Transfers
Nice to Saint-Tropez: Car, Boat or Helicopter
About a hundred kilometres, and three ways to cover them. The right choice depends less on budget than on the day of the week and the number of suitcases.
The starting point
Saint-Tropez has no commercial airport
Everyone arrives from somewhere else, and most travellers come in through Nice. From there, it is about a hundred kilometres by road, some forty nautical miles by sea, or around twenty minutes in the air.
On paper, the helicopter always wins. In practice, each option has a day when it is the best, and a day when it is the worst.
By road
The chauffeur-driven car
Allow about an hour and a half from Nice airport on the motorway. Longer at weekends and in the late afternoon. In July and August, the real bottleneck is not the motorway. It is the single road into the village, where the last six kilometres can take an hour.
Even so, the car is still the simplest option. It leaves from the terminal and drops you at the villa door. It takes all the suitcases. And the chauffeur tracks your flight number: if the plane is late, the pick-up time moves with it.
The choice of vehicle follows the number of passengers and bags. An S-Class for one to three passengers, a V-Class or a Sprinter VIP for a group, a Range Rover Vogue for steep villa driveways in Ramatuelle or Gassin. Our vehicle comparison goes through this choice in detail.
With us, the transfer price is fixed and given before the journey. Here, it is the only approach that works: a meter would turn an August traffic jam into an unpredictable bill.
By sea
The boat: two very different options
The first is the seasonal passenger line open to the public. It leaves Nice harbour in the morning and returns in the late afternoon. It is a day trip. It is of no use if you are arriving with your suitcases for a week.
The second is a private boat. The sea route covers some forty nautical miles, along Cap d’Antibes and the Esterel coast. At twenty-five knots, a motor launch takes about an hour and a half. Longer if the sea is rough, and the mistral can cancel the crossing.
Arriving by sea is the most beautiful way in, and it avoids the road into the village. But the boat docks in the harbour, so you still need to get to the villa. If you arrive by sea, our chauffeur waits for you on the pontoon.
A day at sea from Cannes can also end in Saint-Tropez. That is then a yacht charter, on quote, depending on the boat and the weather.
By air
The helicopter
The flight takes twenty to twenty-five minutes. The price of a private flight depends on the operator and rises with the size of the aircraft.
There are three limits to know before you book. Luggage first: on light aircraft, operators generally accept one cabin-sized bag per person, preferably soft. Then the weather: a helicopter flies by sight, and the decision to fly is sometimes made on the day. Finally, the arrival: the aircraft lands on a helipad around the Gulf, not outside the villa. There is still a drive to the villa.
That is why we always arrange the flight with a car waiting on arrival. And if the aircraft does not take off, a car is already lined up at the departure end.
What really decides it
The day and time you arrive
Saturday is changeover day for villas. Most arrivals happen in the afternoon. On a Saturday in August at around five in the afternoon, the road becomes the slowest choice of all. On a Tuesday morning in June, it is often the most sensible.
- Arriving on a summer Saturday afternoon: helicopter or boat
- More suitcases than passengers: the road
- Six people or more: V-Class or Sprinter VIP
- Want to start the holiday at sea: the private boat
One combination comes up often: the passengers by helicopter, the luggage by road with the chauffeur. The suitcases arrive a little after you, and nobody waits around in the heat.
The way back
Getting back to Nice without missing your flight
On the way back, getting out of the Gulf is the same problem as getting in. In summer, leave early. We work out the departure time from the flight time, the day of the week and the season, not from a theoretical journey time.
For a late-morning flight on a Sunday in August, that can mean leaving the villa much earlier than you would have expected. That is the price of reaching the terminal without stress.
See also: our private chauffeur in Saint-Tropez, luxury rentals in Saint-Tropez and rates for chauffeur hire by the hour.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Nice to Saint-Tropez?
Driving time on the motorway from Nice airport varies a lot with the day and the time. In July and August, the single road into the village is often jammed for the last few kilometres.
Is there a boat between Nice and Saint-Tropez?
Seasonal boat services exist, run as day trips: check this year’s timetable with the operator. To arrive with your luggage, a private boat or the road is a better fit.
How much does a helicopter from Nice to Saint-Tropez cost?
The price depends on the operator, the size of the aircraft and the season; it is given in the quote. The flight is much shorter than the road.
Can I take my suitcases on the helicopter?
In limited amounts. On light aircraft, operators generally accept one cabin-sized bag per person, preferably soft. Large suitcases go by road, with the chauffeur.
What is the best way to arrive on a Saturday in August?
Saturday is changeover day for villas, and most arrivals happen in the afternoon. On that day, the helicopter or the boat avoids the road into the village. By road, arrive in the morning or the evening.
Will the chauffeur wait if my flight lands late in Nice?
Yes. We track the flight number and move the pick-up time accordingly. The transfer price is fixed and given before the journey, traffic jams included.
A transfer to arrange?
Send us your flight and your address
We suggest the right option for the day you arrive, with a price given before the journey.