St. Tropez, an icon of the French Riviera, easily accessible by private jet thanks to its La Môle-Saint Tropez airport, strategically positioned to accommodate the most discerning travelers.
This resort embodies the ultimate in luxury and elegance in the south of France. Renowned for its beach clubs and exclusive beaches such as Pampelonne, famous for its chic atmosphere and exclusive parties, it also offers a beautiful harbor packed with luxury yachts and a vibrant cultural scene.
St. Tropez, located along the famous French Riviera, is an irresistible lure for visitors from all over the world looking for an unforgettable and refined vacation.
Renting a private jet to get to this beautiful location provides comfort and flexibility during the trip, avoiding long waits at commercial airports, as well as greater privacy. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy an unparalleled travel experience in the heart of the French Riviera, immersed in the luxury and charm of St. Tropez.
Geographical and historical background on St. Tropez
St. Tropez is a small urban center located in the northern part of the peninsula that bears its name, overlooking a gulf belonging to southeastern France.
Among the most important cities surrounding St. Tropez are Marseille, just 105 km away, Toulon, just 60 km away, as well as Nice, from which it is separated by some 115 km of highway.
The coastline on which St. Tropez stands is quite rugged: this particular morphology of the land, as we shall see later, allows the resort to be renowned for its many bays and inlets washed by a sea that is nothing short of breathtaking.
Over the centuries, the small town on the French Riviera has been occupied by various peoples, fiefdoms, and republics, which, through renovations and completion of the infrastructure that plowed through it, made it become the pearl that can be admired today.
Initially, it was the Republic of Genoa that took care of St. Tropez, delegating as many as 21 families to settle there to rebuild the fortifications in order to improve the security of the gulf; later, thanks to its large port area, the town became an important bulwark against invasions, before filling the crucial role of a shipyard for the construction of merchant ships.
Today, St. Tropez is certainly a landmark for tourists traveling to the French Riviera, a very important stop that cannot be overlooked when planning an itinerary.
What to do and see in Saint Tropez
La Ponche (old town)
The La Ponche district is the historic center of Saint Tropez, the true beating heart of the French Riviera town where you can discover its more traditional side composed of intersecting squares, stores and alleyways.
The nerve center of the La Ponche district is home to a number of exclusive venues that attract the attention of various celebrities, such as Les Caves du Roy, an iconic nightclub frequented by the world's elite known for its luxurious ambiance and the top-notch DJ sets that intervene.
Also worth mentioning is the VIP Room, a magnet hotspot for VIP tourists due to its rather lavish décor and exclusive parties held that very often feature movie, fashion and music stars.
Vieux Port
After walking through the old town visiting the various attractions there, a good idea is to move on to the Vieux Port, that is, the town's old port, in which boats and luxury yachts dock today.
Each year, several international boat shows are held during September and October, high-class events attended by VIPs and wealthy individuals looking for brand new, extra-luxury yachts equipped with the latest technological amenities.
The private yachts that pour into Saint Tropez Bay belong to high-profile visitors who take advantage of the sea to relax thanks to the many amenities on board, such as a private cinema, spa and solarium perfect for exclusive parties.
Citadelle de Saint Tropez
La Citadelle is a historic fortress dating back to the 17th century, located atop a hill surrounded by dense bush.
Today it houses the Maritime History Museum of Saint Tropez, which is a testament to how the French town has always been linked two-fold to the sea.
It is also an attraction visited by VIPs who have just returned from following the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, a sporting event that attracts many elite faces and allows the party to continue inside exclusive venues located in the center of Saint Tropez or in the vicinity of its Citadelle.
The top restaurants and venues in Saint Tropez
Saint Tropez, despite being quite limited in size, boasts a number of top-notch restaurants where VIPs go to enjoy the delicacies of local cuisine.
Just think, for example, of the Vague d'Or, renowned for its sophisticated ambience and gourmet-based dining experience.
Mention should also be made of Café Sénéqueier, a very famous place where fashion or movie stars gather, taking advantage of an exclusive room in the venue to sip cocktails in total privacy.
Exclusive hotels and beach clubs in Saint Tropez
Overlooking the old port of Saint Tropez, Hotel Pastis is one of the most popular stay options for wealthy tourists due to the presence of a private garden, an exclusive beach, and an infinity pool, as well as suites decorated with contemporary artwork.
Not only that, it is also worth mentioning Hotel Sezz, which has cottages each with its own pool, but also an exclusive bar, a gourmet restaurant, a spa, and several Jacuzzis located in the hotel's common outdoor space.
The various beaches of Saint Tropez, such as that of Pampelonne, are home to the city's most exclusive beach clubs: an ideal location for VIPs in this sense is Club 55, an exclusive environment assiduously frequented by international stars vacationing on the French Riviera in which to participate in private parties thanks to the multiple services offered and the small restaurant by the sea with a rather limited availability of tables to a very few intimates.
