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Nice is the eastern French Riviera's main commercial day-charter cluster, with roughly 110 licensed yachts above 16m operating from Port de Nice and the smaller Villefranche-sur-Mer base in 2026. Peak July day rates run €3,200 for a 16m motor cruiser to €17,000 for a 28m motor yacht with chef. Compared to Cannes, the Nice and Villefranche fleet is 30 to 40% smaller, the rate-per-meter is roughly the same, the exits are faster, and the routes are different: the standard day here is east to Cap-Ferrat and Paloma Beach, not west to Lerins. This piece covers the two bases, the operators we shortlist, the Cap-Ferrat anchorage route, the Nice-to-Monaco day reality, and the operators we pass on.
The companion pieces are the Cannes day-charter operators, the Cap d'Antibes day charter, and the Monaco day charter piece.
The two bases
Port de Nice (Port Lympia). The main commercial port on the east side of Nice old town. Roughly 75 to 90 licensed day-charter yachts above 16m, the wider chef-equipped inventory, and the larger fleet in the 22-30m band. Exits east toward Cap-Ferrat take 15 to 25 minutes depending on yacht size and weather. The marina is busy in July and August and the embarkation slots are time-stamped (operators are given a 15-minute embark window). Plan for a 30-minute buffer.
Villefranche-sur-Mer (Port de la Darse). The small marina at the head of the Villefranche bay. 20 to 30 licensed day-charter yachts, mostly 18-24m, smaller commercial inventory above 24m. The advantage is the embarkation point: Villefranche bay is already the destination for half of the Nice-side day-charter clients. Skipping the 15-25 minute eastward transit from Port de Nice gives an extra hour at anchor. Use Villefranche if you are staying at Cap-Ferrat, in Villefranche itself, at Eze, or at the Beaulieu hotels.
A third minor base is Port de Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The Beaulieu marina has under 10 licensed commercial day-charter yachts but is the closest embarkation to the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat and Royal-Riviera. Use it if your hotel is in Beaulieu or at Cap-Ferrat north.
Rate bands for 2026
Peak July and August, per day, in euros, private charter with captain, crew, fuel at standard cruising, basic provisions. Chef +€450 to +€850.
- 16m to 18m motor cruiser. Port de Nice €3,200 to €4,800. Villefranche €3,000 to €4,500.
- 18m to 22m motor yacht. Port de Nice €4,800 to €7,500. Villefranche €4,500 to €7,000.
- 22m to 24m motor yacht. Port de Nice €6,500 to €9,500. Villefranche €6,000 to €8,800.
- 24m to 28m motor yacht. Port de Nice €9,500 to €13,500. Villefranche limited inventory.
- 28m to 32m motor yacht. Port de Nice €13,000 to €17,500. Villefranche thin or unavailable.
Sailing yachts of equivalent LOA run 15-25% below.
Shoulder months 25-30% below peak. The Monaco Grand Prix weekend in late May creates a 40-70% premium spike at the Nice-side fleet because Nice and Villefranche become overflow embarkation for Monaco-staying clients. Book that weekend nine months out.
Port de Nice operators worth booking
Three operators we shortlist out of Nice.
Riviera Charter Nice. Mixed fleet 18m to 28m motor yachts, professional crews, transparent quote structure. The 24m motor yacht in their fleet (captain since 2019) is the right Nice-side call for a Cap-Ferrat-and-Beaulieu day at €9,500 to €11,500 peak. The booking team responds in under 6 hours and the contracts are MYBA-aligned even for day work.
Yachts Privés Nice. Smaller fleet, mostly 18-22m, owner-operator model on most yachts. Lower headline rates, more personal service. Useful for two-couple day-charter parties who want a less corporate experience.
Côte d'Azur Yachting. Larger operator with mixed catalogue, including chef-equipped 26m and 28m motor yachts. Rates at the top of band. Service standards consistent. Worth a booking when the inventory matches.
Villefranche operators worth booking
Villefranche Yacht Charter. The Villefranche specialist. Fleet of 18m to 24m motor yachts and one 22m sailing yacht. Multi-year captains. The right call for clients staying in Villefranche, Cap-Ferrat, or Eze. The 22m motor yacht (captain since 2017) is the default Villefranche-side booking at €6,000 to €7,500 peak.
Charter Villefranche. Smaller again, fleet of 18-22m, the right call when Villefranche Yacht Charter's inventory is allocated. Service standards solid.
Beaulieu operator
Royal Riviera Yacht. Tied to the Royal-Riviera hotel for the most part but takes outside clients. Small fleet, premium positioning, prices at the top of band. Useful only if you are staying at Royal-Riviera or in Beaulieu and want the on-property booking flow.
Operators we pass on
We do not list:
- One Port de Nice operator who routinely lists yachts they do not have central agency on and re-brokers at a 15-25% markup. We have priced the same yacht through them and through the direct operator. The markup is consistent.
- One concierge platform branded as a "luxury Riviera lifestyle" service that re-brokers day charters with opaque pricing and adds a 30-40% margin. They do not hold day-charter licenses themselves.
