To the north is the modern townlet of Le Cannet and to the south, the Med. The lovely clean sand on the beaches is freshly imported every winter.CHECK INThe Carlton (00 33 493 06 40 06) (1) on the Croisette is the place to see and be seen (pounds 120-pounds 300 for a double room); founded in 1902, its bullet- like spiky-tipped turrets are said to be modelled on the breasts of the courtesan La Belle Otero. A modern highway through the town centre cuts off a golden arc to the south that contains beaches, boulevards and smart hotels To be truly chic your hotel must be within this arc. Buses stop right on the sea-front, on the palm- tree-lined boulevard, La Croisette, the centre of all activities. Breathe in the scent of la ville fleurie and heady whiffs of Ambre Solaire.GET YOUR BEARINGSIn 1834, Lord Brougham liked the fishing village of Cannes so much that he built a home there; it’s been host to the fashionable ever since Excellent Riviera rail and road links run east-west. Two bus lines run from Nice Airport to Cannes – for about pounds 8 – in an hour, or take the slower but more atmospheric coastal route through Antibes. The town has a special buzz and the glitz is everywhere: leopardskin bikinis prancing up the red carpet at the Carlton; camp cat-burglars dressing up in stolen Dior; glamourpuss dogs with huge, spiked silver collars.

And, other than during the film festival in May, Cannes can be positively cheap.
BEAM DOWNThe nearest airport to Cannes is Nice: the cheapest flight is probably easyJet’s lowest single fare from Luton of pounds 38 (booked electronically through www.easyJet ; it’s pounds 1 more if you uses the phone, 0870 6 000 000). Cannes has a brash charm that distinguishes it from the gentility of the other well-heeled Riviera resorts. WHY GO NOW?

Blue skies, golden sands and you can go swimming here for most of the year. They can both save tax by continuing to make maximum investments into a Stakeholder for five years and then pounds 3,600 annually after that.. They have enough money behind them not to need to take their pensions for a while but could still be paying tax on the income from their life’s savings.Solution: Stakeholder could help them boost their eventual pensions and cut their tax bills.

Her earnings are so low she probably couldn’t afford to save very much anyway.Mr and Mrs Red: They are 55 and 50 respectively have decided to retire early from their jobs with a large plc. Her mum says she must start one now.Solution: Not necessarily She is young enough to be able to wait for Stakeholder. Her employer, a market research firm, pays pounds 10,500 annually but does not offer a pension. Having left it so late, she needs to be putting aside around pounds 5,000 a year to accrue enough for a decent pension.Miss Grey: She is 21 and is in her first job. The longer she leaves it the more bleak her position becomes. She can usefully start a plan now by opting for a company plan with a Stakeholder guarantee, or one which charges a maximum of 1 per cent annually.

She’ll wait until they are available then consider starting one.Solution: She has waited long enough. She should begin putting some money away as soon as possible because she is seriously underfunded. She has heard something about a new Government pension but is not sure what it means. She has always been scared of falling prey to a rogue salesman. She finds the whole subject a big turn-off, boring, confusing. When Stakeholder arrives, she can pay pounds 3,600 a year and the taxman will help by paying 22p for each 78p she invests.Ms Yellow: Aged 32, she is a freelance IT contractor earning pounds 35,000 annually who has never made any pension arrangements at all. She can’t wait.Solution: Unfortunately, she will have to wait.