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The Cote d'Azur is the dense centre of the Mediterranean charter market and the 30 to 40m bracket is its dominant size class. A 30 to 40m motor yacht on the Cote d'Azur in 2026 high season runs $100,000 to $260,000 per week plus a 30 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and fits the Saint-Tropez to Monaco corridor better than any larger size. Roughly 120 to 150 yachts in this bracket work the French Riviera each summer, which is the deepest concentration of mid-size charter inventory anywhere in the world.
Why this bracket fits the Cote d'Azur specifically
The French Riviera summer is built around marina nights more than open-anchor nights. Saint-Tropez Vieux Port, Cannes Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto, Antibes IYCA and Port Vauban, Monaco Port Hercules, and Villefranche bay all sit comfortably with the 30 to 40m bracket. Above 40m the marina slot economics get punishing in July and August. Saint-Tropez Vieux Port has roughly 14 berths above 40m and they are pre-booked by repeat clients before April. The 30 to 40m bracket has roughly 60 berths to compete for in the same harbor, with rotational availability through the summer.
Below 30m, the Cote d'Azur gets uncomfortable for clients who want a master cabin plus three doubles plus a strong saloon and a proper aft deck. The 30 to 40m bracket is where those layouts arrive.
Weekly rate map for 2026
The rate ranges below are for high season (mid-July to late August) in 2026, before APA at 30 percent and gratuity at 10 to 15 percent.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $100K to $135K per week | $75K to $115K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $125K to $180K per week | $95K to $145K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $155K to $260K per week | $120K to $185K per week |
The Cote d'Azur premium over the average Med rate is roughly 8 to 12 percent in this bracket, driven by berth costs, fuel costs at French ports, and crew tip expectations on the Riviera. Cannes Film Festival (mid-May) and the Monaco Grand Prix (late May) compress nightly berth availability and add 25 to 50 percent to weekly rates for those specific weeks.
For the wider rate picture, see Mediterranean charter weekly rates.
What the bracket includes on the Cote d'Azur in this bracket
Cabins. 4 to 5 cabins is standard. Cote d'Azur charterers often want a strong master plus three equal VIPs rather than a master plus three smaller doubles. The dedicated VIP forward layout is more common in the Riviera fleet than in the Italian fleet at the same LOA.
Crew. 7 to 9 crew typical. The chef matters, particularly for groups eating one or two nights per week onboard while doing five or six nights ashore at Saint-Tropez and Monaco restaurants. The chief stew matters for the Cannes and Monaco arrival logistics, which run on table reservations and tender shuttles.
Tenders. Two tenders is the baseline in this bracket on the Riviera. A 7 to 9m primary tender for marina runs to Saint-Tropez town, plus a smaller jet tender or RIB for swim moves to Pampelonne. The Pampelonne beach club access is a tender choreography problem, not a yacht problem.
Beach club. Beach club opening transoms become standard above 36m. Below 33m a swim platform is what you get. The 36 to 40m segment with a beach club is the sweet spot for the Cap d'Antibes anchorages.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The 30 to 40m bracket fits the canonical Riviera weekly route shapes well.
The Saint-Tropez loop. Embark Saint-Tropez Vieux Port, day trip to Pampelonne and the Plage des Salins anchorages, overnight back in Saint-Tropez or anchor off Cap Camarat, then a southwesterly run to the Iles de Lerins off Cannes, then to Cannes for an overnight, then Antibes, then Monaco. The bracket sits in every harbor on this route.
The west loop. Saint-Tropez to Porquerolles to Bormes-les-Mimosas to Cassis. The west loop has lighter inventory traffic and the bracket has near-guaranteed berth availability outside Bastille week.
The east loop. Monaco to Villefranche to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to Beaulieu to Menton and the Italian border. Tighter, more harbor-dense, and the bracket is the right size for Saint-Jean and Beaulieu, where above 40m the slot count drops to single digits.
For the destination context, see Charter Cote d'Azur, Charter Saint-Tropez, Charter Cannes, and Charter Monaco.
What does not work at this bracket on the Riviera
Long-stay anchorages. The Riviera trip shape is harbor-led, not anchor-led. A 30 to 40m yacht booked for a Riviera week that wants to spend five nights at anchor is the wrong product for this destination. For anchor-led Med weeks, look at Sardinia, Corsica, or the Greek Cyclades.
Cinema-festival arrival logistics. Anything 30 to 38m without a confirmed Cannes or Monaco berth weeks in advance during the festival corridor will end up at anchor in the bay, which works but defeats the purpose of being on the Croisette.
Our pick
For a couples-only Riviera week, two couples, seven days in mid-July: a 35m Italian-built motor yacht with 4 equal cabins, Saint-Tropez to Cannes to Antibes to Monaco. Budget $155K plus APA, all-in roughly $215K. Booking lead time: 5 to 7 months.
For a family of 8, ten days in late August: a 38m motor yacht with master plus three guest cabins plus a convertible twin, west loop from Saint-Tropez to Porquerolles to Cassis. Budget $215K plus APA, all-in roughly $300K. Booking lead time: 6 to 9 months.
For a Cannes Film Festival week: a 38m yacht with a confirmed Vieux Port berth held since the prior September. Budget $300K to $400K plus APA. Booking lead time: 12 months minimum, with the berth being the gating constraint, not the yacht.
Vintage and refit checks
The Riviera charter clientele is more sensitive to build year and visible refit than the Caribbean clientele. A 2018 to 2022 build with a 2024 cosmetic refit is the value zone in this bracket. Pre-2014 builds without a recent refit will be visibly older than the marina neighbours, which matters here more than elsewhere.