Yacht charter, south of France.

Yacht charter south of France — the full picture

A yacht charter in the south of France means anywhere along the arc from Marseille and the Calanques in the west, past Cassis and Bandol, around Cap Sicié to Toulon and Hyères, up through Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Villefranche, and finishing at the Franco-Monégasque border at Menton. Add the Îles d'Or, the Îles de Lérins, Saint-Honorat, and — on a longer charter — the crossings to Corsica, Sardinia and the Ligurian coast, and you have the western Mediterranean's most complete cruising ground.

That is the geography. The reason it works as a charter region is not the geography — it is the concentration. Nowhere else in the world are so many deep-water marinas, michelin-starred waterfront restaurants, protected anchorages, jet-served international airports and private-jet FBOs, five-star hotel groups, and superyacht service infrastructure packed into 250 nautical miles of coast. A yacht charter in the south of France is the only way to see that concentration from the sea, which is the way it was built to be seen.

Luxury Yacht Charter Monaco is a Monaco-based concierge desk that places crewed motor and sailing yachts from 20m dayboats to 90m superyachts, primarily embarking guests at Port Hercule and cruising west through the Côte d'Azur and, on request, into the western Mediterranean. This page covers what a south of France charter actually consists of — the coast, the yachts, the seasons, the prices and the process — for guests planning a first booking.

The arc — Marseille to Menton

Marseille and the Calanques. The western anchor of the region. The Calanques National Park — a series of dramatic limestone fjords between Marseille and Cassis — is the wildest scenery on the French Mediterranean coast and a private-yacht-only destination in high season (park permits are limited and the anchorages are not accessible by road). En Vau, Sormiou and Sugiton are the classic anchorages for a lunch stop.

Cassis, Bandol and the Îles d'Or. Cassis for the AOC white wine and the harbour; Bandol for the AOC rosé and a quieter port; Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Le Levant for anchorages, transparent water and a national-park-protected environment. This stretch is quieter than the Riviera proper — a comfortable first day out of Saint-Tropez or a natural inclusion on a 10-day charter.

Saint-Tropez, Pampelonne and Ramatuelle. The Saint-Tropez peninsula is where a Riviera charter finds its rhythm: lunch at Club 55, La Réserve à la Plage or Loulou Ramatuelle on Pampelonne beach, tender-in to the Vieux Port for dinner at Sénéquier or Le Girelier, sunset drinks at Pan Deï Palais. The yacht anchors off Pampelonne or in Baie de Cavalaire; only the smallest yachts berth inside Saint-Tropez itself in high season.

Cannes, Îles de Lérins and Antibes. Cannes for the Croisette, La Palme d'Or, Astoux et Brun's oyster bar; Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat for the day anchorage and the monks' vineyard; Antibes for Port Vauban (the largest yachting port in Europe) and the old town. Antibes is the Riviera's yachting service hub and a natural crew changeover port.

Nice and Villefranche. Villefranche-sur-Mer's deep-water bay is the calmest overnight anchorage on the Riviera — protected in every wind direction and just far enough from Nice's approach path that the yacht stays quiet at night. The tender runs into Villefranche for dinner or into Nice port for a longer excursion.

Monaco and Cap-Martin. Port Hercule is the region's premier berth — the yacht's home port on any charter that starts or ends in Monaco. Cap-Martin's Baie de Roquebrune is the last French anchorage before Italy and a discreet lunch stop within tender range of both Monaco and Menton.

Sample south of France charter itineraries

The classic 7-day loop — Monaco return. Day 1 Monaco → Villefranche (overnight). Day 2 Villefranche → Antibes → Îles de Lérins (lunch anchorage) → Cannes (dinner ashore, overnight). Day 3 Cannes → Saint-Tropez (afternoon anchor off Pampelonne, dinner ashore, overnight in the Baie). Day 4 Saint-Tropez rest day (Club 55 lunch, jet skis and paddleboards, dinner on board). Day 5 Saint-Tropez → Bonifacio or → Portofino (overnight crossing, chef's tasting menu on board). Day 6 Portofino / Bonifacio day (ashore for lunch, back on board for dinner). Day 7 return to Monaco (overnight cruise).

10-day extended charter — Marseille to Monaco. Adds Calanques (Days 1–2), the Îles d'Or (Days 3–4), Saint-Tropez (Days 5–6), Cannes and Îles de Lérins (Days 7–8) and Monaco (Days 9–10). This is the itinerary the concierge desk recommends for a first-time south of France charter — it covers the full geographic range without any single day feeling rushed.

Long-weekend charter — Monaco / Saint-Tropez. Four nights. Monaco → Cannes → Saint-Tropez → Monaco. Suitable for a party of four to eight who want the Riviera at pace but don't have a full week. Priced at roughly half a full week's charter fee plus proportional APA.

Shoulder-season quiet itinerary — May or September. The same 7-day loop but with the anchorages half full, the restaurants easy to book and the water still 22–25°C. The concierge desk's own preferred window for a first charter — the weather is very reliable but the region is not at high-August pressure.

