How to get from Nice to Saint Tropez
Quiet streets and magnificent beaches, simple fishing boats and luxury yachts, glamorous night parties and quiet corners with amazing views, gourmet cuisine and expensive villas - all this is Saint-Tropez - a former fishing village that has become famous throughout the world and turned into a tourist mecca.
The easiest way to get to Saint-Tropez is from Nice, where the international airport is situated. Then you have several options: take a taxi or rent a car, take a bus, train or ferry, and even fly by helicopter. And, of course, take advantage of an individual transfer.
Let's take a closer look at each type of transport.
1. Nice to St Tropez by bus (how to get, price, time)
Getting from Nice Airport to Saint-Tropez by bus is one of the cheapest ways to get there. The company “ZOU!” carries out the transportation of passengers. The total price for one trip per person is 21.60 euros. Travel time is about 4 - 4,5 hours. There is no direct route, so first you travel 1 hour 15 minutes on bus #90 from Nice Airport to Saint-Raphael; wait about 30-40 minutes and then take bus #876 and travel to Saint-Tropez for another 1 hour 30 minutes.
The buses are large, comfortable and modern, they are quite comfortable to get to Saint-Tropez even in traffic jams. Of course, the bus has its disadvantages: it takes much longer to travel by bus than by car (approximately 1.5 hours), and you cannot always fly to Nice and immediately get on the bus, as it runs at a certain interval, so there is a risk of waiting for the bus at the airport for about 2 hours. As a result, your trip by bus can last 6 hours, instead of 1.5 hours by car, it is very important to take this into account when planning.
1-st part of the route Nice airport to Saint Raphael by bus number 90:
In order to do the first part of the route from Nice airport to Saint Raphael, you need to take bus 90, at the bus stop located directly opposite the exit from Terminal 2 of Nice airport, on the first floor of the arrivals area.
If you arrived at Terminal 1, you need to walk to Terminal 2 (1 km about 15 minutes) or take the tram that runs between the terminals.
The cost of the bus ride from Nice airport to Saint Raphael is 19.50 euros. You will need to travel about 1h 15min - 1h 40min (depending on traffic) and overcome 4 stops. The bus will take you to the Gare Routiere Saint-Raphaël stop.
Bus No. 90 schedule:
Check the schedule of bus number 90 from Nice airport to Saint-Raphaël to avoid being late and take your seat on the bus on time.
| Departure time | Arriving time |
|---|---|
| 09:00 | 10:15 |
| 11:30 | 12:45 |
| 13:30 | 14:45 |
| 15:45 | 17:00 |
| 19:30 | 20:40 |
| 21:30 | 22:40 |
2-nd part of the route from Saint Raphael to Saint Tropez by bus number 876:
The second part of the route runs along the seashore. You should get off bus 90 and take bus 876 at the stop Gare Routiere, Saint-Raphael. The journey on the second bus lasts 1.5-2 hours, depending on the traffic in Saint Tropez. The road is very picturesque, but with a lot of stops (there are 37 of them on this section) and winding, which is why it is quite steep.
The cost of a bus ticket from Saint Raphael to Saint Tropez = 2.10 euros. It will take you to the stop Gare Routiere Saint-Tropez, which is opposite the car park next to the port of Saint Tropez.
How to buy a bus ticket from Nice Airport to Saint Tropez?
To buy a ticket for buses from Nice airport to Saint-Tropez, you can use one of the options:
- It is best to use the ZOU! mobile application, it is very convenient to find the bus you need and buy tickets.
- You can also do this on the zou.maregionsud.fr, but it is much more difficult to buy tickets there; the application is more convenient.
- Tourists who do not like to buy services online or simply do not have access to one can buy a ticket on the bus from the driver. However, it is worth remembering that in the high tourist season, there may not be any free seats if you buy tickets before departure, and not in advance.
2. Transfer from Nice to St Tropez:
Transfer is a special type of transport with its own differences and advantages.
Individual approach. The car is booked in advance and selected based on your personal needs, number of passengers and luggage. The driver meets you at the airport with a sign, walk you to your car and helps with your luggage. The driver also monitors changes in the flight schedule and adjusts the arrival. If the flight is delayed significantly, then another car will be provided.
