Saint-Tropez area, any recent experiences ? (1 Viewer)

[Ridgeway]

After a tootle down through Provence in 2wks time we may well end up some where around Saint-Tropez on the coast. Having not been to that region of France before I wonder if anyone can share some experiences ? We'll be there for roughly 4 days and will stay in a camp-site that's preferably walking distance to the beach. What else is worth visiting that within 15km riding distance from Saint-Tropez or is it better to stay further outside in a quieter spot ?

The plan is then to come back up via some of the Route Napoleon until we get back up to Annecy to watch the Tour du France on the 17th July.

I've read all the threads i could find on here any most were quite old.

 

[movan]

You may be disappointed with St Tropez. Lovely boats to look at, artists on the quay ..overpriced everything .. Port Grimaud has more going on and has lovely market place .. boat trip over to St Tropez if it still running. You may also be able to get onto some of the local coach tours to local places of interest .. Perfume factory (Grasse), Italian market, Cannes ...

 

[DavidG58]

we went through this year and found that corner of France the least welcoming to motorhomes in the whole of France, we stopped at Nice, actually Antibes, nice enough site but very expensive and no easy access to beach, will be giving it a permanent bypass on future trips

25 miles west and north different story again back to the France we love so you may be OK if you stay far enough away from Nice, as you suggest St Tropez, but expect no motorhome parking signs everywhere

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[Ridgeway]

Thanks that's good info, maybe we should look at Port Grimaud area then. Actually just realised that the campsite I was looking at is closer to PG than ST, It's this one

 

[JackieP]

There used to be an Aire right alongside the famous long beach the name of which I’ve forgotten. The Aire was only a few km’s outside St Tropez. This was however about 8 years ago.

 

[JackieP]

Near Ramatuelle. Plage de Pampelonne.

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[eddie]

Well the best part of that area is that they hate the Germans for what they did in the War, especially the rapes and the murders as they left after the allies landed. We have personal experience of being refused a mooring as we "sounded German" over the VHF, only to profusely apologise when they realised that we were English

Some would think this a good thing, me included. Paries De La mare is on the beach in Port Grimaud and in the middle of everything going on

Camping Holiday Marina is set a short way back from the beach, run by a really nice English family and is a fantastic campsite, with a great restaurant and bar, or the simplest of walks into the shops and bars of Port Grimaud

Both are great places to stay, with excellent facilities, personally I favour Camping Holiday Marina, but wouldn't feel hard done by if they were full and I had to stay at Praries

 

[Four of us]

Be prepared for it to be very busy and many sites fully booked. Two years ago we had to leave one on the coast near St Tropez as it was fully booked from the end of May! It is a lovely area but I would certainly book ahead for sites or be sure to arrive early at the aires......... Inland wasn't a problem.

 

[billym]

Holiday Marina , camping de la plage or les Mures all in or near Port Grimaud.
Easy bike ride on cycle paths to St Tropez or Ste Maxime. The ferry to St Tropez is good value taking you right into the town.
Holiday Marina ( some love it some hate it ) has new private bathrooms on each pitch.

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[EuroTrotters]

Well the best part of that area is that they hate the Germans for what they did in the War, especially the rapes and the murders as they left after the allies landed. We have personal experience of being refused a mooring as we "sounded German" over the VHF, only to profusely apologise when they realised that we were English

Some would think this a good thing, me included. Paries De La mare is on the beach in Port Grimaud and in the middle of everything going on

Camping Holiday Marina is set a short way back from the beach, run by a really nice English family and is a fantastic campsite, with a great restaurant and bar, or the simplest of walks into the shops and bars of Port Grimaud

Both are great places to stay, with excellent facilities, personally I favour Camping Holiday Marina, but wouldn't feel hard done by if they were full and I had to stay at Praries

I have been going to Grimaud/St.Tropez area since I was 15.

We have hired villas and camped all along the coast. We did used to go to Les Naiades, but they stopped taking tourers a couple of years ago.

As for Holiday Marina, I would avoid it at all costs. We tried it for the first time last year and were disgusted with it.

