Refinery29 asked us about our ever-growing travel bucket list and how we managed to afford a trip of a lifetime. Naturally, we told them all about that time we went to Cannes, explored the Côte d'Azur and fell in love with the glamour of the Riveria. Here's our interview from Refinery29's "How 14 New Yorkers Took That Vacation of a Lifetime - & Why It Was Worth Every Penny":
“Years ago, we wanted to visit the French Riviera during what we thought would be the most glamorous time: The Cannes Film Festival. Well, deciding to go to a popular resort destination during a popular time can definitely be difficult on the wallet. Plus, the Côte d'Azur is not known for being inexpensive anyway, so we had to be flexible on our accommodations, flights, etc.
"We booked our flights from the United States to London, which was the cheapest destination for us to fly to in Europe at that time. From there, we purchased tickets on a discount airline to Nice. While it was slightly inconvenient to have to switch airlines, terminals, and even airports on a layover, the ticket savings made up for it. To get between the towns, we opted for the train, which was way more affordable than driving (or, as some do, taking a helicopter). For accommodations, we stayed at a cute bed-and-breakfast in neighboring Nice, because hotel prices soar during the festival, especially in Cannes.
"We didn't know this before booking the trip or arriving in Cannes, but the Cannes Film Festival is largely invitation-only, and tickets cannot be purchased. Luckily, there were two completely free portions of the festival that we were able to enjoy: Cinema de la Plage, where films are screened on the beach, and the Semaine de la Critique (Critic's Week Section), which shows films by popular young directors. From this, we learned to do our research in advance.
"Traveling from town to town by train forced us to see a lot more than we would have, and we left with an appreciation for, and memory of, each town: We enjoyed Cannes' sandy beaches (rare for the area), had dinner at Monaco's famed Café de Paris, and wandered through the streets of Antibes. And it was every bit as glamorous as we expected.”