Cannes day tours with a private driver work because the places worth seeing sit in a ring around the town: Mougins about 13 minutes away, Grasse about 24, Antibes about 19, Saint-Paul-de-Vence about half an hour, Monaco under an hour, and Saint-Tropez about an hour and twenty minutes, all routed estimates on a clear road from La Croisette. A car turns two or three of them into one easy day, with no timetables and no parking to find.
With Elly8.net, the private city highlights tour costs from US$360 per vehicle, a car by the hour from US$90 with a 3-hour minimum, and the full-day chauffeur or the eight-hour Saint-Tropez day trip from US$665 in a business sedan to US$1,325 in an Executive Sprinter, fixed and all-in. Below are six routes, how long to book for each, and the honest alternatives.
What are the best day tours from Cannes?
The classic Cannes day tours by car are Saint-Tropez along the Esterel coast, Grasse and Mougins for perfume, Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Antibes, Monaco and Èze, and a long day to the Gorges du Verdon. An Elly8.net full day or the eight-hour Saint-Tropez trip costs from US$665 per vehicle.
Rides in Cannes are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. The chauffeur collects you at your hotel, villa or berth, waits at every stop and brings you back.
Routed drive times from La Croisette
These are routed estimates on the public road network for a clear road. Summer traffic, especially towards Saint-Tropez in July and August, adds time.
| From La Croisette to | Distance | Clear-road time (routed) |
|---|---|---|
| Mougins village | 8 km / 5 mi | about 13 min |
| Antibes old town | 12 km / 7 mi | about 19 min |
| Grasse | 19 km / 12 mi | about 24 min |
| Saint-Paul-de-Vence | 28 km / 17 mi | about 34 min |
| Èze village | 54 km / 33 mi | about 49 min |
| Monte-Carlo, Monaco | 55 km / 34 mi | about 52 min |
| Saint-Tropez | 89 km / 55 mi | about 1 hr 20 min |
| Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Gorges du Verdon | 121 km / 75 mi | about 2 hr |
What each kind of booking costs
| Booking | Business Sedan | Business SUV | First Class Sedan | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private city highlights tour | US$360 | US$460 | US$580 | US$720 |
| By the hour, 3-hour minimum | US$90 an hour | US$115 an hour | US$145 an hour | US$180 an hour |
| Half day of four hours (arithmetic) | US$360 | US$460 | US$580 | US$720 |
| Full-day chauffeur | US$665 | US$850 | US$1,070 | US$1,325 |
| Saint-Tropez day trip, 8 hours | US$665 | US$850 | US$1,070 | US$1,325 |
Prices are per vehicle, not per person, and include the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity. Tolls, parking and entry tickets are extra; tolls and parking are billed at cost. The First Class SUV costs US$135 an hour, US$540 for the highlights tour and US$995 for the full day or Saint-Tropez.
Route 1: Saint-Tropez along the Esterel coast (8 hours)
This is the signature Cannes day and has its own fixed package. Leave the Croisette westward past Mandelieu and follow the coast through the red rocks of the Esterel; by our routing, Agay, on that stretch, is about 53 minutes from Cannes on the coast road. Continue to Saint-Tropez for the old port, its yachts and cafés, the Place des Lices and the beaches nearby, then take the faster inland route home. The Saint-Tropez tourist office publishes what is open by season.
Timing. Start by 8:30am in July and August, when the roads into Saint-Tropez are slow, and aim to leave by late afternoon. In May, June and September the day is calmer.
Cost. From US$665 in a business sedan, US$850 in a business SUV, US$1,070 in a First Class Sedan, US$995 in a First Class SUV and US$1,325 in an Executive Sprinter.
Route 2: Grasse and Mougins, the perfume day (4 to 5 hours)
Grasse, about 24 minutes inland, is the town the Pays de Grasse tourist office calls the cradle of the city of perfumes. Start at the Musée International de la Parfumerie, run by the Musées de Grasse, walk the old town, and add a visit to one of the perfume houses. On the way back, stop in Mougins, the hilltop village about 13 minutes from the Croisette, for lunch.