- Two pop-up Instagram-marketed operators in the Villefranche bay who run unlicensed party-day formats. Affaires Maritimes enforcement is active and the client exposure is real.
We have also passed on listing the small Villefranche tender-and-RIB hire operations (under 12m). That is a different product and not yacht day charter as we cover it.
Routes worth running
The standard Nice or Villefranche day routes:
- Cap-Ferrat circuit with lunch at Paloma Beach. East to the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat south point, anchor off Paloma Beach, tender ashore for lunch at the beach club, return via the Cap-Ferrat west and a swim at the Petite Afrique on the Beaulieu side. 6-7 hour day. The Nice-side default.
- Eze and Cap d'Ail coast. East past Cap-Ferrat to the Eze coast and the Cap d'Ail calanques. Anchor at one of the Cap d'Ail coves, lunch ashore at La Pinède Plage. 7-8 hour day. Quieter than the Cap-Ferrat day.
- Monaco-and-Cap d'Ail day. East to Monaco, anchor off Cap d'Ail or at the Larvotto, lunch in Monaco at one of the beach clubs (Note Bleue, La Vigie, La Salière). 8-hour day with significant transit. Works only in calm weather.
- West to Antibes day. West past Cap d'Antibes, anchor off the south coast or at Lerins. 9-10 hour day with too much transit. Most Nice-side clients should not book this. Embark from Antibes instead.
- The bay-of-Villefranche-and-Cap-Ferrat half-day. Two-anchorage half-day, lunch aboard, no further transit. Works as a 4-hour afternoon program at half the day rate.
The Nice-to-Monaco day reality
Monaco is constrained for day-charter visits. The Monaco harbour (Port Hercule) is regulated and most non-resident commercial day-charter yachts do not enter. The standard play is to anchor off Cap d'Ail just west of Monaco, or at the Larvotto anchorage just east, and tender into Monaco for lunch.
Two issues to plan for:
- The Monaco anchorage gets crowded in late May (Grand Prix) and during the Monaco yacht show in late September. Outside those windows it is fine.
- Lunch ashore in Monaco requires booking. Note Bleue, Avenue 31, Maya Bay, and the beach-club options at the Larvotto take yacht-charter day bookings but lead time is 14 to 30 days. Walk-in is not a strategy in July or August.
If your day is specifically about Monaco rather than the broader Cap-Ferrat-and-Eze coast, see the Monaco day charter piece for the reality of running a day from Monaco itself.
The honest yacht-size recommendation
For a Nice or Villefranche day with six to eight people, the call is a 22m motor yacht with chef option. Price band €6,000 to €9,500 peak, comfortable for the Cap-Ferrat anchorage, fast enough for the eastward transit toward Eze and Monaco if the day takes that turn. The 22m sweet spot is more pronounced here than at Cannes because the Cap-Ferrat anchorage rewards a yacht that can position close to the Paloma point rather than a bigger flybridge anchored further out.
A 24-26m for the same group is a comfort upgrade at 30-50% more. Useful for clients staying at Eden-Roc, Cap-Ferrat, or Royal-Riviera who want the day to match the hotel.
An 18-20m at €4,500 to €6,500 is the budget play for two-couple parties.
Lunch ashore: the short list
The Nice-side day usually puts lunch at one of three places.
- Paloma Beach (Cap-Ferrat). The reference. Booking 14 to 30 days out shoulder, 30 to 60 days peak. Tender drop on the beach. 14:00 service is the right slot. The food is fine, the position is the point.
- La Pinède Plage (Eze sur Mer). Smaller, less scene, equally good food. Use if you want the day to be quieter.
- Plage Mala (Cap d'Ail). For the Monaco-direction day. Tender to the small beach. Bookings 30 to 60 days. Different scene, more accessible than the Monaco beach clubs.
The Villefranche-side day has the option to do lunch at the small bay restaurants in Villefranche (La Mère Germaine, La Trinquette) if you want to stay close to base, but yacht-charter lunches usually want the Cap-Ferrat or Eze-side beach club rather than a town restaurant.
Where to stay
For Port de Nice-based days, Le Negresco, Hotel La Pérouse, the Anantara Plaza Nice, or any of the Promenade des Anglais hotels keep the transfer under 10 minutes. For Villefranche-based days, the Welcome Hotel, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, the Royal-Riviera, or one of the Cap-Ferrat villas keep it under 15 minutes. See hotelsforkings.com/nice for picks. For dinner before or after, restaurantsforkings.com/nice and barsforkings.com/nice.
How to book
Book 60 to 120 days out for July and August, 30 to 60 days for shoulder, 270 days for Grand Prix or Monaco yacht show weekends. Confirm in writing: rate, included crew, fuel, chef, embarkation port, named captain, Cap-Ferrat anchorage permit included. Verify against the Affaires Maritimes register.
For the wider Riviera context, the Cannes operators, Cap d'Antibes day charter, and Monaco day reality are the calibrations.