach hotel for 1 euro.
HOTELS
Hotel rooms that normally cost 130 euros a night will cost 30 because it’s off season. There are rooms as little as 13 euros a night to be had, as long as you can share with other players.
We’re staying at PIERRE & VACANCES CANNES BEACH, this is where all the game sessions are.
11 Avenue Pierre Sémard – 06150 Cannes La Bocca
Tél.: (33)04 92 19 30 00 – Fax: (33)04 92 19 30 09
It’s very easy to take a # 1, #2 or #20 bus from Cannes train station or Festival des Jeux – you’ll lfind the bus stop on the main square opposite the port – then get off at “Place du Marche”, cross the road, walk up (so you are following the bus) and the hotel is on the left side (down a road on the left), marked on the map below.
TRAVELLING FROM PARIS
The train will cost less than 100 euros, IN ADVANCE. On the day can cost up to 300! It’s a 5 hour ride.
You can take the bus (#1,2 or 20) straight from the station to Pierre & Vacances Hotel.
If you arrive in Cannes, having taken the train, after 10pm you will probably find the last bus (#1,2 or 20) has left, so to get to the hotel you may want to organise to share a taxi with friends.
I can’t remember if there were taxis outside the station, but there should be. Otherwise call them up:
Taxis de Cannes :+33 (04)929 9272.
Taxis will charge you 1 or 2 euros per suitcase. Be careful!
HOW TO ENTER THE VENUE
The tournament is located at the underground level -1 of the Palais des Festivals de Cannes. To get there, you must first enter the Festival International des Jeux/International Game Festival (normally a reserved entrance for players and it’s free) then go downstairs to the lower level.
On your first day of arrival: please check if someone is waiting at the entrance of the Palais des Festivals, if so you’ll be able to use the « priority access » (quick entrance) « Tournois jeux vidéo ». Just tell the security guard at the entrance that you’re coming for the « tournoi de jeux vidéo » (video game tournament)
Once you’re in the tournament area, please head for the REGISTRATION area at once: your presence will be confirmed for all tournaments and you’ll receive a bracelet. With this bracelet, you’ll gain access to the tournament and casuals areas. This bracelet will also give you access to the exclusive « Tournois de jeux vidéo » (video game tournament) entrance, the quickest way to enter the Palais des Festivals every day.
Expressions
Parlez vous anglais? Do you speak English?
Sac! You’re a punching bag! (Low level player) (This can be taken as an insult)
Je pleasante! – I’m joking! (say this if they look like they will hit you / start crying after saying the phrase above)
S’il vous plait! Please!
Merci! Thank you!
Excusez moi – Excuse me.
Avez vous … papier de toilette? – Do you have ….toilet paper?
Ou est le …. super marche ? Where is the … supermarket?
Excusez moi, Ou est l’hotel, s’il vous plait? Excuse me, where is the hotel, please?
Prendre a gauche – take a left
Prendre a droit – take a right
Continuez tout droit – continue straight forward
J’ai mal a la tete – I have a headache
Asobi wa owari da! – Playtime is over!