Chris de Kock
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

It is one of the reasons people charter here. Your private chef provisions from the Riviera’s superb markets, Antibes, Nice, the Cours Saleya, and cooks to your preference sheet all week, so the menu is yours: Provencal produce, fresh fish and rose at anchor rather than a hotel buffet.

And when you want to go ashore, few coasts compete: the Riviera’s Michelin-starred restaurants and legendary beach clubs are a tender ride away, and the crew books the tables and the beach-club daybeds so you skip the queues.

Tell us on the preference sheet how the week should balance onboard dining and going out, and the chef and route are built to match. More: the best dining experiences and the top beach clubs to arrive by yacht.

Leonidas Marousos
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Spectacular, and increasingly the smart way to do both events. During the Cannes Film Festival or the Monaco Grand Prix, a yacht is your private base right in the action: no hotel scramble, no restaurant queues, and, for the Grand Prix, potentially a berth with the track in view.

The catch is scarcity. These are the most demand-heavy weeks on the coast: the best yachts and, for Monaco, the prized harbour berths book close to a year ahead and command premium rates. Inquire very early, and be ready to commit.

We hold confirmed-berth yachts and know how each event actually runs from the water. See Cannes Film Festival charters, Monaco Grand Prix charters, and yachts with confirmed GP berths.

Daniel Asmus
Owner & ECPY-accredited charter broker, DMA Yachting

Yes, on both counts. DMA Yachting carries professional indemnity insurance up to EUR 500,000 with ITIC, the specialist insurer for yacht brokers, and we hold ECPY, MYBA and IYBA accreditation. Our owners are active CYBA members too.

This matters more than it sounds. Chartering runs on large wire transfers, so before you send a deposit to any broker, check that they are insured, reachable and properly accredited. We are happy to be checked. The ECPY accreditation is also what lets us arrange the contract that can waive your VAT.

This covers our work as your broker; trip cancellation insurance for you as the guest is separate, and we recommend arranging it when you book.

Martina Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

No. Our service is free to you. Like a travel agent, we are paid a commission from the yacht’s side, and the charter fee is the same whether you book through us or approach the boat directly. There is no markup for using a broker.

What you get for that same price on the Riviera specifically: knowledge of which yachts and crews actually deliver, negotiation on your behalf, the preference sheet and route handled, and, uniquely, access to the ECPY contract that can waive 20% VAT, which only an accredited broker can arrange.

The one thing we ask: pick one broker and work with them. The same inquiry sent to five brokers just means managers see your name five times, and nobody can negotiate well for you after that.

Carina Isenberg
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Usually not, and it is worth knowing why: every yacht has licensed limits for day guests and overnight guests, set by its registration and insurance rather than the crew’s goodwill. Managers hold that line even for small children, with occasional case-by-case flexibility for infants under 12 months.

The Riviera does give you more room to solve it, because the fleet runs larger: stepping up one size, choosing a yacht with a Pullman berth, or moving to the next cabin count is often easier here than on smaller-boat coasts.

Tell us the real headcount, including the little ones, and we shortlist yachts that fit it legally. If the group is genuinely large, see one yacht or two?

Carina Isenberg
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Yes. On a crewed charter the captain, chef and interior crew live aboard for the whole trip, in their own crew quarters separate from the guest cabins. A yacht listed with 5 guest cabins genuinely sleeps 10 guests; the crew occupies none of them.

They are also on duty in the ways that matter: meals and drinks, tender runs to the beach club, toys, moving the boat while you swim, and the local knowledge of which restaurant to call and which bay fills by noon.

On the rare captain-only yacht the captain still sleeps aboard, in a dedicated cabin or the saloon depending on layout. If cabin privacy matters, ask us how a specific yacht arranges it before you book.

John Boullin
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Most charter yachts are limited to 12 sleeping guests, so a bigger group means one of two things: a larger superyacht licensed for more, of which the Riviera has plenty at the top end, or two yachts cruising together.

The Riviera is unusual in having real superyacht depth, so staying on one boat is more often possible here than in most destinations. Where it is not, two yachts side by side in the same bay usually costs less and works beautifully given the short distances.

Day events for larger groups are a different calculation again. Tell us your headcount and dates and we price every version. See our large-group charters (12-20 guests).

Chris de Kock
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

On the French Riviera the question barely arises: charters at this level are fully crewed, with a captain, chef and interior crew as standard. Bareboat and captain-only are marginal here, unlike the Caribbean or Greece, because the fleet is weighted to larger, more premium yachts.