You could book a transfer from Nice airport to Saint Tropez, price from 170 euro.
Video about transfer from Nice Airport to Saint Tropez:
Fixed cost. You know the price of the trip in advance. There will be no surprises in the form of surcharges, unless you want to stop at a restaurant or store on the way. Such stops are paid separately. In addition, the price already includes an hour-long wait after the plane lands.
Easy booking. Fill out a simple short form on our website bycar.su or contact the operator directly by WhatsApp or mail. Next, provide your transfer details and choose the most suitable one for you from the proposed options.
Road map from Nice airprt to St Tropez:
Communication. The drivers speak English, so there will be no problems with communication. The selection of cars. We have a fairly wide range of cars of different classes: from economy class to premium class. Each client will find an option to suit their taste and budget. The price level. Prices for private transfers are lower than for taxis. Thus, a transfer by economy class car (for example, Ford Focus) will cost 165€, by comfort class car (Ford Mondeo) = 195€, by comfort van (Renault Trafic) = 250€, and by premium van (Mercedes V class) = 330€.
3. Nice to St Tropez by train:
There is no railway line from Nice to Saint-Tropez. Trains only go to the nearest station Saint-Raphael, then you will need to change to another type of transport: bus, taxi or transfer.
You have two train options:
- take the SNCF regional train with mostly second class carriages, which departs almost from the airport,
- get to Nice and change to the high-speed and more comfortable TGV UNQUI train with a choice of seats in first and second class carriages.
Let's consider each option separately.
A.
SNCF trains. Regional trains with second (less often first) class carriages. This train can be boarded at Saint-Augustin station. The station can be reached on foot. To do this, leaving the airport building, you need to cross Prom. des Anglais along Av. Auguste Maicon, then turn right onto Rue Costes et Bellonte and then left onto Av. Maître Maurice Slama. The trip from Terminal 2 will take 20 minutes, from Terminal 1 - 10 minutes.
You can reach Saint-Augustin Station by tram. The stop can be found opposite the exit from Terminal 2. Take the tram line L2 (towards Port Lympia) or line L3 (towards Saint-Isidore) and go to the Grand Arenas stop (2 stops) from which you need to return 200 meters in the opposite direction on Av. Maître Maurice Slama. The cost of the trip is 1.70€. The tram schedule can be viewed on the website lignesdazur.com. The first tram leaves at 05:37, the last at 22:45.
Trains from Saint-Augustin station depart approximately every hour. The first train is at 05:32, the last one is at 22:51. Some of them are not direct, but go to Cannes, where you can change to another train. The price of a second class ticket is 13.5€. Some trains have first class seats and prices start from 20.30€. The difference from second class is the comfort of the seats.
Travel time: without transfers - 50 minutes, with a transfer in Cannes - 1 hour, excluding transfer time. Full information on schedules, prices and availability can be obtained on the websites sncf-voyageurs.com or sncf-connect.com. You can also purchase your ticket online there.
B.
TGV UNQUI trains. These are more comfortable and faster trains, where you always have a choice between first and second class, as well as additional amenities. You can take this train from Nice-Ville station, that is, the central station of Nice. The easiest way to get to the station is to take the L2 tram (towards Port Lympia) from Terminal 2 to Jean Médecin (13 stops), then walk 850 meters along rue Alphonse Karr and rue Durante.
The first train to Saint-Raphael leaves the station at 07:02, the last at 17:28. The exact schedule is on the websites sncf-voyageurs.com or sncf-connect.com. The cost of a second class ticket starts from 15€, which includes the cost of luggage. Second class carriages are equipped with public sockets, wi-fi, and also provide access to the TGV UNQUI digital portal. First class tickets start from 18.50€ depending on the train departure time and also include the cost of luggage. The seats in this class are more comfortable, there is an individual socket. TGV UNQUI trains are equipped with a dining car and are prepared for guests with limited mobility and mothers with babies. There are also places to transport bicycles for a fee. Travel time is 50 minutes.
From Saint-Raphael you can change buses, ferry or take a taxi.