Timing. A morning start avoids the midday heat in summer. Four hours covers the museum, the old town and lunch; five leaves time for one of the perfume houses as well.
Cost. By the hour, four hours is US$360 in a business sedan by simple arithmetic, the same as the private city highlights tour, which already includes the Californie viewpoints and Mougins along with Le Suquet and the Croisette.
Route 3: Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Antibes (6 hours)
Drive about 34 minutes to Saint-Paul de Vence, the fortified village in the hills behind Nice, and walk its lanes and fortifications. The Fondation Maeght, which describes itself as France's first independent art foundation, is in Saint-Paul. After lunch, drop to the coast at Antibes, which its tourist office presents as a city of rampart walls, for the old town and the Picasso Museum, then return to Cannes in about 19 minutes.
Timing. Saint-Paul is calmest early in the day; Antibes works well in the late afternoon.
Cost. Six hours by the hour is US$540 in a business sedan by arithmetic; for a longer day with dinner in Antibes, the full-day chauffeur from US$665 is simpler.
Route 4: Monaco and Èze (7 to 8 hours)
Take the A8 east, about 49 minutes to Èze, the hilltop village with its exotic garden, and continue 13 minutes into Monaco for the Rock, the Prince's Palace, lunch on the harbour and the Casino square. The routed drive from the Croisette straight to Monte-Carlo is about 55 km and 52 minutes. Our guide to Cannes to Monaco covers the train alternative and race-weekend planning in detail.
Timing. Avoid the Grand Prix weekend, 4 to 6 June 2027, for sightseeing; roads inside the circuit close.
Cost. The full-day chauffeur from US$665 in a business sedan or US$1,325 in an Executive Sprinter. Tolls are billed at cost.
Route 5: the Gorges du Verdon (full day)
The longest day on the list, and one of the most spectacular. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, which its tourist office presents as a gateway to the Verdon and a town known for its faience, is about 121 km (75 mi) and two hours from the Croisette by our routing, with the gorges beyond. Book the full day, start early and plan on most of the daylight hours.
Timing. Late spring and early autumn suit this route well, with long days and milder heat than midsummer.
Cost. The full-day chauffeur from US$665 in a business sedan or US$850 in a business SUV. If you want an even longer day, tell the desk when you plan it.
Route 6: the Lérins Islands and Le Suquet (half day)
Not every good day needs a long drive. The Cannes Tourist Office's getting-around page lists four companies running boats from the port to the Lérins Islands, a crossing of 15 to 20 minutes to Saint-Honorat and Sainte-Marguerite. Take the boat in the morning and book the private city highlights tour for the afternoon: Le Suquet, the Croisette, the Californie viewpoints and Mougins.
Cost. The private city highlights tour from US$360 in a business sedan. The boat is booked directly with the operators.
Putting several days together
Most visitors who stay a week in Cannes do two or three of these routes rather than one. A sensible rhythm is to alternate a long day with a short one. Start with the Lérins Islands and the highlights tour while you adjust to the time zone. Take Saint-Tropez on day two or three, when you are rested enough for the drive. Give Grasse and Mougins a morning, leaving the afternoon for the beach. Finish with Saint-Paul and Antibes, or with Monaco and Èze if you have not yet been east. Booking all of them at once lets the desk keep the same vehicle class and, where possible, plan around your hotel's timings.
Pickups from yachts and villas
Many Cannes visitors are not in a hotel at all. Guests on a charter in the Vieux Port or Port Canto can be collected at the quay; give the desk the berth and the captain's contact, and the chauffeur coordinates the tender or gangway time. For villas in Californie, Super-Cannes or Mougins, add the gate name or code to the booking. On a long day, the chauffeur can also stop back at the villa for a change of clothes before dinner.
