The shortest hops in the Mediterranean
A thousand islands within a few hours of each other, marinas every evening, and the largest charter fleet in Europe. If a skippered boat is free anywhere in August, it is free here.
Best for: Skippered charter, Flotilla
Two seas, two completely different weeks
The Ionian is calm and forgiving; the Cyclades give you the meltemi and the postcards. A skipper is what lets you choose the harder one without paying for it in stress.
Best for: Skippered charter, Crewed yacht, Flotilla
A boat you can add to a trip that was never about boats
One of the largest skippered fleets in the Mediterranean, strung along a coast most people are already visiting for something else. The Amalfi coast, Liguria and the lakes all charter by the half day.
Best for: Skippered charter, Skippered day charter
The Riviera, and it is priced like the Riviera
Cannes and Marseille hold most of the fleet, and most of that fleet is crewed motor yachts. Boats cost more here than anywhere else on this list, and there is very little to rent for a single afternoon.
Best for: Crewed yacht, Skippered charter
The easiest place to try a single day first
Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca sit close together with marinas next to the resorts. This is where a skippered day charter costs least to try and tells you the most.
Best for: Skippered day charter, Crewed yacht
The one coast where a full crew is the normal option
The gulet — a broad wooden ketch that comes with a cook and a crew already aboard — is a Turkish invention, and it is the least expensive way to charter a boat you do not run yourself. Bodrum and Fethiye hold most of the fleet.
Best for: Crewed yacht, Skippered charter
The only place with a real choice of boats for one day
Miami and Fort Lauderdale dominate, with Chicago, Boston and Charleston behind them. Close to a thousand boats here will take you out for a day with a captain aboard — five times what the best Mediterranean option offers.
Best for: Skippered day charter, Crewed yacht