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I'm looking for a good area to rent a gite next September which would be convenient to St. Tropez, the coastal area, islands and over to Aix.

Would the D558 where la Garde-Freinet is located be a problem to travel on an everyday basis? Is this a scenic area to stay in?

Thanks so much.

Odin

It's not far from La Garde-Freinet to St Tropez. It is a scenic area to stay in, quite hilly with pine trees all around and views down to the gulf of St Tropez. It's convenient for the coast, you can take the route National to get back to Aix or the toll road if you are in a hurry. La Garde-Freinet is a pretty village and so is Grimaud.

cigalechanta

Yes, you can take the coastal road to Le Lavandou or St Tropez and it's easy to get to Aix or Toulon by Autoroute or thr N roads.

StuDudley

I agree with everything Odin has mentioned.

In summer, the N98 to St Tropez can get quite crowded in the morning & afternoon. If you visit St Tropez then, I would head out no later than 8:30am & return no later than 5:00 - earlier if possible. Luckily, you'll hit this road at a big round-about, and people coming from Ste Maxime will have seen much worse traffic than you will. On Market days, (Sat & Tues), leave an hour earlier & watch the market set up & have a coffee-creme at the Bar Clemenceau.

There is a pretty good grocery at that round-about.

When you visit the famous beaches at Pampelonne, if you leave later than 10:00 I would go via Ramatuelle, and if you return later than 4:00 I would also go via this village - the D93 can really get backed up - especially in the afternoon when people have to make a left hand turn onto the N98.

The route to Aix is very scenic but quite winding. Not much traffic on it.

Everything southwest of LGF is extremly scenic - you won't believe it's that serene, yet close to St Tropez.

Our most memorable meal there was at a lovely restaurant with fantastic views out over the Gulf of St Tropez, just south of Gassin. We're leaving for a month in France early tomorrow, and my Michelin Red Guide is packed, so I can't look up the name of the restaurant. We've vacationed for well over 4 weeks in St Tropez, and 4 weeks just west of Aix near Cotignac (lovely area). I have a 20+ page itinerary that has a section that describes my favorite things in that region. E-mail me within the next 4 hours, or late Sept if you want a copy. [email protected]

Stu Dudley

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Thanks so very much. You've been a great help. It's very difficult to get a feel for an area with just the Michelin map in front of me!

Have a wonderful time Stu, in Brittany right?

We're off to France in 3 weeks also!!!

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Stu,

I already have your guide, thanks!