The Thing About St. Tropez

If life is made up of choices, then St. Tropez is life at its most choice. From the yacht-studded harbor to one of the most famous nightclubs on the Riviera, who knew that this quiet fishing village could put the ay yi yi in high season? The purrr in supermodel?

But if you don’t have a yacht, sailboat, private jet or chauffeured car, your purrs will soon turn to grrrowls. Because what chiefly strikes the non-accoutremented traveler is the logistical difficulties that the city presents.

Do you know the way to St. Tropez? The train only goes as far as St. Raphael, and from there you must take either a bus, a $200 Mercedes taxi ride, or a ferry. Helicopter? From Monte Carlo it costs about a whopping $700. It is almost as if, perish the thought, St. Tropez didn’t want the rag tag masses at its door! Do you get that feeling?

Okay, now let’s say you’ve miraculously found your way to St. Tropez. You have the town on one end and the beaches on the other. The town is charming with a great market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and cafés along the harbor promenade. The beaches are right on the Med and boast the likes of Brigitte Bardot and a house that was Hemingway’s. Obviously, you want to be two places at once. You want to be playa-side during the day and you want to hit the town in the evening. Good luck!

St. Tropez only has about seven taxis, and the current rate from town to the beach is $20 one way. You heard me! I got stranded in town, I won’t say how, and in the morning, I needed to get back to my beach-side hotel. At nine in the morning, zee little taxi stand, she was empty. I had a coffee, still in my party dress, and considered my options. I took to begging/ hitchhiking, not a very Tropez thing to do. A lovely Frenchman took pity on me and drove me back to my hotel for free. But I couldn’t always rely on the kindness of strangers, could I?

So what is my recommendation? Stay in town! Stay in the lovely town. Find a hotel with a pool, for the love of convenience! Take a day when you’re feeling very motivated and adventurous, and have that single day be your beach day. For us yacht-less, chauffer-less masses, the thing about St. Tropez is that you have to make choices. Dine at Spoon or sup on the beach at sunset? Shop till you drop or work on that tan by the pool at Byblos? Champagne or rosé? Yes, St. Tropez can make life very difficult sometimes …