Climate and best time to visit St. Tropez
The climate in St. Tropez is Mediterranean, with fairly mild, low rainfall winters and sunny summers characterized by fairly warm temperatures.
The spring season is marked by an average temperature ranging from 18°C to 22°C, with days tending to be sunny but with a few rain showers; undoubtedly, this is a more than excellent time to charter a private jet to Saint Tropez since the tourist turnout is not too high.
Summer is definitely the best time to travel to the French town, as it is tinged with a far more vibrant atmosphere thanks to the many events held from June to September; the climate allows for any outdoor activity, with temperatures often exceeding 30°C and with the absence of rainy days.
Fall and winter, on the other hand, are times when the air cools down quite a bit and rains begin to fall more frequently, although in December St. Tropez lights up with Christmas lights and classic Christmas markets that attract thousands of tourists.
How and why to fly to St. Tropez by private jet
Choosing to charter a private jet to St. Tropez is not only a solution that can add a touch of luxury to your trip, but it offers a number of rather concrete advantages.
St. Tropez La Mole Airport (ICAO code LGMK), opened in 1964 and modernized in the 1990s, accommodates about 8,000 passengers annually and is perfectly capable of meeting the needs of travelers using private aircraft thanks to the presence of a general aviation terminal equipped with facilities such as The Escale Tropezienne restaurant/bar, a refreshment point detached from the main building, a meeting room capable of accommodating up to 50 people and equipped with the necessary tools to conduct business conferences, and free WiFi.
Not only that, thanks to management by the Gruppe des Aeroports de la Côte d'Azur, the St. Tropez airport provides passengers flying privately with the opportunity to take part in special events at the airport such as photo sessions, skydiving, video shoots, weddings or various occasions that require a degree of confidentiality.
The St. Tropez airport is about 15 km from the center; to get there, passengers on charter flights can either rent a car to head independently to anywhere in the city or request a transfer via helicopter, cab or limousine to the city center, with the option of boarding such vehicles directly from the runway.
Thanks to the airport staff's incredible focus on environmental sustainability, passengers on a private jet can count on the speed of security screening and baggage transport provided by the use of electrically operated belts and service vehicles, all with the aim of optimizing time as much as possible.
The costs of flying privately to St. Tropez.
Although rather small, the St. Tropez airport is nevertheless well connected to the most important airports in Europe.
One of the routes most frequently operated by private jet is the one connecting it to London: the flight, lasting about 2 hours, can only be operated by a light jet due to the short length of the runway, with a total cost of about €11,000.
Of course, St. Tropez is also well connected to Paris, which is only 700 km away and can be covered in 1 1/2 hours; the route is again operated by a Light Jet at a total cost of about €8000.
Another European capital connected to St. Tropez is Athens, separated by a distance of about 1,500 km and approximately 2 1/2 hours of flight time; the estimated expense of renting a light jet is about €14,000.
Although a long way away, it is also possible to leave from the small island of Mykonos to arrive in St. Tropez via a Light Jet: the cost rises to about 15,000€ because of the more than 3-hour flight time separating the little gem of the French Riviera from the small Greek island.
The best planes to fly privately to St. Tropez
As mentioned earlier, the runway at the St. Tropez airport is rather narrow in terms of length and width; therefore, the only type of private aircraft that can be used to get to the French town are Turbo Prop and in some cases Light Jets.
Among the super light jets, the Eclipse 500, an aircraft that consists internally of four seats and capable of touching a top speed of about 375 kts (corresponding to about 700 km/h), should definitely be mentioned first; its interior cabin is not very spacious, with a height of 1.50 m and a width of 1.30 m, while the range the jet can cover is around 900 nm (about 1660 km).
Another Super Light Jet worthy of a mention is the Cessna 510 Citation Mustang, an aircraft that combines simplicity, power and economy creating a perfect combination to meet any passenger need.
Its cabin can hold a maximum of 4 people, can operate at La Mole due to its landing and departure performance even from short runways.
The best light jet, however, for landing in Saint Tropez is the Pilatus PC24, a brand new aircraft built to take off and land from short runways while still carrying as many as 8 passengers.
The luggage compartment of the Pilatus PC24 is also very generous, allowing even the most demanding families to take luggage with them if they are flying a private jet.
In any case, the most suitable planes for departing and arriving in Saint Tropez are the Turbo Prop:
These aircraft, all with the capacity to carry 6 to 9 passengers, have the ability to land and take off from very short runways as in the case of La Mole airport serving the city d Saint Tropez.
Most frequent flights to and from St. Tropez
Below of the most frequent links to St. Tropez:
