How we move your car from the UK to Saint-Tropez
Every Saint-Tropez shipment begins with a collection from a mainland UK address you nominate, most commonly a private garage, a family residence or a specialist storage facility. At the kerbside, the driver photographs every panel, records the fuel level and mileage and walks the documentation with you, before the car is loaded for the run down to the peninsula.
From collection, the car travels in a single-vehicle enclosed transporter. Two routings are available, and we recommend one based on the vehicle, the urgency and the season. The road route uses the Eurotunnel from Folkestone, then runs south through France via Reims, Lyon and the Rhône Valley before turning east on the A8 autoroute towards the Var department and the gulf of Saint-Tropez. It covers the distance in roughly 36 to 48 hours and suits supercars, classic regatta entries for Les Voiles and any vehicle a client needs on the peninsula at short notice. The sea route runs Southampton or Felixstowe to Marseille followed by a short onward enclosed haul of around 90 minutes. It takes four to six working days and suits multi-vehicle consignments, household moves and clients whose arrival date is flexible.
Hand-over takes place at the address of your choice: a villa above Pampelonne, a private courtyard in Ramatuelle, a Gassin hillside estate, a garage at a residence in La Croix-Valmer or Grimaud, or, where the old-town vehicle restrictions allow it, a permitted bay close to the Vieux Port. Many Saint-Tropez clients prefer hand-over directly at the yacht berth or hotel forecourt. The car is never left at a port for collection.
Navigating Saint-Tropez deliveries
Saint-Tropez presents specific delivery challenges our drivers handle routinely:
- The D98A approach road is heavily congested in peak season; we schedule deliveries to avoid the worst traffic windows.
- Many peninsula villas have narrow access roads and tight turns; our drivers reconnoitre access before the collection date in the UK.
- Port-side deliveries near the Vieux Port require careful coordination with the harbour authorities.
- Gated villa complexes and private estates need pre-arranged access; we coordinate with your property manager or concierge in advance.
The vehicles parked along the Quai Jean Jaurès and the Place des Lices each summer are part of the Saint-Tropez experience, and the last 80 miles into the peninsula are where local knowledge separates a specialist international transporter from a generic delivery service.
Saint-Tropez arrival, customs and paperwork
We lodge the import declaration at Marseille, and the cleared release follows the car south so nothing holds up the last 80 miles into Saint-Tropez.
Whether that’s a temporary admission for the August season or Les Voiles, or a permanent import for a resident of Ramatuelle or Gassin, the full mechanics, including Transfer of Residence relief, are covered on our European customs guide.
At a villa above Pampelonne in August, or a quieter hand-over in Grimaud out of season, you receive the same paperwork: the cleared customs release, the bill of lading, the pre-shipment inspection record with photographs and a hand-over inspection mirroring the UK record, emailed to you as well as handed over in person. Return shipments at the end of the season follow the mirror process, with the French export and UK re-entry handled under the same booking.