€90 a night an after putting up with the place for 10 nights, they would not offer a small discount for staying an extra night. Despite the fact, the next day, the rated dropped anyway.

Small pool, poorly supervised by hungover young kids. One who I overheard admitting she had fallen asleep one day as she was so hungover. But, they will pounce on you to charge you €7 per person for a sun lounger. Sun loungers that are covered with cloth/foam covers. These are perspiration and suncream stained. Collected up, shoved in the pool room overnight and then put back out filthy.

As I said, unsupervised teenagers bombing into the small pool where toddlers are playing. Scruffy grounds that are poorly maintained. Very unhelpful and in our experiences, rude.

For €20 a night, you can stay on the aire across the road from the beach at Cavaliere (Not cavalaire-sur-mer). And now, they provide 16 amp EHU. Same sandy gravel spots, but €50-110 a night cheaper.

 

[MyrtleGuru]

Well the best part of that area is that they hate the Germans for what they did in the War, especially the rapes and the murders as they left after the allies landed. We have personal experience of being refused a mooring as we "sounded German" over the VHF, only to profusely apologise when they realised that we were English

Wow, does that still happen? I remember in the summer of 1980 being in that neck of the woods. All the campsites were full, but an old boy (very old) let us pitch our tent in his garden when he discovered we were Brits. We tried to give him some money, but he wouldn't hear of it. Similarly in the late 70s I was invited into an old couple's house in the Pyrenees who treated me like some long-lost relative because of the war. Some of my relatives made the ultimate sacrifice in the 1940s, but I wasn't expecting their legacy to live on for so many decades. Then again only about 10 years ago I had similar experiences in Norway, especially when meeting an old lady who was taken out of the country as a child via the 'Shetland Bus'.

 

[Jo662]

Thanks that's good info, maybe we should look at Port Grimaud area then. Actually just realised that the campsite I was looking at is closer to PG than ST, It's this one

We were at Camping Les Mures in April this year.Its the third time we have used this campsite and its really nice.Its about a 20 minute walk to Port Grimaud,or there is a bus stop right outside the camp.Port Grimaud is a lovely place to visit,and as others have said you can get a foot ferry to St Tropez which in my opinion is well worth visiting aswell.

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[eddie]

I have been going to Grimaud/St.Tropez area since I was 15.

We have hired villas and camped all along the coast. We did used to go to Les Naiades, but they stopped taking tourers a couple of years ago.

As for Holiday Marina, I would avoid it at all costs. We tried it for the first time last year and were disgusted with it.

€90 a night an after putting up with the place for 10 nights, they would not offer a small discount for staying an extra night. Despite the fact, the next day, the rated dropped anyway.

Small pool, poorly supervised by hungover young kids. One who I overheard admitting she had fallen asleep one day as she was so hungover. But, they will pounce on you to charge you €7 per person for a sun lounger. Sun loungers that are covered with cloth/foam covers. These are perspiration and suncream stained. Collected up, shoved in the pool room overnight and then put back out filthy.

As I said, unsupervised teenagers bombing into the small pool where toddlers are playing. Scruffy grounds that are poorly maintained. Very unhelpful and in our experiences, rude.

For €20 a night, you can stay on the aire across the road from the beach at Cavaliere (Not cavalaire-sur-mer). And now, they provide 16 amp EHU. Same sandy gravel spots, but €50-110 a night cheaper.

To be fair I can't disagree regarding the size of the pool, but I have never swam in it, lay beside it or the poolside area.

Its a great campsite if you like boats

 

[Solwaybuggier]

Les Mures was good for us a couple of years ago - there are beachside pitches, but they’re pretty busy. We stopped on the landside which was fine and an easy walk to the beach. The bus service to St Tropez was good - although to be honest we wished we’d not bothered.

 

[Ridgeway]

Wow super great info, thanks a lot to you all. Will digest it and book ahead as you all suggest. The foot ferry across to ST sounds like a good trip to make, maybe some fishing in the port as well. We'll probably avoid beach pitches as we have the dogs with us and not sure if we'll be allowed on the beach with them any way, also better to find an odd tree for a moments shade...

