Cruise excursion

Yes, you can take the train from Cannes to Nice to Monaco. I'd probably go to Monaco first, since it's farthest from Cannes, and work "back" to the ship. The bus takes longer. It's cheaper, but I wouldn't do it with such a time limit (and the trains aren't expensive; they're just more than 1 euro per ride, which is what the buses cost). The new book Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports has all the details of how to get between the cities, what it costs, how long it takes, etc. You can also see what you want to focus on in each place, since you'll only have time for a few highlights of each. There are some very scenic drives on the three corniches (high, middle, and low) between Nice and Monaco. I'll leave details about this to others, including the question of how to do this from Cannes and not miss your sailing. I believe Rick's book has some information about this, as well. I will say that I liked Monaco and Cannes more, and Nice less, than Rick did. In Monaco, one place I enjoyed that wasn't in his book in 2008 (not sure about now) was the car exhibit (they insist it's not a "museum"). I also liked the botanic gardens and the aquarium.

The train journey from Cannes to Monaco takes 1hr08min. From Nice back to Cannes, its 33 minutes. I just don't know how far it is from the Ship docking area to the Cannes train station.

Alison, I would NOT suggest renting a car for only 8-hours, as there are too many variables which could make you late getting back to the ship. In addition, you'll have to deal with parking, not knowing your way around (and possibly getting lost), etc. As someone else suggested, it might be a good investment to pick up a copy of the Mediterranean Cruise Ports Guidebook, as it might save you some money and possibly some hassles. I'm not sure you'll have time for both Nice and Monaco. Happy travels!

Thank you so much for your responses, very helpful. Is the train ride a scenic one?

Is the train ride a scenic one? Very much so. Sit on the right hand side heading towards Monaco. Sit upstairs if you can.

I've been stuck in traffic there before so definitely do not rent a car for the few hours. Read Rick's book, & check out cruisecritic forum for more info. Then decide if there are any independent operators that would make sightseeing easier for where you want to go. There is so much to see!