The French Riviera is one of the world’s most popular yachting destinations, with a huge number of companies offering yacht charters in the area.
Boasts cruise the aquamarine waters off the coast of St Tropez on the French Riviera (Photo: alyssa BLACK via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
If you’re not lucky enough to own your own yacht, then fear not, there are plenty of options for hiring your own via one of the numerous yacht charter companies located in and around the Cote d’Azur. But given that yacht charters don’t tend to come cheap, it’s worth doing your research first, especially when it comes to booking online. We’ve given you a jump-start by picking out three of the best online resources for finding a yacht charter in the South of France.
Ritzy
Ritzy have built a vast network since their entry into the yacht charter market over a decade ago. They list almost 200 yachts across the French Riviera at a range of price points catering to all preferences, and are particularly strong in the field of crewed yachts,. Booking on the platform is straightforward, with users required to punch on a variety of details about their trip, including guest numbers, travel dates, preferred itinerary, and any special requests too. They’re then delivered a short-list of yachts based on their customised criteria. When we searched for South of France charters, the most affordable choice we found was 52ft catamaran accommodating up to 12 guests and available from $9,800 per week.
Boatbookings
One of the biggest names in the industry, Boatbookings have a total of 312 yachts for charter in the South of France, including 215 motorboats, 50 sailing yachts, and 47 catamarans. They also have an extensive choice of both crewed and bareboat vessels available. As for price, the cheapest yacht charter we could find during our search was for a 33ft sailing boat available from $1,288 per week. Other useful website features include a section dedicated to feedback from previous charter guests for each vessel, while the search function also lets you specify yachts with particular on-board amenities such as fishing and scuba equipment.
diYachting
An acclaimed boutique luxury yacht charter company, diYachting specialises in the charter of crewed yachts over 65ft across the Mediterranean, including the Cote d’Azur, as well as in the Caribbean. Charter lengths vary from a day, weekend or week, with tailored experiences available to suit your preferences. Lizzie, one of the company’s founders, spent eight years based around St Tropez and during that time gained invaluable, first-hand experience of yachting in the South of France. All of the yachts in the company’s inventory are crewed, meaning you just need to relax and enjoy being out on the water.