Fully crewed means you are a guest, not the crew: meals cooked, cabins made, tender and toys run for you, and a captain who knows which Cannes berth to book and which Cap Ferrat bay is calm at breakfast. It is the experience the Riviera is built around.

If budget is the concern, the lever is yacht size or dates, not dropping the crew; talk to us and we will find the version that works.

Chris de Kock
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

They exist, but they are genuinely scarce here, and that surprises people coming from the Caribbean or Greece. The Riviera market is motor-yacht dominated: berths are premium, distances are short, and demand skews to fast motor yachts and superyachts, so relatively few crewed catamarans are based on the coast.

What that means in practice: the good crewed cats book out early, so if a catamaran is your heart’s choice, inquire well ahead and stay flexible on dates. Often a power catamaran or a smaller motor yacht delivers the same space-and-stability brief with far more availability.

We keep track of the Riviera cats worth having. Full explanation and current options: why catamarans are hard to find on the Riviera.

Leonidas Marousos
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Yes, day charters are a Riviera staple: a morning start from Cannes, Antibes or St Tropez, swim stops in the Esterel calanques or off the Iles de Lerins, lunch at anchor or ashore, and a golden-hour cruise home. Premium day yachts run into five figures per day; smaller options start lower.

We also arrange one-day events aboard, from birthdays to corporate days around Cannes Lions, with catering and transport coordinated around the boat.

If you are tempted to stretch it, the interesting threshold is 2 to 3 days, where day-boat pricing crosses into proper crewed territory and the wider coast, St Tropez, Monaco, the Italian border, comes into range. More: Riviera day charters.

Leonidas Marousos
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Yes, and it is one of the joys of the Riviera: the classic stops are close together, so Monaco, Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez fit comfortably in a week, most legs under a couple of hours.

Pushing east into Italy, San Remo, Portofino, or on to Corsica and Sardinia, is very doable with a bit more time, and it comes with a bonus: a route that crosses into international waters can waive the 20% VAT under an ECPY contract, so the border crossing can pay for itself.

Yacht speed decides how much you fit; a faster motor yacht opens up more coast. Sample routes: our 7-day Riviera itinerary and the Antibes to Corsica and Sardinia route.

Daniel Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Rarely, by charter standards. The Riviera runs on calm summer weather, the hops between Cannes, Antibes, St Tropez and the Cap are short, and most nights are spent at anchor in protected bays where the boat barely moves.

If anyone is prone to motion, tell us and we plan around it. Larger motor yachts carry stabilizers that settle the ride under way and at rest, and a good captain times any open leg for a calm window.

The honest caveat is the Mistral, the strong northwesterly that can blow up for a day or two and kick up a short sea. The coast has sheltered options in almost any wind, and the captain simply reshapes the day around it.

Leonidas Marousos
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Yes. The usual setup is rendezvous diving: a licensed local dive center meets the yacht at the day’s anchorage with tanks and a divemaster, you dive, and the itinerary rolls on. The waters off the Esterel and around the Iles de Lerins and Porquerolles have the best sites.

Some yachts carry their own gear and compressor, though fewer than in the Caribbean, so if diving is central to your week, say so up front and we shortlist accordingly. See yachts with scuba onboard.

No license? Uncertified guests can do an instructor-led discovery dive, shallow and supervised, and snorkeling over the clear water and posidonia needs nothing at all.

Nadja Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Yes, and they are the reason the water is so clear. French waters protect their posidonia seagrass meadows, and anchoring on posidonia is prohibited and fined, with dedicated eco-moorings and regulated anchoring zones in the busiest bays.

What this means for you as a guest is almost nothing, and that is the point of a crewed charter: your captain knows the legal sand patches, books eco-moorings where needed, and plans the route so the best stops are secured rather than hoped for.

It does reward booking with a crew that knows the coast, especially in August when the good spots go early. Full detail: anchoring rules and posidonia regulations.

Nadja Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Yes. France requires a recognized license (a permis) to operate a jet ski, and it is enforced along the Riviera, so this is not something a captain can wave through. Unlicensed guests can still ride as passengers behind a licensed driver, and license-free toys, seabobs, e-foils, paddleboards and tubes, carry the fun for everyone else.

It is plannable: recognized courses can be arranged, and we can tell you whether your home boating license qualifies. Tell us early if jet skis matter and we shortlist yachts that carry them, since not every boat does.

See the current boats here: yachts with a jet ski and yachts with multiple jet skis.

Carina Isenberg
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

No. If you see the trip as even 50% likely, it is the right time to reach out. An early inquiry costs nothing and commits you to nothing, and it lets us tell you what is realistically available in your window before the good boats are gone.

