France – Saint-Tropez (En)

The only thing we knew about Saint-Tropez was its reputation for glamour and luxury on the French Riviera, so we had to see it. We were expecting a town overflowing with luxury, but instead we found a very ordinary little fishing village. There was a port with a few luxury yachts and designer shops, but otherwise, it was quite rustic. In fact, we liked that it wasn’t so luxurious, as it gave it a more authentic feel. We’ve seen prettier towns.

Where to stay

We stayed at Camping Tamaris (43.23948, 6.660526 lat, long) because it is the closest place to visit Saint-Tropez. The campsite costs €25 with electricity included in the low season. We had booked the day before, but when we arrived, we saw that the pitches were too small for us. We had to park in an area right at the entrance where we were alone. The water filling and emptying area is next to the toilet, so you can only empty or fill the tank if you’re parked nearby. We couldn’t. The facilities are old. The toilets have seats but no toilet paper. The showers are hot if you use them when no one else is using them; otherwise, the water is lukewarm. There’s Wi-Fi, but only for 10 minutes, and the 4G signal isn’t very good. The rubbish bins are outside the campsite, in the parking lot across the street. The only good thing about this campsite is that it’s close to Saint-Tropez and next to the beach. We thought it was extremely expensive for what it offers. In spring, it rises to 38 euros per day, and in high season to 54 euros.

What to see

We went on the motorbike and parked next to the main square because we were told there was a street market. The market was quite good, although more expensive than any other street market we’ve been to. Prices started at 10 euros and went up from there. But it did have some cheap food stalls.

We went through the alleyways of the old town, where we saw the town hall and the Church of the Assumption, which was closed, and we couldn’t see inside.

A narrow alley leads to the port; on the corner, there is a monument to the British and American sailors who died in World War II and a very cool watchtower. Climbing the watchtower offers views of the beach.

The port is the heart of the town, bustling with restaurants, shops, and tourists. It boasts some impressive luxury yachts and sailboats.

On the other side of the harbour are the Museum of Modern Art, the tourist office, and the lighthouse. From this side, you can take spectacular photos of the town and the harbour.

With Saint-Tropez, we said goodbye to France, and the next day we crossed into Italy, where our first stop is San Lorenzo al Mare, a charming coastal town with a picturesque old town, which you can see in the next blog.