Season by season
Spring brings long days and mild heat, which suits Grasse, Saint-Paul and the Verdon. July and August are the busiest months on the coast, so start early and keep the long drives for weekdays. September is a quieter, warm month for Saint-Tropez and the Esterel. Winter is calm, with short days that favour the closer routes such as Antibes, Grasse and the highlights tour.
Choosing the right car
Our fleet table sets the limits: a Business Sedan or First Class Sedan takes three passengers and two bags, a Business SUV or First Class SUV six passengers and six bags, and an Executive Sprinter twelve passengers and twelve bags. For a tour, luggage matters less than legroom, so a couple travels well in a First Class Sedan, a family of five in a Business SUV and a wedding party or company outing in a Sprinter. The hill roads to villas and villages are narrow; the desk assigns a vehicle that suits the route. See the fleet and group transportation.
When a tour bus or the train is the better choice
Be fair to the alternatives. Antibes is on the coastal railway and easy to reach from Cannes by TER, and for a single traveller a train to Antibes or Nice is a fine half day. Monaco is also on the coastal line. A shared coach tour usually costs less per head for a solo traveller who is happy with a fixed itinerary.
The private car earns its fare when you are three or more, when you want two or three places in a day, when you are travelling with children, when the schedule matters around a festival, or when you want to set the pace yourself. The fare is per vehicle, so a family of four pays the same as a couple.
Days out during festival weeks
During the Festival de Cannes, from 11 to 22 May 2027 per the Festival de Cannes, Cannes Lions from 21 to 25 June 2027 and MIPIM from 16 to 19 March 2027, many delegates take one free day. Book it early, start before the Croisette fills, and avoid returning at the hour the evening screenings or parties begin. The desk will suggest timings. See private city tours and, for Provence vineyards, wine tours.
Tips for North American travellers
Tipping. Fares include standard gratuity; anything extra is your choice.
Payment. You pay by card in US dollars when you reserve, so the day's cost is known before you leave home.
Entry tickets. Museum and garden tickets are bought at the door or online from each venue; check opening days and hours on the official sites, as they vary by season.
Starting elsewhere. Staying in Nice instead, read Nice to Cannes by car for the stops between the two cities. Business groups can book on a corporate account.
How booking works
- Choose the tour or the hours, and enter your Cannes hotel, villa or berth.
- Choose a vehicle that fits your party.
- Press Reserve now on a published fare, or use the web booker for a custom day, and pay by card in US$. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% applies at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card. See the cancellation policy, the packages page and our Cannes chauffeur page.
Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a private driver for a day in Cannes?
The Elly8.net full-day chauffeur costs from US$665 in a business sedan, US$850 in a business SUV and US$1,325 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. By the hour, it is US$90 in a business sedan with a 3-hour minimum. Fares include the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity; tolls and parking are billed at cost.
How long is the drive from Cannes to Saint-Tropez?
About 89 km (55 mi) and an hour and twenty minutes on a clear road by our routing. In July and August the roads into Saint-Tropez are slow, so the chauffeur will suggest an early start. The eight-hour Saint-Tropez day trip costs from US$665 per vehicle.
Can we visit Grasse and Mougins in half a day?
Yes. Grasse is about 24 minutes from the Croisette and Mougins about 13, so four hours covers the perfume museum, the old town and lunch. Four hours by the hour is US$360 in a business sedan by arithmetic, the same as the private city highlights tour.
Is Monaco a good day trip from Cannes?
Yes. Monte-Carlo is about 52 minutes away on a clear road, and Èze makes a natural stop on the way. Book the full-day chauffeur from US$665, and avoid the Grand Prix weekend, 4 to 6 June 2027, when roads inside the circuit close.
Are the prices per person?
No. Every Elly8.net fare is per vehicle, so a family of four in a Business SUV pays the same as a couple in it. Entry tickets to museums, gardens and boats are paid separately at each venue, and tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Can we customise the route?
Yes. Use the web booker to set a custom day by the hour, list the stops you want, and the desk confirms timings. Within the hours booked, the chauffeur adjusts on the day if you want to stay longer somewhere or skip a stop.
