Yacht rental, Côte d'Azur.

Yacht rental Côte d'Azur — the concierge's overview

'Côte d'Azur' is the French name for the 120nm arc of coast that English speakers call the French Riviera. It runs from the Italian border at Menton through Monaco, Cap-Martin, Roquebrune, Beaulieu, Villefranche, Nice, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Cannes, the Îles de Lérins, the Massif de l'Estérel, and finishes at Saint-Tropez and the Baie de Cavalaire. Yacht rental on the Côte d'Azur is simply yacht charter along that stretch — the words 'rental', 'hire' and 'charter' are used interchangeably in the market.

The Côte d'Azur is the most concentrated luxury yachting coast in the world. Port Vauban in Antibes is the largest yacht port in Europe. Monaco's Port Hercule houses the world's densest concentration of superyachts. Cannes' Vieux Port and Port Canto, Saint-Tropez's Vieux Port, and Nice's Port de Nice make up the rest of the region's berthing capacity. Between them they place, service and provision most of the western Mediterranean's charter fleet.

Luxury Yacht Charter Monaco is a Monaco-based concierge desk that places yachts from every point on this coast for guests seeking day, weekend or weekly rentals. This page covers what yacht rental on the Côte d'Azur actually consists of — the yacht formats, the ports, the prices and the process — for guests planning a first booking.

Day rental vs weekly charter

Day rental (day charter). A single-day hire, typically 8 to 10 hours, on a 15–25m dayboat with a skipper and, on the larger yachts, a stewardess. Runs to a Pampelonne beach club for lunch, an anchorage in the Îles de Lérins for swimming, or a sunset cruise along the Cap Ferrat coast. Priced all-in per day; the skipper, fuel and standard drinks are included. Suitable for a party of four to eight adults for a single day.

Long-weekend rental. Two to four nights on a 25–30m crewed yacht — the format that captures the Cannes → Saint-Tropez run without a full week. Base fee at roughly half a full week plus proportional APA. Suitable for a party of four to eight for a weekend break or a milestone celebration.

Weekly rental (crewed charter). The seven-day MYBA-contract format on a 30m+ crewed yacht with captain, chef, chief stewardess, interior team and deck team. The itinerary is built in dialogue between the guest party and the captain. This is the format most people mean when they say 'chartering a yacht'. Base fee per week + APA (25–35%) + optional crew gratuity.

Extended rental. Two-week and monthly charters run at the same weekly rate; some owners will discount 5–10% for a two-week booking. The extended format opens the door to the Italian leg (Portofino, Cinque Terre, Elba), the Corsican coast and the Sardinian archipelago.

The fleet available for rental on the Côte d'Azur

15–25m dayboats and small motor yachts. Riva Aquariva, Riva Corsaro, Wajer 55, Wajer 77, Frauscher 1414, Beneteau GT 40, Sanlorenzo SD96. Skipper + optional crew. Day and short-weekend rentals. All-in day rates €4,000–€12,000 depending on yacht and season.

25–40m motor yachts. The heart of the crewed charter market. Sunseeker 116, Ferretti 1000, Azimut Grande, Sanlorenzo SL, Benetti Delfino. Crew of three to eight. Weekly rentals €60,000–€200,000 base + APA.

40–55m superyachts. Feadship, Amels, Baglietto, Benetti, CRN. Crew of eight to fifteen. Weekly rentals €200,000–€900,000 base + APA.

55m+ mega yachts. Oceanco, Lürssen, Feadship, Abeking & Rasmussen. Crew of fifteen to thirty. Weekly rentals €900,000–€3,000,000+ base + APA. On the Côte d'Azur the mega-yacht fleet cycles through Monaco, Antibes and Cannes for the summer season and is heavily booked around the event weeks.

Sailing yachts. Perini Navi, Baltic, Wally and Oyster are the market standards for the crewed sailing fleet. Priced at parity with motor yachts of the same length. A sailing charter rewards the quieter anchorages of the Îles de Lérins and the Îles d'Or more than the motor equivalent.

