Attractions Nearby St. Tropez, Day Trips and Excursions

(St. Tropez, Provence-Alpes Cote d'Azur, France)

If the sun is shining and you have come to Saint Tropez to enjoy its many beach-related attractions, then you may find little reason to leave the town's environs during your holiday. However, since Saint Tropez is so close to so many important French cities and leading attractions, then it makes sense to leave time in your itinerary to visit at least one of these destinations.

If you simply fancy a change of scenery, then the beautiful beaches in nearby Nice are well worth experiencing, as are those in Cannes, home to the well-known Film Festival. For others, the historical attractions within Aix-en-Provence and Toulon should be considered. Be sure not to overlook Marseille, an enormous city of epic proportions which is second only to Paris in size, being home to a population rapidly approaching 900,000.

Toulon

After Brest, Toulon is actually home to the second-biggest naval port in the whole of France and a perfect destination for day trippers. With ancient Roman origins, the Toulon of today has much to offer tourists in the way of attractions. These include a sheltered bay, an impressive Naval Museum (Musée de la Marine), a leading photographic museum (Maison de la Photographie), and cable car rides (téléphérique), which rise to the very top of the city's Mont Faro, departing from the Avenue de Vence. Sunlovers will find some excellent sandy beaches close by at Mourillon and during the summer months, these are connected by a colourful tourist train.

Nice

At 112 km / 70 miles to the north-east of Saint Tropez, the attractions of Nice are within easy reach and just over one and a half hours away. Capital of the French Côte d'Azur, Nice enjoys a spectacular setting on the glorious French Riviera and boasts a seemingly endless choice of scenic, sandy beaches, although many of these are private. There are also a surprising number of historical attractions and the most impressive include the Basilique Notre Dame, the Cathédrale de Sainte Réparate and the Fort du Mont Alban. As the sun sets, many visitors to Nice enjoy a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais, or a meal at a traditional French restaurant overlooking the Old Port.

Cannes

There is much more to Cannes than just its glittering and glamorous Film Festival, although it is this world-famous event that has catapulted the city into the tourist industry and gained it much popularity and credibility. The beaches of Cannes are amongst its other notable attractions, with the Plage du Martinez (Martinez Beach) being just one of the many on offer here. The promenade known as 'La Croisette' borders the main beachfront and the Mediterranean Sea. The Cannes Film Festival itself takes place each year in May at the Palais des Festivals. The city is close to St. Tropez and is situated around 85 km / 53 miles to the north-east.

Aix-en-Provence

A true highlight in the Provence-Alpes-Côte, the city of Aix-en-Provence exudes a recognisable Parisian character and features a number of spacious boulevards, lined with matures trees. Further attractions in Aix-en-Provence include public plazas, a cathedral dating back to the 5th century (Cathédrale St. Sauveur) and the Palais de Justice, which was formerly the Parliament of Provence. Visitors from Saint Tropez will find that Aix-en-Provence is simple to reach and is some 120 km / 75 miles to the west. The city's restaurants are famed for their traditional Provençal cuisine, which should definitely be sampled if you have the time.

Marseille

Marseille is just about close enough to make a day trip feasible and can be reached in under two hours, being 150 km / 93 miles to the west of Saint Tropez. With a city of this size, it will come as no surprise that the attractions are both plentiful and varied. The most impressive tend to be the most historic and favourites will be sure to include the Basilique Notre Dame de La Garde, Cathedrale de la Nouvelle Major, Château d'If, Fort St. Jean, Fort St. Nicholas and the Palais du Pharo.