The choice between a motor and a sailing yacht is really a choice about how you want the days to feel — fast and generous, or quiet and elemental. Both are wonderful ways to see the coast; they simply offer different pleasures.
It is the first question every charter begins with, and the answer shapes everything that follows — the pace of your days, the guests you can host, the anchorages you can reach and the budget you commit. Below, the real differences, the practical trade-offs, and how to decide.
- Choose motor for space, speed, stability and entertaining — the default for most Riviera charters.
- Choose sail for intimacy, serenity, calmer anchorages and the romance of the sea.
- Budget: a comparable motor yacht generally charters for more per week.
- Either way the yacht comes fully crewed; you simply step aboard.
The motor yacht
A motor yacht is the natural choice for space, speed and stability. It covers distance quickly — Saint-Tropez to Monaco between lunch and dinner — carries more guests in greater comfort, and offers the volume for proper entertaining. Wide decks, a generous saloon, often a jacuzzi and a full complement of water toys; this is the yacht for those who want the sea as a stage as much as a journey. For most charters on the Riviera, it is the default for good reason.
The trade-offs are real but modest for most guests: higher running costs, a deeper draught that keeps you out of the shallowest coves, and an experience driven by the engines rather than the wind.
The sailing yacht
A sailing yacht trades pace for romance — the quiet of moving under sail, a shallower draught for tucking into calmer anchorages, and a more intimate, elemental rhythm. The decks are more compact and the layout closer-knit, which many find part of the charm. For those who love the sea itself, and who measure a day by the wind rather than the itinerary, nothing else compares.
A modern crewed sailing yacht is far from spartan — comfortable cabins, fine dining, attentive crew — but it asks you to move at the coast’s pace rather than your own, which is precisely its appeal.
The practical differences, side by side
- Space & guests: motor yachts offer more of both for a given length.
- Speed & range: motor yachts cover more coastline in a day; sailing yachts take their time.
- Anchorages: a sailing yacht’s shallower draught reaches quieter, more sheltered coves.
- Atmosphere: motor yachts are made for entertaining; sailing yachts for intimacy.
- Cost: comparable motor yachts generally charter for more, base rate and running costs alike.
- Stability: motor yachts sit steadier at anchor and underway — worth weighing for less experienced guests.
Which suits your party?
A large group, young children or a week built around hosting points firmly to motor. A couple, a few close friends, or anyone who finds the silence of sail the whole point will be happier under canvas. And for those torn between the two, a day cruise on each is the simplest way to feel the difference before committing to a week.
Making the decision
If you plan to entertain, cover distance and prioritise comfort, choose motor. If you want serenity, intimacy and the feel of the sea, choose sail. Either way, a concierge will match the specific yacht and crew to your party and your itinerary. For figures, see our guide to what a charter costs, or begin with the yacht charter collection.