Cannes is like no other place on earth.  Formerly a tiny fishing village, it was transformed by celebrities such as the Aga Khan, the Baron de Rothschild, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in the early part of the last century. Oh, and a certain film festival. And it has been welcoming crowned princes and movie stars, the wealthy and the beautiful, ever since.

But, remember, a journey of a few minutes will bring you into the wild hills of Provence with the scent of pines, eucalyptus and wild herbs in the air.  You can soak up the sophistication of Juan-les-Pins, Cap d’Antibes or Monaco on the coast but you can also venture further up into the pristine snows of the French Alps. Perhaps that’s the secret of Cannes’s success (and the recipe for a great holiday): its endless talent for surprise and reinvention.