Saint-Tropez Yacht Transfer

Saint-Tropez's Vieux Port is yachting theatre. The largest yachts moor stern-to along the Quai Jean Jaurès, their transoms facing the terrace of Sénéquier and the pastel houses behind, while the whole town parades past. It is glamorous, informal and unlike any other marina on the coast.

That singular setting is why owners bring their yachts here every summer, despite it being the hardest port to reach.

Saint-Tropez sits about 110 kilometres from Nice Airport at the end of a peninsula, so the road runs roughly an hour and a half to two hours — a scenic private-chauffeur run from around €400 in an E-Class or €500 in a V-Class. Many guests instead fly or drive to Sainte-Maxime or Port Grimaud and cross the gulf by boat shuttle.

A chauffeur can handle either: the full road transfer, or the drive to the boat landing with the crossing arranged to meet the yacht.

In July and August the single road around the gulf can gridlock, and timing becomes everything. A chauffeur who knows the peninsula plans around the worst of it — travelling off-peak, using the boat shuttle when the road is jammed, and keeping the crew updated on the arrival window.

It is the difference between a relaxed arrival and hours lost in summer traffic.

Off the yacht, Saint-Tropez is Place des Lices for the market and pétanque, the Citadelle for the view, and above all the beach clubs of Pampelonne a short drive south. A chauffeur links the port, the town and the beaches without the parking battle they are infamous for.

For the wider question of reaching Saint-Tropez, our guide on the road-versus-boat choice goes into more detail.