Which yachts suit a south of France charter

20–30m motor yachts (skipper + crew of 1–2). Sanlorenzo SD96, Riva Corsaro, Wajer 77, Frauscher 1414 — small and fast, ideal for day and long-weekend cruises with four to six adults. Comfortable for one or two nights on board; not designed for a full week.

30–40m motor yachts (crew of 4–8). The heart of the market. Sanlorenzo SL, Sunseeker 116, Ferretti 1000, Azimut Grande, Benetti Delfino. Sleep six to eight guests across four cabins, full-time chef, tender + toys, week charters €80,000–€200,000 base + APA.

40–55m superyachts (crew of 8–15). Feadship, Amels, Benetti, Baglietto, CRN. Sleep eight to twelve guests across five or six cabins, master suite with private terrace, formal dining, professional crew, extensive water toys and often a helipad. Week charters €300,000–€900,000 base + APA.

55m+ mega yachts (crew of 15–30). Oceanco, Lürssen, Feadship, Abeking & Rasmussen. Suitable for parties of ten to sixteen guests or for a smaller party wanting the interior standard of a private residence at sea. Week charters €900,000–€3,000,000+ base + APA.

Sailing yachts. A quieter alternative, at price parity with motor yachts of the same length. Perini Navi, Baltic and Wally are the market standards. The Îles de Lérins, the Îles d'Or and the Corsican coast reward a sailing charter more than the motor equivalent.

Prices for a south of France yacht charter

The charter market prices in the south of France run on the same MYBA-standard weekly base fee + APA model as the rest of the Mediterranean. Indicative weekly base fees (July–August peak):

30m motor yacht: €80,000–€140,000. 40m superyacht: €200,000–€400,000. 50m superyacht: €500,000–€1,200,000. 60m+ mega yacht: €1,500,000+.

Off-peak (May–June, September) discounts of 10–25% apply to most yachts. The event weeks — Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Grand Prix, Monaco Yacht Show — command 20–40% premiums and book 6–18 months in advance.

APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) is 25–35% of the base fee, transferred to the captain before embarkation. It funds fuel, food, drinks, dockage, communications and any onshore transport. The captain reconciles the APA at the end of the charter; unused funds are refunded, and any overspend is charged. See our Monaco yacht charter prices page for the full cost structure and our APA guide for how the running-cost account works in practice.

Crew gratuity — 5 to 15% of the base fee, at the guest's discretion — is separate. It goes directly to the crew at the end of the charter, not to the owner or the broker.

Seasons and event weeks

May. The season opens. Water 18–20°C, air 22–25°C, calm seas, restaurants reopening. Monaco Grand Prix (last weekend of May) and Cannes Film Festival (second and third weeks) dominate the calendar and command premium rates. Book 12+ months in advance for either event; both are the most oversubscribed weeks of the year.

June. The concierge's favourite month. Water 22–24°C, long days (sunset 21:30), full restaurant service, the anchorages still uncrowded. Prices are ~10% under peak. First-time charter guests are consistently steered towards early June.

July–August. Peak season, peak pressure, peak weather. Water 25–27°C, air 28–32°C, every anchorage full by 11am, every restaurant fully booked. The yacht itself is the antidote to the crowd — the concierge desk plans early lunches, quieter anchorages and mid-afternoon repositioning to keep the guest party out of the peak-hour pressure.

September. The second favourite month. Water still 24°C, restaurants still open, crowds thinned after the 15th. The two events — Cannes Yachting Festival (early September) and Monaco Yacht Show (last week of September) — dominate the yachting industry calendar and pull most of the charter fleet into show duty for the surrounding week. Charter availability outside the show windows is excellent and priced at ~15% under peak.

October. The tail. Water still swimmable at the beginning of the month, restaurants closing progressively, the fleet migrating south. Suitable for a last-minute charter but not for a first-planned trip.

How the concierge process works

Step 1 — The brief. You send us dates (or a date window), the party size and composition, the embarkation port (or 'flexible'), any specific destinations, and any preferences on yacht type. This can be an email, a phone call or the enquiry form. A Monaco-based advisor is assigned to your enquiry within 24 hours.

Step 2 — The shortlist. Within one working day we return three to five yachts that fit the brief. Each shortlisted yacht comes with a full brochure (layout, cabins, crew CVs, toy inventory), the base fee, an APA estimate, and any known limitations (draft, guest count, itinerary constraints). The shortlist is edited on the guest's feedback until the yacht is chosen.

Step 3 — The contract. The MYBA charter agreement is signed by the guest and the owner. A 50% deposit of the base fee is transferred to the central agent's client account (not to the owner directly), followed by the balance and the APA before embarkation. The MYBA contract has been the industry standard since 1988; it protects both parties.

Step 4 — Pre-charter briefing. Seven to fourteen days before embarkation the captain and chief stewardess call the guest for a preference sheet — dietary requirements, drinks preferences, sleeping arrangements, itinerary priorities. The interior team provisions accordingly.

Step 5 — Embarkation. The yacht is at the berth on the start day, provisioned and crewed. The captain briefs the guest party on safety, the itinerary and any weather considerations. The charter begins.