Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It also has two small bedrooms (double €75, including breakfast), each with its little
patio.
Getting There & Around
BUS
Bus 8 runs between St Raphaël and Agay, stopping at Le Dramont on the way; three
services a day go all the way to Le Trayas. Tickets cost €1.10.
CAR
The corniche gets very busy in summer: if you need to go somewhere, as opposed to
enjoy a scenic drive, take the inland N7 or the A8 motorway.
TRAIN
Mandelieu-La Napoule, Le Trayas, Agay, Le Dramont and Boulouris all have sta-
tions on the St Raphaël-Nice line but only a handful of services each day stop there.
St-Raphaël
POP 34,867
St-Raphaël is a good base to explore the Estérel rather than a destination in itself. The
very dynamic
tourist office
( 04 94 19 52 52;
www.saint-raphael.com
;
99 Quai Albert
1er; 9am-7pm Jul & Aug, 9am-12.30pm & 2-6.30pm Mon-Sat Sep-Jun)
can help you
book activities in the region.
A great way to discover the coast is to board
Les Bateaux de St-Raphaël
(
www.bateauxsaintraphael.com
;
Quai Nomy, St-Raphaël; Apr-Oct)
for a scenic cruise
along the Corniche de l'Estérel (adult/child €16/10, 1¼ hours). The company also runs
boat services to St-Tropez (adult/child €24/14, crossing time one hour) and Ste-Marguer-
ite in the Îles de Lérins (full day adult/child €25/14, half-day €20/12, crossing time 1¼
hours).
The pick of accommodation in town is
L'Hirondelle Blanche
( 04 94 11 84 03;
www.hirondelle-blanche.fr
;
533 av des Chèvrefeuilles, Santa Lucia; d €99-179)
, an eleg-
ant early 20th-century villa with six rooms near the port of Santa Lucia. Run by avuncular
artist George, the house is full of charm, with paintings and books everywhere. The ro-
mantic rooms have all been individually decorated and those on the ground and 1st floor
have sea views. There is a little traffic noise from the road, but the double-glazing keeps
the rooms quiet at night. Unusually for a B&B, breakfast is not included in the price to
give guests greater flexibility.