Total price and travel time from Nice to St Tropez by train + others transport:
| Types of transport | Total price | Travel time |
| train + bus | 18 € | 3 h |
| train + taxi | 185 € | 2,5 h |
| train + transfer | 155 | 2,5 h |
| train + ferry | 35 € | 3 h |
4. From Nice airport to St Tropez by ferry boat:
Saint-Tropez can be reached by ferry, but there is no direct route from Nice. The nearest port from which ferries depart is Golfe Juan, which is located almost in Cannes.
Golfe Juan can be reached by the SNCF regional train, which departs almost every hour from Saint-Augustin station. You should get off at Le Golfe Juan-Vallauris station and walk straight towards the embankment, literally a few tens of meters. You will find yourself at the port. The cost of a second class ticket is 5.70€, the duration of the trip is 25 minutes.
Please, note that the ferry leaves the port only once a day at 09:20 and sometimes not every day.
A.
For the 2024 season, its schedule is as follows (Golfe Juan):
- May 16 - June 30 - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
- July 1 - August 31 - daily
- September 1 - September 30 - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Ticket prices:
Adult - 69€
Child under 10 years old - 54€
Children under 4 years old – free
The duration of the trip is 2.5 hours.
Detailed information on the Riviera Lines website - riviera-lines.com
B.
You can also take the ferry from the port of Saint-Raphael, which can be reached both by the SNCF regional train from Saint-Augustine station and by bus №90 from Nice Airport. Both the bus and the train arrive at the same place, at the central station, from which there are just a few meters to the port.
In 2024 the ferry service operates according to the following schedule:
- June 1 - June 16: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, departure at 09:30
- June 17 - September 29: daily, departures at 09:30, 11:30, 14:30, 16:30
- September 30 - November 3: daily, departures at 09:00 and 14:30
The cost of the trip for an adult is 20€, for a child under 9 years old - 12€, for children under 1 year old - free.
Travel duration - 1 hour.
You can find out more about the schedule, prices and purchase a ticket on the website of the carrier Les Bateaux Bleus bateaux-bleus.resactivite.com.
Thus, we can say that the ferry service from Saint Tropez is certainly a very romantic way to get to the resort, but unfortunately, it is not very convenient.
5. From Nice airport to Saint Tropez by helicopter:
The fastest, most extravagant and expensive form of transport that can be used to get from Nice to Saint-Tropez is a helicopter.
Luxellence Сompany on its website airdynamic.luxellence.ch promises to transport tourists from Nice to Saint-Tropez in 15 minutes directly to the hotel (if it has a helipad). The cost of renting a helicopter is 1500€. Additionally, you can order a limousine that will take you from the helicopter to the hotel. The cost of the service is 61€. Flights are carried out on a five-seat Airbus H-125 (AS350) helicopter. Maximum baggage per passenger is 10 kg.
Helipass carrier company on the website helipass.com offers a 25-minute flight on an Airbus H-125 (AS350) helicopter from Nice Airport to the helipad in Saint-Tropez. The rental cost, regardless of the number of passengers, is 2100€. The maximum number of seats is 5. Luggage for each passenger is 10 kg. The flight price includes transfer from the landing point to any point in Saint-Tropez.
Blade carrier company on the website blade.com places a fairly large selection of helicopters of different characteristics and prices:
- Airbus H-125 (AS350) - 5 seats, 2100€
- Airbus H-130 - 6 seats, 2200€
- Airbus AS-355 - 5 seats, 3000€
- Airbus H-135/EC-135 - 5 seats, 3850€
- Bell 429 - 6 seats, 5300€
- Airbus H-155/EC-155 - 8 seats, 7600€
Certain helicopter models are not subject to the strict baggage limit of 10 kg per person. Flight time also depends on the selected model. More information can be found on the carrier's website blade.com
If you have a lot of things with you, you will need to order an additional van from Nice Airport to Saint-Tropez to transport suitcases. Luggage delivery costs from 250€.
6. From Nice to St Tropez by rented car:
The Nice Airport building houses branches of several car rental companies. Let's look at some of them.
SIXT.
The largest international network of points where you can rent a car. At Nice Airport, the company has an office in Terminal 2. You can get acquainted with the conditions, prices and even book and pay for the car you like in advance on the official website sixt.fr.
The choice of cars is large: from small cars to luxury cars and sports cars.
The price for one day depends on the duration of the rental period. The more days, the cheaper it will cost.
