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Named after the azure blue waters that embrace its 550-mile coastline, all the way from Saint-Tropez to the French-Italian border, it comes as no surprise that the French Riviera – or the Côte d’Azur, as it’s officially known – is blessed with an abundance of blissful beaches, secluded coves and charming coastal towns.
With its reputation for luxury yacht charter, the south eastern coast of France has long been a popular destination for those seeking sun-soaked escapes with a touch of indulgence, without the hassle of travelling long-haul.
While you may well have considered booking a boutique hotel stay or renting an apartment locally for your stay, you probably haven’t yet given much thought to actually staying on one of the many French Riviera yachts you’ll see bobbing up and down on the water while you’re there.
So, why should you consider hiring a yacht for your time in the French Riviera? Read on to discover more.
What does it mean to charter a yacht?
If you charter a yacht, then you pay a fee to hire it for a period of time, along with the crew; while you can captain the boat yourself, you’ll need a license to do so. You’ll also need to cover the costs of fuel, food and drink, and any other incidental costs.
While chartering a yacht can be costly, it still only amounts to a fraction of what you’d pay to buy a brand new, or even second-hand yacht.
One of the other advantages of chartering a yacht vs. embarking on a cruise, is that you’ll be have more influence over your itinerary, with the option to add bespoke excursions and experiences to your time onboard, including on-shore outings and activities.
There are different kinds of chartering arrangement available, including:
- Bareboat charter (you simply hire the yacht itself, without its crew or any other provisions)
- Cabin charter (you hire out a single cabin onboard a yacht with a private crew)
- Private crew charter (the arrangement described above)
- Luxury superyacht
When is yacht charter season in the French Riviera?
When it comes to choosing when to charter a yacht in the French Riviera, you’ll need to consider the yacht charter season, which runs from around April until the end of October, similar to the rest of the Mediterranean yacht charter season.
As you’d expect, July and August tend to be the busiest summer months, when temperatures are at their highest.
Popular yachting spots along the French Riviera
Dotted with picturesque beaches, there are many highly-rated yachting spots along the French Riviera; there’s a reason why author, Stéphen Liégeard dubbed it, “La Côte d’Azur” (the Azure Coast) as far back as 1888.
Here are some of the most popular yachting destinations in the French Riviera:
- Monaco
- Cannes
- Saint-Tropez
- Antibes
- Nice
- Villefranche-Sur-Mer
- Beaulieu-Sur-Mer
On-shore activities in the French Riviera
While you’ll no doubt be living your best lives on-board your private chartered yacht, you might want to get involved in a few on-shore activities during your time in the French Riviera.
Popular activities and experiences include:
- Hitting the beach – with luxury beach resorts like Saint-Tropez and Cannes, there really is no better place for it!
- Watersports like snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, paddle boarding and more
- Take a hike, admiring the picturesque coastal views as you go
- Explore the seaside towns perched along the coastline
- Dine out in local restaurants
- Indulge your inner adrenaline junkie at a theme park
- Sight-seeing – check out the Côte d’Azur card to access 100+ activities in the French Riviera free of charge (with prices for the card starting from €35)
How much does it cost to rent a yacht in the French Riviera?
At a cost ranging anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 euros per day, chartering a yacht in the French Riviera certainly isn’t cheap. However, if you’ll be inviting a few other people on board with you, there’s always the option to split the cost.
Aim to book towards the end of high season for the best prices; you’ll always pay more to charter a yacht in the likes of the Mediterranean during the peak of summer.
The cost to charter a yacht will depend on whether you’re opting for a bareboat charter (the cheapest option), a cabin charter (priced per person), a private crew charter, or a luxury superyacht (which can cost around $150,000 per week).
How can I go about chartering a yacht in the French Riviera?
If you’ve decided you’d like to go ahead and charter a yacht in the French Riviera, the next step would be to make enquiries with a reputable yacht chartering company, like IYC.com. This particular company offers yacht charter to suit different kinds of budgets in top yachting destinations around the world, including in the Caribbean and in my favourite Caribbean island/s, Grenada and Carriacou.
Hopefully, you’ll now be feeling more clued up on where to start with chartering a yacht in the French Riviera.
Can you think of anything that I’ve missed? Let me know by leaving a comment and I’ll consider adding your suggestion to my guide.
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This is a sponsored post.