Italy yacht charter
Several charter coasts, each a week of its own
Italy is several charter coasts, each a week of its own: Capri and Amalfi, north-east Sardinia, the Aeolian volcanoes and the Riviera. June and September are the best months. It suits couples and food lovers most, families in Sardinia.
Italy is several charter coasts, not one. Each has its own airport, its own character and its own kind of week: Capri and the Amalfi Coast, the granite and sand of north-east Sardinia, the volcanic Aeolian Islands off Sicily, and Portofino and the Cinque Terre on the Riviera. You pick one coast for a week, or link two on a longer trip. What stays the same everywhere is the food ashore, and how much of the country you can see from the water.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
Sardinia is the easy choice: sandy beaches, shallow water in the La Maddalena islands, and short hops between anchorages. The Amalfi Coast works well with older children who like towns, boats and gelato. It is steep and busy, though, and has few beaches you can walk onto.
Couples and honeymoons
The Amalfi Coast and Capri are hard to beat for dinners ashore and views from the deck at night. For something quieter, the Aeolian Islands give you Salina's vineyards, Panarea's white houses and Stromboli glowing after dark.
Friends and celebrations
The Costa Smeralda and Capri in July and August are made for it: beach clubs, late dinners, a harbour to be seen in. Book the restaurants early. We or the crew can do that for you.
Who should think twice: anyone wanting empty anchorages in August, or one quiet week that also covers "all of Italy". The coasts are far apart, and a week is best spent on one of them.
Four coasts
You pick one coast for a week, or link two on a longer trip.
Four coasts have their own pages. The Mediterranean by yacht sets Italy beside its neighbours.
The Amalfi Coast
Naples, Procida, Ischia, Capri, Positano and Amalfi. The distances are short, and the scenery and food are the reason to go. This is the busiest stretch in high summer.
Sardinia
The Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena archipelago, with Corsica's Bonifacio across the strait. Sand, clear water and swimming stops, plus Porto Cervo for the evenings.
Sicily and the Aeolian Islands
Seven volcanic islands north of Sicily: Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi. The quietest of the four in feel, and the most unusual.
The Italian Riviera
Genoa, Camogli, Portofino, the Cinque Terre and Portovenere. Short and pretty, with towns rather than beaches, and an easy reach of the French Riviera.
Later pages
the Tuscan islands (Elba, Giglio, the Argentario), the Pontine islands (Ponza and Ventotene, from Rome), Puglia, and Venice with the north Adriatic.
When to go
- June and September are the best balance: warm sea, long days, fewer boats.
- July and August are hottest and fullest. Around Ferragosto (15 August) the Italians are on holiday too, and Capri, the Amalfi Coast and the Costa Smeralda are at their busiest.
- May and October are quieter and cooler, with some restaurants and beach clubs not yet open or already closed. They suit couples who don't mind a cooler swim.
- The winds. The mistral from the north-west can blow for a few days in Sardinia and the Strait of Bonifacio. The sirocco from the south brings heat and haze. The captain plans the days around both.
Month | Weather and sea | Crowds | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
May | Cooler, a cooler swim | Quieter | Some restaurants and beach clubs not yet open |
June | Warm sea, long days | Fewer boats | The best balance |
July | Hottest | Fullest | Book restaurants early |
August | Hottest | Fullest, above all around Ferragosto (15 August) | Capri, the Amalfi Coast and the Costa Smeralda at their busiest |
September | Warm sea, long days | Fewer boats | The best balance |
October | Cooler | Quieter | Some restaurants and beach clubs already closed |
The seasonThe busiestCalmer
What a week costs here
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season; July and August cost more.
VAT is added to the fee at Italy's standard rate, 22%. The charter contract states the VAT charged on your charter.
APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance. It is money held by the captain for fuel, food, drinks, berths and similar costs, spent on your instructions and accounted for at the end; anything unspent is returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee for it. Berths in Capri, Porto Cervo and Portofino are expensive in high summer, and they come out of the APA.
One-way weeks (Naples to the Aeolians, Sardinia to Corsica, the Riviera to France) can add a delivery fee for the yacht.
