You’ve invested in development, you’ve paid for the trailer and you’ve upgraded to the latest smartphone or tablet. So you could well be looking at a few days in Cannes with TV and media people and asking, “How much will all this cost?” Well, you’ll not be surprised to know that there is no upper limit to what you can spend in the south of France. The surprise comes in the amount of money you can save in little ways at MIPTV.
Follow the guide, so that you spend only what is necessary.
1. Decide in time. The difference between the first early bird rate and the walk-in rate is a couple of hundred euros. For me, that covers the price of a hotel already. Act now, and you can easily save €220.
2. Check for flights. Prices for flights seem to have stabilised recently. But it is nonetheless worth comparing prices using sites such as Expedia, Orbitz or Skyscanner. midem delegates also benefit from reductions with Air France (follow that link & use the event ID code 14597AF). Nice is the nearest airport, but there are good train connections from Marseille and Milan if that helps. Try to arrive before 20.00 so you can…
3. …save on transport to Cannes. Taxis cost €90 or more whereas the express bus shuttle service to Cannes costs around €15 return, but it stops at 8pm. The nearest train station is Nice-St Augustin, at about 10 mins by foot. Trains to Cannes centre cost €5.20 and take about 45 minutes (same as the express bus). More details here. If you do take a cab, offer to share with others at the taxi rank.
4. Try to find the right hotel. Staying in Cannes is a balance between paying more to stay within walking distance, or paying less and shuttling in. Outside Cannes itself, the best options are the Cannes Beach in Cannes La Bocca and hotels near Juan-les-Pins railway station. There are shuttle services, plus cheap public transport. Just be careful about missing the last ones back, or ensure you are sharing with someone! You can book hotels through miptv.com here, from €75 a night. Be sure to book soon, the best rooms go quickly!
5. Eat, drink and be merry! Most restaurants now have menus posted very publicly. So you can make your own decisions. Obviously, anything along the Croisette is going to be more expensive. There are plenty of cheap eateries in front of the railway station. If you’re really on a budget (and believe me, you are not alone), arrange to meet for drinks after dinner. Avoid anything called a “lounge”. The hotel bars are very expensive. The Petit Majestic (Rue Tony Allard) offers a good combination of business and value, for example.
6. Deal with emergencies. Get anything from notepads, pens, underwear, sunglasses, sticking plasters, after-shave and more at the Monoprix supermarket on Place de la Gare/Rue Maréchal Foch. Other shops: Carrefour (rue Meynadier) and Casino (rue Volta).
7. Stay connected. Free wifi is available in key areas of the Palais, such as conference rooms and visitors clubs. There are also a number of cyber cafés in town. Free wifi can also be found at the Mairie (Town Hall), in many hotels… and of course, at McDonald‘s!
These are some of the most obvious ways to save money in Cannes. If you have any you’d like to share or have a specific question you’d like to ask, drop a message below.
Platinum lyricist and marketeer Michael Leahy has been attending Cannes entertainment tradeshows for 15 years. He condenses tips, market news and apartment deals through his excellent website, Cannes or Bust, and via Twitter.
Also be sure to check out miptv.com’s handy “Prepare” section 🙂