Let's look at the cost using the example of a 7-day rental. In this case, the price per day will start from 38€. This price includes a total mileage of 1750 km. For additional kilometers you will need to pay an additional 0.42€ depending on the class of the car. If you are going to travel for a more time, you can activate the “unlimited kilometers” service, it costs from 4.14€ per day. Paid services also include an additional payment for “flexibility”, that is, you can cancel your reservation at any time for free, change something in it, and you can also make payment when returning the car. By default, payment is made when making a reservation. Of course, additional services include insurance. You can choose three insurance coverage levels or refuse it altogether at your own risk. The price for insurance starts from 2.17€ per day.
A few examples (rent for 7 days):
- Fiat 500 - 38€/day
- VW Polo - 42€/day
- Peugeout 3008 - 59€/day
- BMW X1 - 120€/day
- VW Caravelle - 264€/day
- Porsche Panamera - 585€/day
- BMW M850 Gran Coupé - 595€/day
AVIS.
Large international car rental service. Nice Airport has a point of sale in Terminal 2. Conditions and prices can be found on the website avis.co.uk. There you can book a car and pay for the service.
The range of cars is quite wide: small cars, SUVs, minivans. There are several models of convertibles, hybrids and electric cars available.
The cost of rent directly depends on the number of days for which you rent it. The longer the rental period, the cheaper the price per day.
For example, renting a Renault Capture or similar car will cost 315€ for 7 days of rent (45€ per day) and 100€ for one day of rent, and renting a Renault Trafic minivan or similar car will cost 869€ for 7 days (124€ per day) and 422€ for one day rent.
The cost of renting some cars already includes unlimited mileage, while the cost of others includes 1,750 km when renting for 7 days. For an additional fee, you can choose two insurance coverage options, and also add flexibility to your reservation, that is, the ability to change or cancel your reservation without penalties, even at the last moment. As an additional service, it is possible to include up to three drivers in the contract, besides you, and connect to the 24-hour multilingual customer support information system.
A few examples (rent for 7 days):
- Fiat 500 - 44€/day
- Renault Capture - 45€/day
- Peugeout 2008 - 47€/day
- Renault Trafic - 124€/day
- Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet - 64€/day
- BMW iX3 Electric - 102€/day
- Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid - 117€/day
- Mercedes-Benz EQV Electric - 142€/day
- Mercedes V class - 155€/day
The car has been selected and you are ready to get on the road. Then you have a choice of two options: saving time and toll highways, or a beautiful but long road along the coast.
First option. A distance of 106 km and two toll sections await you. The first section is the route along the A8 motorway from Nice Airport to the turnoff near the town of Le Muy, cost 3.40€; the second - along the D25 highway from Le Muy to Sainte-Maxime, cost 5.70€. Under normal traffic conditions, you will arrive in Saint-Tropez in 1.5 hours. This time can vary greatly depending on the day of the week, time of day and the tourist season, which peaks in August. Travel time may increase to 3-4 hours.
Second option. The distance remains approximately the same - 106 km, but the road runs along the coast and there are no toll sections on it. The route will be: M6098 and D6007 through Antibes and Cannes to Mandelieu-la-Napoule, then DN7 to Fréjus, D559 from Fréjus to Port Grimaud, then along D98A you will arrive in Saint-Tropez. Travel time on this route option varies greatly, but it will definitely be twice as long as on toll roads, since it passes through populated areas, and the roads themselves are mostly only two lanes.
7. Nice airport to St Tropez by taxi:
Taxi stands are located at the exit of Terminal 1 and next to exit A3 of Terminal 2. Cars are available there 24 hours a day.
The cost of a trip to Saint-Tropez is 280-310€. This price is valid from Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 18:00. On Sundays, holidays and from 18:00 to 08:00 the tariff is 340-360€. In addition, you will have to pay extra for luggage, starting with the 4th suitcase, and for passengers, starting with the 5th person. Thus, it is impossible to know the full cost of the trip in advance.
More information about prices and surcharges can be found on the Nice Airport website in the taxi section nice.aeroport.fr/en/directions/taxis.
The driver will most likely take the faster route on toll highways, so the travel time under normal road conditions is 1.5 hours. However, this time can increase significantly, up to 3-4 hours, on weekends and holidays, in the morning and evening during rush hours, as well as during the high tourist season in August.