Private yacht charter in Monaco
Monaco sits at the eastern end of the French Riviera, a few miles from the Italian border, with Port Hercule at its centre below the Rock. A Monaco yacht charter uses that position in both directions: west to Villefranche, Cap Ferrat and Cannes, east to Menton and the Italian Riviera, with the evenings back in the principality.
The coast immediately around Monaco is steep and built up, and its own waters leave little room to anchor, so the days are spent along the neighbouring coast and the nights in the harbour or close by. The yacht is the link between the two, and the reason Monaco works as a base as well as an address.
Monaco and its coast from the water
Port Hercule. The principal harbour, with 760 berths and a semi-floating breakwater 352 metres long, is the setting of the Grand Prix and the Monaco Yacht Show and the place to spend the evenings. East of it, the Larvotto marine reserve is closed to anchoring and to motor boats.
Villefranche and Cap Ferrat. Ten kilometres to the south-west, the roadstead of Villefranche is one of the deepest natural harbours in the Mediterranean and gives shelter from easterly winds. Cap Ferrat beside it has the bays of Passable and Paloma, the harbour of Saint-Jean and, on the neck of the peninsula, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. A morning here and an evening in Monaco is the classic day.
Cap Martin and Menton. East of the principality, the coast runs past the headland of Cap Martin to Menton and the Italian border, a short cruise for a swim and a quieter lunch ashore.
The Italian Riviera. Sanremo is around an hour and a half east, and Portofino about seven hours, the natural extension of a longer week; our Portofino yacht charter page covers that coast. Italian waters need to be written into the charter agreement before departure.
Cannes and the Lérins. West past Nice and the Cap d'Antibes, the Lérins islands off Cannes are about two hours away, and Saint-Tropez a few hours beyond.
On the French coast either side of Monaco, from the mouth of the Var to the Italian border, yachts of 20 metres and over may anchor only outside the seagrass zones mapped by the Préfecture maritime, a lower threshold than the 24 metres applied further west. Yachts of 45 metres and over must also notify the local semaphore before anchoring, and the largest use designated zones off Villefranche and Menton.
A week from Monaco
A week can run in either direction. Westward, Villefranche and Cap Ferrat on the first day, then the Cap d'Antibes, the Lérins and two nights around Saint-Tropez, with the return broken at the Lérins for a last evening in Port Hercule. Eastward, Menton and Sanremo, then the passage to Portofino and the Gulf of Tigullio, and back along the Ligurian coast. Either way, the berth in Monaco is settled before the route. Times assume a motor yacht at a typical cruising speed.
When to go
The season runs from May to early October. June and September offer warm water and more room in the harbours; July and August are the busiest months. Two weeks shape the calendar: the Formula 1 Grand Prix, in late May or early June depending on the year, and the Monaco Yacht Show at Port Hercule in late September. Both fill the harbour, raise rates and are planned many months ahead; see the Monaco Grand Prix by yacht and the Monaco Yacht Show.
Marinas and arrival
Port Hercule, below the Rock, is the main harbour and the one that receives the largest yachts. Port de Fontvieille, on the other side of the Rock, is a smaller marina of about 290 berths with a maximum draught of 3 metres, suited to smaller yachts. Both are run by the principality's port company. Nice Côte d'Azur airport lies some 20 kilometres along the coast, with a business aviation terminal and a helicopter link to the heliport at Fontvieille.
Yachts and what a week costs
Monaco draws yachts of every size, and the berth often decides the choice as much as the yacht: a 30 metre motor yacht and an 80 metre superyacht do not compete for the same quays. As a Mediterranean guide, a 20 to 30 metre motor yacht runs from around EUR 30,000 to EUR 80,000 a week before running costs, a 30 to 45 metre yacht from around EUR 80,000 to EUR 250,000, and yachts above 50 metres from around EUR 250,000, quoted individually. The Advance Provisioning Allowance of 25 to 35 percent, VAT for the cruising area and a customary gratuity of 5 to 15 percent bring the week to roughly 130 to 150 percent of the base rate. The Grand Prix and Yacht Show weeks sit well above that; what a yacht charter costs sets out each line.
Monaco is also a natural base for a superyacht charter on the Riviera. Yachts of 50 metres and over lie on the outer quays of Port Hercule when a berth can be had, or off Cap Ferrat and in the roadstead of Villefranche with a tender service into the harbour. A luxury yacht rental in Monaco for a single day, from the harbour to Cap Ferrat and back, is arranged the same way, with the berth or the tender plan settled first.
How a Monaco charter is arranged
In Monaco the berth comes first. We start from your dates, settle where the yacht will lie, then shortlist the yachts that suit your group and the route, with the full cost set out before anything is signed. The Monaco yacht charter guide goes further into berthing and the rhythm of a week here.
Tell us your dates, the size of your group and what you have in mind, and we will come back with a shortlist. Start the conversation.