On the Riviera this matters more than most places, because the Monaco Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival and peak August weeks book out very early. Inquiring early is often the difference between a shortlist and whatever is left.

Even if your dates or group are not final, we can sketch options, rough budgets and the yachts worth holding, so you decide with real information.

Carina Isenberg
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

First we confirm reality: whether the yacht you asked about is free on your dates and at what price, since Riviera rates move with the season and events. At the same time we shortlist comparable boats, including ones with better crews or better value, so you choose from real options rather than one listing.

Once you pick, the steps are: charter agreement (MYBA or an ECPY contract if a VAT-saving route fits), payments per the contract terms, then the preference sheet where the trip gets personal.

From inquiry to signed contract can take a day or a month; it moves at your pace, and asking questions costs nothing.

Nadja Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

After the charter agreement is signed, not before. It is far easier to move a flight than a yacht: the boat you want has to be free, in the right port, on your exact dates, and that is the hard part of the puzzle.

The consolation on the Riviera is that Nice (NCE) is one of Europe’s best-connected airports, with direct flights from across Europe and good long-haul links, so flights are rarely what limits the plan.

Send us your flight times once booked; the crew plans boarding, provisioning and the first evening’s anchorage around your arrival.

Nadja Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Antibes is the default starting point for most Riviera charters. Port Vauban gives the deepest access to the crewed fleet, provisioning and crew are all based there, and Nice airport is about 20 km away, so it is the most flexible operational base.

Cannes makes sense when the Croisette, the first lunch ashore and the social atmosphere are part of what you are paying for, or when your charter is built around the Film Festival. It is a shorter transfer from Cannes-Mandelieu but has a smaller home fleet.

Either way, the first cruising leg is short and the whole coast opens up quickly. Full comparison: Antibes vs Cannes.

Nadja Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Nice Cote d’Azur (NCE) for almost everyone: it is one of Europe’s best-connected airports, direct from most major cities, and only 20 to 30 minutes from the main charter bases at Antibes and Cannes. Land by early afternoon and you can be aboard for a first evening at anchor.

Arriving by private jet? Cannes-Mandelieu (CEQ) sits right beside the Cannes marinas and is the convenient private option, with Nice also handling private traffic.

Book the flights only after the charter agreement is signed; it is far easier to move a flight than a yacht. Which airport suits you can also depend on where you start: see Nice vs Cannes-Mandelieu.

Leonidas Marousos
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

For the Monaco Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival and peak July-August weeks: 9 to 12 months, and the best yachts go earlier still. These are among the most demand-heavy dates in world charter, and Monaco Grand Prix berths in particular are a genuinely scarce asset booked far ahead.

For June, September and the shoulder months, 4 to 6 months usually still gives a real choice, and late availability does appear. Peak summer without an event sits in between.

Not sure yet? Inquire anyway. If the trip is even half likely, it is the right time to look: we can tell you what is genuinely available in your window, and asking costs nothing. For the event weeks specifically, see our Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival charter pages.

Daniel Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

June and September are the sweet spot: warm water, settled weather, long evenings, and noticeably fewer crowds than the July and August peak. May and early October are the value shoulders, mild and much quieter, with slightly cooler swimming.

The Riviera calendar is also shaped by events, and they matter more here than weather. The Monaco Grand Prix (late May), the Cannes Film Festival (May) and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (late September/October) lock out the best yachts and berths far ahead and lift prices sharply for those weeks.

Peak summer is glorious but busy, with the occasional Mistral wind bringing a breezy day or two. Full month-by-month guide: Best Time for a French Riviera Yacht Charter.

Chris de Kock
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

High season is July and August, plus the event weeks that behave like their own peak: the Monaco Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Those are the busiest, priciest, hardest-to-book weeks of the year.

The shoulders are where most of our clients are happiest. June and September give you summer weather with lighter crowds and easier availability; May and October are quieter and better value, with the tradeoff of cooler water and the odd unsettled day.

Riviera rates swing genuinely with the calendar, so the same yacht can cost far less in June than during Cannes. If your dates flex by a week or two, that flexibility often buys a better yacht for the same budget. See also the best time to charter.

Martina Asmus
Owner & ECPY-accredited charter broker, DMA Yachting

Sometimes. Outside July, August and the big event weeks, and especially on larger yachts, managers will consider a serious offer. The way to do it is through your broker: we know which managers negotiate, which have strict no-discount policies, and what number is worth putting on the table.

