Monaco, our home port
Home port. Charters begin and end at Port Hercule, in the heart of the principality.
Chartering a yacht in Monaco costs from €1,500 a day for a day boat (excluding fuel) and from €10,000 for a crewed superyacht; by the week a 20–30 m motor yacht is published at €25,000 – €65,000 and a 30–40 m superyacht at €65,000 – €180,000, exclusive of APA (25–35%) and VAT (20%). Every charter leaves from Port Hercule — 760 berths, basin 2.50 to 55 m — with no positioning leg.
Monaco is where every itinerary starts. Port Hercule sits beneath the old town and the Casino quarter, a deep-water harbour built for yachts of every size and a few minutes from everything ashore.
From here the whole Riviera is a day-cruise away — west to the Lérins and Saint-Tropez, east to the Italian coast — making Monaco the natural base for a week afloat.
How does a yacht charter from Port Hercule work?
As the home port, Monaco lets a charter begin the moment you step aboard — no transfer, no positioning leg. Port Hercule is a deep-water harbour able to take everything from a day boat to a 100-metre superyacht, with the tenders, fuel and provisioning of a world yachting capital on the quay. Charters depart directly from here, and the crew have the coast's anchorages, beach clubs and harbours at their fingertips.
Because berths in Monaco are limited and prized, we arrange departure and return slots in advance, and can hold a berth for the evening so you return to the heart of the principality rather than a marina down the coast.
Where can a yacht go in a day from Monaco?
A day from Monaco can stay close and still feel complete: a morning swim off the Larvotto, lunch at anchor under the cliffs, and the principality glittering as you return at dusk. Westward, Cap-Ferrat and the bay of Villefranche are under an hour; eastward, Menton and the Italian frontier are an easy run. The Grand Prix in May and the Yacht Show in September turn the harbour into the centre of the yachting world.
What is a day on the water from Monaco actually like?
Boarding is at Port Hercule, usually between ten and eleven, once the crew have provisioned and the tender is in the water. The first hour is spent close to home: past the Fairmont hairpin and the Larvotto beach, then a first swim off the rocks of Cap-Martin or, turning west, in the lee of Cap-Ferrat, where the water is deep and the wind rarely reaches. Lunch is at anchor — the chef's, or a beach club we have booked at Villefranche or Beaulieu — and the afternoon belongs to paddleboards, the tender and the slow return along the cliffs as the light drops behind the Tête de Chien.
Nothing about the day is fixed. A group that wants Italy turns east to Menton for lunch under the old town; a party for the casino asks to be back and dressed by eight. The captain reads the forecast the evening before and proposes the shape of the day; the rest is decided over coffee on deck.
Why do charters begin in Monaco rather than Nice or Antibes?
Because the yacht is already here. Most of the fleet we work with winters or bases at Port Hercule and Fontvieille, so a Monaco departure costs no delivery leg and no positioning fee — the day or the week begins the moment you step aboard. Nice airport is a seven-minute helicopter transfer or forty minutes by road, so guests arriving from abroad are on deck within the hour. Berthing is the one constraint: the harbour is full through the season, and a yacht that leaves its berth for a week may not get the same one back, which is why we hold the return slot when we confirm the charter.
How much does a yacht charter in Monaco cost?
The brackets below are the ones published for the Monaco fleet, exclusive of APA, VAT and gratuity. Departing from Monaco adds no positioning leg: the day or weekly rate is the whole rate.
| Yacht size | Weekly rate | APA (25–35%) |
|---|---|---|
| Motor yacht 20–30 m | €25,000 – €65,000 | €6,250 – €22,750 |
| Superyacht 30–40 m | €65,000 – €180,000 | €16,250 – €63,000 |
| Premium superyacht 40–45 m | €140,000 – €320,000 | €35,000 – €112,000 |
| Megayacht 45 m+ | €280,000 – €800,000+ | €70,000 – €280,000+ |
APA — 25–35% of the fee, median 35% across MYBA listings — covers fuel, harbour dues, food and drink, and the balance is returned. VAT at the standard 20% rate applies to charters starting in France or Monaco; crew gratuity is customary at 5–15% of the fee (MYBA guidance).
- International Yachts Charter & Brokerage — Monaco Yacht Show 2026 charter rates — retrieved 2026-09-05
- Monaco Boats (The S Collection) — Yacht charter prices in Monaco — retrieved 2026-09-05
- Vital Charters — What's included in a yacht charter fee: MYBA contract (2026), survey of MYBA listings — retrieved 2026-09-05
- service-public.gouv.fr — Taux de TVA (fiche F23567, "Vérifié le 18 juin 2025") — retrieved 2026-09-05
- Gouvernement Princier de Monaco — monentreprise.gouv.mc, TVA — retrieved 2026-09-05
Rates retrieved 2026-09-05.
Which harbour and anchorages does a yacht use in Monaco?
Port Hercule
- Operator
- Société d'Exploitation des Ports de Monaco
- Berths
- 760 berths (port operator); Wikipédia counts close to 700.
- Max length
- about twenty yachts of 35–60 m and two mega-yachts of 100 m
- Depth
- basin 2.50 to 55 m
- Anchorages
- Port Hercule · Larvotto bay
Distances are computed between the OpenStreetMap positions of Port Hercule and Port Hercule; the actual coastal route is a little longer.
- OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — retrieved 2026-09-06
- Société d'Exploitation des Ports de Monaco — Port Hercule — retrieved 2026-09-06
- Wikipédia — Port Hercule — retrieved 2026-09-06
When is the best time to charter a yacht in Monaco?
Recommended season: April–October.
The Riviera charter season runs April to October. In Monaco demand peaks twice: around the Grand Prix in late May, when a yacht on Port Hercule becomes a trackside terrace, and during the Monaco Yacht Show (23–26 September 2026, source: the organiser), when berths are the scarce item. Early summer and September outside show week give the same sea with better availability.
- Monaco Yacht Show — official site (home + billetterie) — retrieved 2026-09-05
Frequently asked questions
Can I charter a yacht directly from Monaco?
Yes — Monaco is the home port, so charters and day rentals depart straight from Port Hercule with no positioning leg. We arrange the berth, departure slot and an evening return into the heart of the principality.
When is the best time to charter from Monaco?
The season runs April to October, with the warmest, calmest water from June to September. Late May brings the Grand Prix and September the Yacht Show, both spectacular but in high demand; the shoulder months offer the same sea with quieter anchorages.
Can we embark at Fontvieille instead of Port Hercule?
Yes. Fontvieille, the principality's second harbour on the western side of the Rock, is used mostly by yachts under about 30 m and is a quieter place to board. We choose the harbour according to where the yacht is berthed and where the cars can reach the quay.
Is Monaco a good base for a full week, or only a day?
Both. As a week's base it puts Saint-Tropez and Portofino each within a long day's cruising, with the whole French and Italian coast between them; as a single day it offers the most concentrated stretch of the Riviera within an hour of the berth.
How much does a yacht charter in Monaco cost?
From the published Monaco brackets: a day from €1,500 (day boat, excluding fuel) to €10,000 and up for a superyacht; a week from €25,000 – €65,000 for 20–30 m to €280,000 – €800,000+ above 45 m, exclusive of APA (25–35%) and VAT (20%).
Tell us your dates.
Every charter and sale is by quote, built around you. We reply within the day.