Planning a Trip

Getting To Ile De Porquerolles -- Ferryboats leave from several points along the Côte d'Azur. The most frequent, convenient, and shortest trip is from La Tour Fondue on the peninsula of Giens, a 32km (20-mile) drive east of Toulon. Depending on the season, there are 4 to 20 departures a day. The round-trip fare for the 15-minute crossing is 16€ or 14€ for ages 4 to 10. For information, call the Transports Maritimes et Terrestres du Littoral Varois, La Tour Fondue, 83400 Giens (tel. 04-94-58-21-81). The next-best option is the ferryboat from Toulon, but only between June and September. Other options, each of them also available only between June and September, involve taking one of the ferries maintained by the Compagnie Maritime des Vedettes Ile d'Or & Le Corsaire (tel. 04-94-71-01-02). Their ferryboats offer crossings from either of Les Gares Maritimes in Le Lavandou and Cavalaire.

On any of the venues noted above, round-trip fares to the Ile de Porquerolles cost 32€ for adults and 25€ for children 4 to 11.

Getting To Ile De Port-Cros -- The most popular ferry route to the island is the 35-minute crossing that departs from Hyères between four and seven times daily, depending on the season. (Oct-Mar, there are only three crossings per week.) For information, contact the Compagnie Maritime des Vedettes (tel. 04-94-71-01-02). Round-trip fares cost 25€ for adults and 21€ for children 4 to 11. The same company, for approximately the same price, also offers crossings to Port-Cros from Cavalaire, but only between April and September. For no additional fee, vessels will drop passengers at the military installations at Le Levant.

Visitor Information -- Other than temporary, summer-only kiosks without phones that distribute brochures and advice near the ferry docks in Porquerolles and Port-Cros, the islands do not operate tourist bureaus. The offices in Hyères and Toulon try to fill in the gaps. Contact the Office de Tourisme, 3 av. Ambroise Thomas, Hyères (tel. 04-94-01-84-50), or the Office de Tourisme, place Raimu, Toulon (tel. 04-94-18-53-00).