For the whole picture, see what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
From Capri to the volcanoes
A one-way week for a motor yacht. It joins two areas and ends in Sicily.
- Day 1 — Naples to Capri. Board in Naples. A short run across the bay, a swim at the Faraglioni, and the evening ashore in Capri town.
- Day 2 — Positano and Amalfi. Along the coast to Positano for lunch, then Amalfi and the walk up to Ravello for the view.
- Day 3 — The Cilento coast. South to Palinuro or Marina di Camerota. The coast here is quieter, with sea caves to explore by tender.
- Day 4 — To Stromboli. The long day of the week, several hours at sea. Arrive by evening, and after dark watch the volcano from the water off the Sciara del Fuoco.
- Day 5 — Panarea and Salina. A morning swim at Panarea's rocks, then Salina for its capers, its vineyards and a long dinner.
- Day 6 — Lipari and Vulcano. Lipari's old town, then the bay at Vulcano and its warm, sulphurous water.
- Day 7 — Milazzo. A short run to the Sicilian coast and disembark, then the drive to Catania or Palermo airport.
The yacht and the weather decide the real route. The captain changes the order when the wind or the sea asks for it.
The yachts that cruise here
Most of the yachts we show in Italy are mid-size and large motor yachts, and most take seven guests or more. Many of them also cruise France, which makes a Riviera-to-Riviera or Corsica-and-Sardinia week easy to arrange.
If you want a sailing yacht or a catamaran here, say so, and we look further.
The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Chartering in Italy
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Where do charters in Italy usually start?
Naples for the Amalfi Coast. Olbia or Porto Cervo for Sardinia. Milazzo or Portorosa for the Aeolians, sometimes Palermo. Genoa or La Spezia for the Riviera. The yacht's home port and the route decide.
Which airport do we fly into?
Naples for the Amalfi Coast, Olbia for Sardinia, Catania or Palermo for the Aeolians, Genoa or Pisa for the Riviera. Rome works for the Pontine islands and as a long-haul gateway.
Can we see the Amalfi Coast and Sardinia in one week?
Not comfortably. They are a long overnight crossing apart. Two weeks, or two separate charters, work better.
Can we start in Italy and end somewhere else?
Often, yes: Sardinia to Corsica, the Italian Riviera to the French Riviera, and southern Italy to Croatia or Greece on a longer trip. A one-way week can carry a delivery fee.
Is August too busy?
Busy, yes, especially around 15 August. Fine if you want the atmosphere. If you want quiet, choose June, September or the Aeolians.
Is Italy good for children?
Yes, Sardinia above all: sandy beaches and short distances. On the Amalfi Coast the swimming is from the yacht in deep water, which older children love and toddlers less so.
Can we eat ashore every night?
As often as you like. Restaurants in Capri, Positano and Porto Cervo fill up in summer. Tell us or the captain early, and they book.
Are there places where the yacht cannot anchor?
Yes. Several protected areas limit anchoring or landing. La Maddalena's park asks for a ticket to navigate, moor or anchor near its coasts; Punta Campanella forbids anchoring in its protected zones; the Cinque Terre's mooring buoys are for boats up to 24 metres, so larger yachts anchor outside and visit by tender. The captain knows the zones and plans the stops.
Can we see Stromboli erupt?
From the sea, often, after dark. Whether you can walk up the volcano depends on its activity and the rules in force that week; the captain finds out before you arrive.
Do we pay VAT in Italy?
Yes. Italian VAT is added to the charter fee. Your written quote lists the fee, the VAT rate, the APA, any delivery fee and local taxes.
Do we need fixed dates to enquire?
No. A month or "next summer" is enough to start.
If you are also weighing Croatia or Greece
- Italy is for food, towns and scenery, with the coasts far apart.
- Croatia has more islands close together, and short, calm hops.
- Greece has the widest choice of yachts, catamarans above all, but in July and August the meltemi wind blows in the Aegean.
If you cannot choose, tell us what the week is for. We'll say which one fits, and why.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family summer, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Italy.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.