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[Tinty]

We stayed here just outside st tropez. It’s very close to a beach. Site was really lovely. Big pitches around €18 a night and there’s a bus runs into st tropez.
https://m.yellohvillage.co.uk/camping/les_tournels

 

[Chris]

We stayed here just outside st tropez. It’s very close to a beach. Site was really lovely. Big pitches around €18 a night and there’s a bus runs into st tropez.
https://m.yellohvillage.co.uk/camping/les_tournels

I think that’s where we stayed about 8 years ago.

We went to St Tropez and I have to say I was underwhelmed by the place but overwhelmed by the price of beer in a little bar in the port area.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Holiday Marina , camping de la plage or les Mures all in or near Port Grimaud.
Easy bike ride on cycle paths to St Tropez or Ste Maxime. The ferry to St Tropez is good value taking you right into the town.
Holiday Marina ( some love it some hate it ) has new private bathrooms on each pitch.

Stayed at all of these and they are all good. I don’t think Prairies take campers anymore. Also St .Tropez is not MH friendly so take the ferry from Port Grimaud.

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[Abacist]

There used to be an Aire right alongside the famous long beach the name of which I’ve forgotten. The Aire was only a few km’s outside St Tropez. This was however about 8 years ago.

Near Ramatuelle. Plage de Pampelonne.

We have stayed here twice and well worth a visit! Beach is just yards from the aire which is immediately behind the beach. Something like 15 Euros a night off season but double in the French school holidays. Little bistro on the beach does nice food and not as over-priced as St Tropez itself. We were there last year in September for a fortnight.
The rich and famous cruise round and park in the bay for the day so take your binoculars and people watch! Some even have helicopters parked on the back!

Port Grimaud and the boat trip to St Tropez are also very well with doing.

 

[Ridgeway]

We'll be in aires on the way down and back, so would get some grief if we have more nights "off line" although I'll certainly call in at the aire that's mentioned above for future reference.

 

[hilldweller]

>>> Saint-Tropez area, any recent experiences ?


Oh yes. Nothing beats overtaking a Ferrari or two on the road into St Trop, riding as push bike.

We were based just outside Port Grimaud.

It's a place you just have to see first hand once in your life.

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[hilldweller]

You may be disappointed with St Tropez. ...

Says the person from St Helens.

 

[Ridgeway]

>>> Saint-Tropez area, any recent experiences ?


Oh yes. Nothing beats overtaking a Ferrari or two on the road into St Trop, riding as push bike.

We were based just outside Port Grimaud.

It's a place you just have to see first hand once in your life.

OK that's settled it, if the man from Mac says you need to see it then we're going !!!

Taking my pushbike as well

 

[hilldweller]

OK that's settled it, if the man from Mac says you need to see it then we're going !!!

Taking my pushbike as well

But take great care. Seeing topless beauties brushing their teeth on the rear decks of priceless yachts can be seriously stressful to normal man. The enthusiastic brushing causes strange and disturbing oscillations in their bare breasts that can derange normal man. Perhaps you should visit in the afternoon.

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[Capitanjohn]

Camping St Aygulf, check it out.

 

[Nirvanauk]

I’ll be in Port Grimaud next Friday for 6 glorious weeks.

 

[Christoph]

Prairies right on the beach is great but was very family biased which is fine if that’s what you want. Not sure if they still take tourers though? As mentioned the boat trip from Port Grimaud across to St Tropez is probably the easiest way to get there.

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[DBK]

As this threads woken up did you get to St Trop @Ridgeway?

 

[Ridgeway]

As this threads woken up did you get to St Trop @Ridgeway?

Sadly not. No1 daughter was quite ill the week we were supposed to go so i had to quickly find a plan B which was a long weekend by a river in the Jura near Besançon, worked out well in the end so St Tropez is still on the list, hopefully later this year in the October half term week, still warm enough down there by the sea for some paddling.

 

[TerryL]

Sorry to hear that @Ridgeway but probably just as well; the area is heaving in the summer months. About now would be better, most of the crowds will have gone.

We stayed at Port Grimaud, nice campsite right on the beach and a short bus ride to St Tropez.

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