Charter Guide · Route
Monaco to Saint-Tropez yacht charter
One of the Mediterranean's classical private-yacht routes — roughly 90 nautical miles of French Riviera coastline, chartered as a day trip, an overnight, or as the opening leg of a longer week. This is how the route works in practice.
In short
One of the Mediterranean's classical private-yacht routes — roughly 90 nautical miles of French Riviera coastline, chartered as a day trip, an overnight, or as the opening leg of a longer week. This is how the route works in practice.
Last reviewed 3 September 2026 · By the concierge desk, Luxury Yacht Charter Monaco · Monaco
Why this route
Monaco and Saint-Tropez are the two anchor points of a Riviera charter. Between them sits Cap d'Ail, Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu, Nice, Cap d'Antibes, Cannes, the Îles de Lérins, Théoule, Agay, Saint-Raphaël and the Estérel massif — a single, dense stretch of harbours, capes and anchorages. Chartering a private yacht from Monaco to Saint-Tropez lets a guest step from Casino Square onto a passerelle and, hours later, be at anchor in Pampelonne bay for lunch. No transfer, no airport, no queues.
Departure options in Monaco
Boarding is typically at Port Hercule — Quai Rainier III, Quai Antoine 1er or the T-Jetty depending on the yacht's size and berth. For guests staying at the Hôtel de Paris, Hôtel Hermitage or a private residence in Monaco, the walk or car transfer to the yacht is a matter of minutes. Larger superyachts occasionally board from the neighbouring Cala del Forte marina at Ventimiglia, a short repositioning cruise east.
Arrival options in Saint-Tropez
The Vieux Port at Saint-Tropez is one of the tightest, most photographed harbours in the Mediterranean and berths are contested through July and August. Yachts up to roughly 55 metres can moor stern-to along the quay subject to availability; larger yachts anchor in the Baie des Canoubiers or off Pampelonne, with the tender running guests ashore. Your concierge confirms the arrival plan yacht by yacht, week by week.
Day charter vs overnight
A day yacht charter from Monaco to Saint-Tropez is achievable on a fast motor yacht — roughly three to four hours each way at 22–25 knots, with two to three hours ashore or at anchor. It is a demanding day and best on settled water; every guest should be comfortable with the sea state. An overnight structure is more elegant: board Monaco in the afternoon, cruise the coast, anchor overnight off Théoule or Cannes, and arrive in Saint-Tropez the following morning for a full day and evening. Return the day after via the same route.
One-way vs return
One-way charters — Monaco to Saint-Tropez with guests disembarking in Saint-Tropez — are contractually straightforward but often carry a delivery-back cost, since the yacht must return to its home port. Return charters (Monaco to Saint-Tropez and back to Monaco) avoid that cost and are the more common structure for a week-long brief. If disembarking in Saint-Tropez suits your travel plans, we quote both structures side by side.
Sample day itinerary
09:00 board at Port Hercule. 09:30 depart Monaco, cruise west via Cap Ferrat and Cannes. 12:30 arrive Pampelonne bay, anchor and lunch aboard. 15:30 tender ashore for a beach-club stop at Loulou, Nikki Beach or Verde. 17:00 return aboard, depart Saint-Tropez. 20:30 arrive Monaco. Total run: roughly 180 nautical miles, weather-dependent.
Sample overnight itinerary
Day 1: 15:00 board Monaco; cruise to Cannes and anchor off the Îles de Lérins; dinner aboard. Day 2: morning passage to Saint-Tropez; anchor Pampelonne; lunch aboard; afternoon and evening ashore in Saint-Tropez. Day 3: leisurely return via Antibes and Cap Ferrat; disembark Monaco early evening.
Suitable yacht sizes
For a comfortable day charter on this route, a 22–30 metre fast motor yacht (Sunseeker, Riva, Sanlorenzo, Wajer) is the natural choice — quick enough to make the run without eating the day, small enough to enter Saint-Tropez port. For overnight and week-long structures, 30–45 metre motor yachts and superyachts are ideal. Sailing yachts and larger displacement superyachts are viable but reset the timing — a full day each way rather than a fast dash.
Fuel, APA and cost factors
Fuel is the largest variable on this route. A 30-metre fast motor yacht cruising at 22 knots consumes roughly 700–900 litres per hour; a Monaco–Saint-Tropez return at speed is a meaningful APA line item. Slower displacement cruising reduces the fuel bill sharply. Dockage in Saint-Tropez in high season is significantly more expensive than Monaco; anchoring off Pampelonne is free but requires a settled sea. Your concierge walks through the expected APA draw for the specific week and itinerary before you sign.
Luggage and guest capacity
Day charters welcome up to ten or twelve day-guests on most yachts we recommend; overnight and week-long charters are typically capped at twelve sleeping guests under Med charter conventions. Luggage is limited to soft bags — hard cases are hard to stow — and the crew asks for a rough count in advance so cabin allocation is settled before boarding.
Weather and scheduling
The Riviera is generally settled May to early October, with the Mistral occasionally kicking up in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez in July and August. The captain has final say on itinerary and, in the rare bad-weather day, can substitute an alternative anchorage — Cannes, Villefranche, Cap Ferrat — without losing the charter. Building a modest weather buffer into a day-charter brief is sensible; overnight structures are naturally more resilient.
How this connects to the wider trip
Many guests treat a Monaco to Saint-Tropez charter as the pivotal middle days of a longer stay — hotel in Monaco either side, or a return to a residence in Cap Ferrat or Villefranche. Others use the route as the opening leg of a full week that then continues west to Îles d'Hyères or across to Corsica. Your concierge builds the shape that fits your calendar rather than forcing a template.
Related pages
The Monaco and Saint-Tropez destination pages describe each port in detail, and the full Mediterranean itineraries page shows longer structures that begin with this route.
By the concierge desk · Monaco
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