Two things before you offer. An offer is treated as binding, so be ready to sign quickly if accepted. And shopping the same yacht through several brokers creates no leverage; managers see every inquiry arrive under your name.

One Riviera-specific caution: check what a cheaper-looking quote actually includes. A competitor can look lower by quoting a smaller APA or by leaving VAT off, neither of which is a real saving. Compare charter fee against charter fee, and ask whether the VAT can be legitimately waived with an ECPY route.

Martina Asmus
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

10 to 15% of the base charter fee is the Mediterranean norm when the service has been strong, and service on good Riviera boats usually is. It is always at your discretion, but plan for it in the budget: on a EUR 120,000 week that is EUR 12,000 to EUR 18,000.

The practical side: the gratuity goes to the captain at the end of the charter, cash or a pre-arranged transfer, and the captain splits it evenly across the whole crew, including the engineer and deckhands you saw less of.

If anything falls short mid-trip, tell the captain or your broker then rather than at tip time; almost everything is fixable while you are still aboard. Budget context: what a Riviera charter really costs.

John Boullin
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

The balance of your charter fee, the APA, and the VAT are due together about six weeks before your charter starts; your agreement shows the exact date.

The APA then travels with the boat as your onboard budget for fuel, provisioning, dockage and marina fees. The captain spends from it during the week, keeps the accounts, and reconciles every cost with you before you disembark. Whatever is unspent is refunded afterwards.

We review the captain’s APA accounts ourselves too. We know what fuel, Riviera marina berths and provisioning should cost, so you are not interpreting a spreadsheet alone on the last morning, and Riviera dockage in peak season is exactly the kind of line worth a second eye.

John Boullin
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

The standard structure: 50% of the charter fee is due when you sign the charter agreement, and the remaining 50%, together with the APA and VAT, is due about six weeks before you step aboard. Far-in-advance bookings can sometimes split 25/25/50 with the owner’s agreement.

Two contract types are common on the Riviera. The MYBA agreement is the classic charter contract; the ECPY transport contract is the one that can waive VAT on qualifying international routes. Your broker will tell you which fits your plan before you sign.

Payment is by bank transfer, the industry standard for amounts this size. Every deadline is laid out in the agreement, so the money side holds no surprises.

Carina Isenberg
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

Because neither is the same for every yacht or itinerary, so building them into the listed rate would make every price wrong for someone. The predictable part is French VAT at 20% of the charter fee, though an ECPY contract can waive it on qualifying international routes.

The variable part is the APA, your onboard budget for fuel, provisioning and dockage, usually 25 to 40% of the fee. It is money spent on your behalf, not a surcharge, and the unspent balance is refunded after the charter. Where a yacht lands in that range depends mostly on fuel appetite and how ambitious the route is.

What we promise instead: the first quote we send shows the full all-in number, charter fee, VAT, APA and expected gratuity, so you compare real costs between yachts, not headline rates.

Daniel Asmus
Owner & ECPY-accredited charter broker, DMA Yachting

France charges 20% VAT on the charter fee, one of the higher rates in the Med. But there is a legitimate way to reduce it that most guests never hear about, and it is one of the real advantages of chartering the Riviera with the right broker.

Under an ECPY transport contract, the charter is framed as a transport service rather than a rental, and the VAT is waived when your itinerary crosses into international waters, for example cruising from the Riviera to Italy, Sardinia or Spain. On a EUR 200,000 charter that is EUR 40,000 saved. Not every broker can offer this: it requires ECPY accreditation, which we hold.

The catch is that it depends on the yacht, the contract, and a qualifying route, so it is a conversation to have early. Full detail with a worked example: how an ECPY contract saves the VAT.

John Boullin
Yacht charter broker, DMA Yachting

It spans a wide range. Luxury catamarans on the French Riviera start around EUR 25,000 to EUR 90,000 per week, motor yachts around EUR 40,000 to EUR 180,000, and superyachts from EUR 180,000 to EUR 500,000 and up, all before extras.

The base rate is not the trip budget. On a standard French charter you add VAT of about 20%, an APA of roughly 25 to 40% for fuel, provisioning and dockage, and a crew gratuity of 10 to 15%. A yacht advertised at EUR 160,000 can become a real budget of roughly EUR 248,000 to EUR 280,000 depending on how the week is used.

One Riviera-specific saving is worth knowing: with an ECPY contract and a route that crosses into international waters, that 20% VAT can be waived. We quote the full all-in number from the first email so you compare real costs. Full breakdown: How Much Does a French Riviera Yacht Charter Cost?