Embarkation ports along the Côte d'Azur

Monaco — Port Hercule. The region's flagship berth. Deep-water quays, 24/7 harbourmaster, immediate access to Monaco's helicopter transfer service from Nice Côte d'Azur airport (7 minutes). Most Luxury Yacht Charter Monaco embarkations happen here.

Nice — Port de Nice. Small commercial and yacht port, 15 minutes from Nice Côte d'Azur airport by car. Suitable for embarkation on 25–40m yachts; the port's depth and berth availability limit the largest yacht sizes.

Villefranche-sur-Mer. No permanent berth capacity for large yachts, but the deep-water bay is a preferred first-night anchorage and tender embarkation point.

Antibes — Port Vauban. The largest yacht port in Europe. IYCA (International Yacht Club of Antibes) is the yachting industry's service and provisioning hub. Suitable for embarkation on any yacht size.

Cannes — Vieux Port and Port Canto. Two ports serving the Croisette. Vieux Port for smaller yachts and event-week hospitality; Port Canto for medium yachts. During the Film Festival and the Yachting Festival, berths are pre-allocated to sponsors and exhibitors.

Saint-Tropez — Vieux Port. Historic harbour, limited berth capacity, only the smallest yachts (below 30m) berth inside in high season; larger yachts anchor in the Baie de Pampelonne or the Baie des Canoubiers with tender access ashore.

Yacht rental prices on the Côte d'Azur

Day rentals. 20m skipper-only dayboat €4,000–€8,000; 25m crewed yacht €10,000–€15,000; 30m crewed yacht €15,000–€25,000. All-in day rates — skipper, fuel, standard drinks included. Lunch and chef service priced separately.

Weekly rentals — peak season (July–August). 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+. Base fee only; APA of 25–35% is transferred separately.

Shoulder-season discounts. May–June and September–October run 10–25% under peak. The concierge desk builds most first-time charter enquiries into shoulder season for that reason.

Event-week premiums. Monaco Grand Prix (last weekend of May), Cannes Film Festival (mid-May), Monaco Yacht Show (last week of September), Cannes Yachting Festival (early September) run 20–40% over peak. Book 12–18 months in advance for any event week.

See our Monaco yacht charter prices page for the full cost structure and our Monaco yacht rental prices page for a rental-focused breakdown.

What's included in a Côte d'Azur yacht rental

Day rentals. Yacht, skipper (and stewardess on 25m+), fuel for a normal cruising range, standard soft drinks and champagne on arrival, snorkelling gear, paddleboards, towels and yacht insurance. Not included: lunch (added on request from a beach club, from the yacht's chef, or via a shore restaurant reservation), extra fuel for high-speed cruising, and any onshore transport before or after the charter.

Weekly rentals. The base fee covers the yacht and full crew for the seven days. APA (25–35% of base, transferred pre-charter) covers fuel, food, drinks, dockage and communications. Crew gratuity (5–15% of base, at guest discretion) is paid to the crew at the end of the charter. Off-yacht restaurant meals, personal shopping and any special provisioning are additional.

See our APA guide for the full running-cost account and the what is included guide for the item-by-item breakdown.

How to book a Côte d'Azur yacht rental from Monaco

The brief. Send us your dates (or a date window), party size, the format you're after (day, weekend or weekly), the embarkation port (or 'flexible'), and any specific yacht types or destinations you have in mind. An email, a phone call or the enquiry form all work.

The shortlist. Within one working day a Monaco-based advisor returns three to five yachts that fit the brief. Each comes with full brochure, layout, crew CVs, day or week rate, APA estimate and any relevant constraints.

The contract. For weekly rentals, the MYBA charter agreement is signed and 50% of the base fee is transferred to the central agent's client account, followed by the balance and APA before embarkation. For day rentals, the process is lighter — a booking confirmation and payment of the day rate secures the yacht.

The charter. The yacht is at the berth on the start day, provisioned, crewed and ready. The captain briefs the guest party on safety and the day's plan. The charter begins.