★★★★★
Boarded late and still got front-row seats outside, because most people sat indoors. The town felt a little small for that many hours.
Lara Mayleen · Germany · September 2026
Nice to Saint Tropez by Boat: A Return Ticket for the Day
A seat on a scheduled boatQuai Lunel, NiceNo guide: a scheduled boat
A seat on a scheduled boat, not a guided tour. You leave Nice at nine, spend two and a half hours on the coast, and have five hours in town to spend as you like before the boat takes you back. There is no guide and no car to park, and a bar on board sells drinks and snacks.
A return ticket, not a tour
Five hours ashore
From 11:30 to 16:30, with nobody telling you where to go.
No road, no parking
There is no railway in town, and the coast road is long. The boat skips both.
Two and a half hours at sea
Each way, along the coast west of Nice, with seats outside if you want the view.
A bar on board
Drinks and snacks are sold, not included. Bring some cash.
4.5 from 1,640 reviews
More travellers have booked it than any other outing here, rough days included.
The desk under the yellow awning at nine
The boat leaves from Quai Lunel in the Port of Nice at 09:00. Be at the Trans Côte d'Azur ticket desk, under the yellow awning, 30 minutes before, and change your voucher for a boarding ticket there. Seats are not numbered. If you want one outside at the front, come earlier: one traveller says an hour, another boarded late and still found the front row free, because most people sat inside.
The crossing takes two and a half hours along the coast. On a calm day it is smooth; on a windy one the way out can be bumpy, and people on the open deck can get wet. Our page of Saint Tropez day trips compares this boat with the one from Cannes and the road day from Nice.
Five hours ashore
You land at 11:30 and the boat leaves again at 16:30. The town is small enough to walk, and five hours covers the port, the old quarter and one museum without a rush. One traveller found it a little long; most spend the time on lunch by the water and the lanes.
- The market: Place des Lices holds its market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings until 13:00, so a sailing on either day gives you about an hour and a half of it.
- The citadel: the Citadelle de Saint-Tropez, with its maritime museum in the keep, costs €5 and opens until 18:30 from April to September and 17:30 from October. You have time for it and lunch.
- The painters: the Annonciade, the town's art museum, also costs €5 (€6 during a major exhibition) and is closed on Mondays outside July to September.
- The old quarter: La Ponche, the fishermen's corner of the old town with its small beach, costs nothing.
Our page of things to do in town has every price and opening time. The town bus costs €0.50 a trip, Monday to Saturday, if your feet give out.
Useful tip. Set an alarm for 16:00. The boat leaves at
16:30, and missing it means a bus and a train back to Nice.
The last boat of the season
The boat sails from May to October, but not every day at either end of the season: check that your date is on sale before you plan around it. On the Cannes route in 2026 the regular sailings run until 20 October, with extra sailings from Cannes on 23 to 25 October. After that there is no scheduled boat to town until the next season. If your date is off-season, the road day from Nice picks you up from your hotel and crosses the gulf on a ferry from Sainte-Maxime.
The day, hour by hour
- 08:30. At the ticket desk under the yellow awning on Quai Lunel, Port of Nice.
- 09:00. The boat leaves Nice.
- 11:30. You land in town. The day is yours.
- 16:30. The boat leaves for Nice. Be on the quay in good time.
- 19:00. Back in the Port of Nice.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book it if
- You are staying in Nice without a car and want the town, not a tour of it.
- You would rather spend two and a half hours on the sea than on the coast road.
- You want to plan your own day: lunch, the market, a museum, a swim.
- You travel on a Tuesday or a Saturday and want the market.
Book something else if
- You want a guide and a second town. The road day from Nice costs $145 a person, with hotel pickup, a driver-guide and Port Grimaud.
- You are staying in Cannes. The boat from Cannes costs $93 and crosses in an hour and a quarter.
- You are already in town and want the sea. The private bay boat or the half-day catamaran gets you onto the water.
- You get seasick. The crossing is long, and a windy day is felt on deck.
What $112 covers, and what it leaves out
In the fare
- Round-trip boat transport between Nice and Saint-Tropez
Not in the fare
- Food and drinks: sold at the bar on board
- A guide: there is none
- Museum tickets in town: €5 each at the door
Finding the desk on the quay
Quai Lunel is on the Port of Nice. Look for the Trans Côte d'Azur desk under a yellow awning, and be there by 08:30 to change your voucher. The same desk is where the boat lands you at 19:00.
In town the boat lands in the port, with the old town behind the quays. The meeting-point map shows the quay and every other start round the coast, and the visitor guide covers what else there is to do once you land.
Know before you go
- Change the voucher first. At the desk under the yellow awning, 30 minutes before 09:00.
- Bring cash for the bar. Travellers ask for card payment there, so do not count on it.
- Bring a layer. The open deck is windy, and spray can reach it on a rough day.
- No guide. The crew runs the boat; the town is yours to find.
- Watch the clock. The boat back leaves at 16:30 sharp.
- The season is short. May to October, and not every day: check your date.
What travellers said on the way home
★★★★★
Be at the quay about an hour early if you want a good seat.
Dariusz · Poland · September 2026
★★★★☆
A friendly crew on a modern boat, but a strong wind made the way out bumpy and some passengers got wet. The town itself was pleasant but less than expected.
Josef · Austria · May 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is this a guided tour?
No. It is a return boat ticket: the crew sails the boat and the five hours in town are yours. For a guide, the road day from Nice has a driver-guide.
How long do we get in town?
Five hours, from 11:30 to 16:30. That is enough for the port, the old town, lunch and one museum.
Is food included?
No. A bar on board sells drinks and snacks, and there are cafés all along the port in town. Bring some cash for the bar.
Does it run every day?
It runs from May to October, but not every day at the start and end of the season. Check that your date is on sale before you plan around it.
Can we get out on the water once we are there?
Yes, with care. The private bay boat can meet you on the port in town for a €50 collection fee, and its three hours fit inside your five ashore if you book a start that allows for it.
Can we cancel?
Yes: you get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. The sea decides the crossing, so watch the forecast the day before.
Other ways to spend a day in town
Ready to go by sea?
Check the sailing days still on sale, with a full refund up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability