Monaco GP by Yacht: Berth and Charter Costs
Watching the Monaco Grand Prix from a yacht in Port Hercule means paying for two things: the charter, and a berth for race week. The berth alone runs €20,000 for a yacht under 25 metres to €500,000 and beyond for a superyacht in a prime position, on top of a charter budget of €150,000 to well over €1 million. Berths are sold for a four-day minimum and go a year ahead.
Why the berth is a separate purchase
The harbour at Monaco is the circuit's grandstand for the Tabac and Swimming Pool sections; a yacht moored along the quay is, in effect, a private box with a view of the cars at close range. The port sells that position for race week separately from anything the yacht itself costs. You can own the yacht and still pay the berth fee. You can charter the yacht and pay both.
Berth fees by yacht size
| Yacht length | Berth fee, race week (EUR) | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 25 m | 20,000–50,000 | Position along the quay |
| 25–40 m | 50,000–150,000 | Position, and whether a hospitality package is bundled |
| Over 40 m | 150,000–500,000+ | Prime spots with the clearest view of the track |
Sources and units. Berth bands as published by Echo Nautique, West Coast International and BOOTE; charter budget, APA and VAT from YachtCharterFleet. All consulted 20 September 2026. Berth fees have risen materially since 2019 and are set per season by the port; the figure that counts is the one quoted for the year you mean.
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The charter on top
A yacht chartered for race week is chartered at race-week rates, and the usual structure applies: base fee, then APA of roughly 25 to 30 percent for fuel, provisioning and the crew's running costs, then VAT at around 22 percent in EU waters, then the crew gratuity. A €300,000 base charter is, by the same arithmetic as any Mediterranean week, €420,000 to €510,000 all in — before the berth. How each of those lines works is in what a yacht charter really costs and APA explained.
Add the berth, and a 40-metre yacht for Monaco race week is a €500,000 to €650,000 proposition at the lower end. That is the honest number, and it is why the harbour is what it is.
Four days, and a year out
- The berth is sold for a minimum of four days, covering the practice and qualifying days as well as the race. There is no Sunday-only berth.
- Prime positions are allocated six to twelve months ahead, and the yachts that return each year hold their spots. A first-time request in February for May is competing for what is left.
- The yacht cannot leave once moored. The harbour is closed to movement during sessions. A yacht in the port for race week is a floating residence for four days, not a cruising charter that happens to be in Monaco.
What a berth actually buys, on the day
A view of two sections of the circuit at close range, a private deck for however many guests the yacht carries, and the harbour itself — which on race weekend is the social event, with the yachts as its venues. What it does not buy is the whole circuit: the Casino, Sainte Dévote and the tunnel are elsewhere, and are on the screens. Most people on a yacht at Monaco are there for the harbour and the day, with the racing as the reason it is happening. That is a good weekend. It is not the same weekend as a seat at Rascasse.
The alternatives that are not a yacht
A Paddock Club package at Monaco is around $15,500 a head for three days — see Paddock Club explained — and puts you above the garages with the start line in front of you. An apartment terrace on the circuit, rented for race week, is the third option, sold by the day and by the number of guests. For a party of eight, a terrace or the Paddock Club is a fraction of a yacht. For a party of twelve who want the harbour, nothing else is the harbour.
Getting to the yacht
The one Monaco problem the yacht does not solve is arrival. Nice airport to the port is a seven-minute helicopter or an hour and more by road on race weekend. How that works, what it costs and why the helicopter is usually the right call are in getting to a Grand Prix.
Common questions
Can you book a berth without chartering a yacht?
Only if you have a yacht to put in it. Berths are sold to vessels, not to people. For most guests the practical route is a charter with the berth arranged as part of it, or a place aboard a yacht that already holds a berth — some are sold by the guest, at hospitality prices.
Is a smaller yacht a worse view?
Not necessarily. Position along the quay matters more than length for the view of the track. A well-placed 30-metre sees more of the racing than a 60-metre further along. What length buys is deck space and guest capacity, not sightlines.
What happens to the APA at Monaco?
A moored yacht burns little fuel, so the fuel line is small; provisioning and crew running costs for a four-day party are not. Expect the APA to be spent on hospitality rather than distance, and budget accordingly.
Can guests come and go from the yacht during sessions?
Yes, on foot along the quay — the restriction is on vessel movement, not people. Access to the port area itself requires the appropriate credentials for race weekend, which are arranged with the berth.
Monaco next year
If the harbour is the weekend you mean, the conversation starts now, not in the spring. Tell us the party, the length of yacht that suits it and whether the berth or the racing matters more. You get the charter and the berth as one figure, with APA, VAT and gratuity shown — the number you will actually pay. Send us the dates.