Saint-Tropez La Mole. The closest runway, with the tightest rules.
Fifteen kilometres from the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and a world away from Nice. A short runway, daylight only, and a summer road that punishes anyone who plans by distance instead of by hour.
The airport
La Mole at a glance
- CodesLTT / LFTZOfficially the Aeroport du Golfe de Saint-Tropez, at La Mole in the Var.
- To Saint-TropezAbout 15 kilometresSouth west of the village, along the Gulf and through Cogolin.
- Runway06/24, 1,180 by 30 metresAsphalt, with PAPI. Short by business jet standards, and shorter still once thresholds are taken off.
- Daylight onlyNo runway lightingThe field cannot be used at night. Operations run roughly 07:00 to 19:00, extendable to sunset on request.
- AircraftTurboprops and short field jetsTypes and crews have to be approved for the field. Your operator confirms what can actually land.
- Notice24 hours for an international arrivalCustoms and immigration are arranged in advance rather than on the day.
- TerminalSmall, with an FBO loungeHandling on the field is provided by Sky Valet, part of the Cote d'Azur airports group.
- The alternativeNice or Cannes MandelieuMost heavier aircraft go to Nice or Cannes Mandelieu and finish by helicopter, road or tender.
La Mole is a genuinely constrained airfield. Nothing on this page should be read as a promise that your aircraft can use it: that is your operator's decision, made against the day's temperature, wind and weight.
Journey times
From La Mole by road
| To | Out of season | July and August |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Tropez village and the old port | 25 to 35 minutes | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Port Grimaud | 20 to 30 minutes | 40 to 75 minutes |
| Gassin and Ramatuelle | 25 to 40 minutes | 50 to 90 minutes |
| Pampelonne beach clubs | 30 to 45 minutes | 60 to 110 minutes |
| Cannes | 75 to 95 minutes | 100 to 150 minutes |
| Nice Airport | 95 to 120 minutes | 120 to 180 minutes |
| Monaco | 2 to 2 hours 30 | 2 hours 30 to 3 hours 30 |
These are honest ranges. The single road along the Gulf through Cogolin and Port Grimaud is the only practical way into Saint-Tropez, and in August it does not move. Late morning and the hours around dinner are the worst.
The summer reality
Fifteen kilometres is not fifteen minutes
The distance from La Mole to Saint-Tropez looks trivial on a map. In practice, everything arriving into the peninsula by road, from delivery vans to day trippers, funnels through the same stretch of the D98A, and in high season a run that takes half an hour in May can take two hours in the first week of August. There is no shortcut, no parallel route and no amount of local knowledge that changes the physics of one road.
What we can change is the plan. We watch the road before the car leaves rather than after, we set departure times that respect the peak hours instead of ignoring them, and where it makes sense we suggest finishing by water. A tender from Port Grimaud or Sainte-Maxime across the Gulf can be quicker and considerably more pleasant than the last eight kilometres by car, and a helicopter leg from Nice can remove the problem entirely.
On the day
Where the car waits and how we meet you
The terminal at La Mole is small and the walk from aircraft to car is short. Your chauffeur is at the terminal for your arrival, having spoken to the handling agent, with the flight tracked so the car moves with the real time rather than the filed one. Where the airport permits it for your movement, a car can be brought closer to the aircraft. That is the airport's call for each flight, and we confirm what has been agreed rather than promising it.
What we handle
Details that matter on this peninsula
The problems here are seasonal, predictable and worth planning for.
- Flight tracking and a car timed to the real arrival, not the filed one
- Coordination with the handling agent at La Mole, including ramp access where it is permitted
- Departure timing worked backwards from the airport's request and the day's traffic
- Villa, hotel and beach club access agreed in advance, including the narrow lanes above Ramatuelle
- Quay and tender drop-off at Saint-Tropez, Port Grimaud and Sainte-Maxime arranged with the crew
- The Nice or Cannes alternative priced alongside, so a change of airfield is not a change of plan
Coverage
Our cars, and cars we arrange
Odyssey owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester. On the Cote d'Azur, cars are arranged through operators we know and have worked with for years, to our brief and under our booking, so you deal with us throughout, in English, on one number. Aircraft, helicopters and yachts are arranged: see private jet charter, helicopter charter and yacht charter. For the wider coast, see Saint-Tropez and the French Riviera.
Onward
Where La Mole passengers go next
On the water
Other airports
Aircraft that suit the field
Request a quote
Tell us the arrival
Date, tail number or operator, passengers, luggage, and the villa, hotel or quay you are going to. If the airfield is still in doubt, say so and we will quote La Mole and Nice together. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About La Mole transfers
Can my jet land at La Mole?
The runway is 1,180 metres and the useful landing distance is shorter than that. It suits turboprops and short field light jets with approved crews. Your operator decides against the day's weight, wind and temperature. Many clients simply plan for Nice.
Can we arrive after dark?
No. There is no runway lighting, so the field is daylight only, with operations normally finishing around sunset. An evening arrival has to go to Nice or Cannes.
How long is the drive into Saint-Tropez really?
Half an hour when the roads are empty, and anything up to two hours in August. There is one road in. We plan the departure time around that rather than pretending otherwise.
Can you arrange the aircraft or the yacht?
Yes, both. See private jet charter and yacht charter.
