Two line items decide whether a French Riviera charter quote feels honest or feels like a surprise on disembarkation day: **APA** (the Advance Provisioning Allowance) and **VAT** (French value-added tax on the charter fee). Neither is optional, and both move with the itinerary — so it is worth understanding what each one actually pays for before you sign a MYBA contract.
What APA covers
APA is a working float, not a fee. It sits in the captain's account, separate from the charter fee, and is drawn down through the week for costs that vary by itinerary and are impossible to fix in advance:
- **Fuel** — the single biggest swing line on a Riviera week, driven by how many legs you run between Monaco, Cannes, Antibes, Saint-Tropez and the Îles de Lérins. - **Berthing** — marina nights at Port Hercule, Port Vauban or Vieux Port Cannes, priced by LOA and season. - **Food and beverage** — provisioning, wine, and any restaurant tables the chef or crew hold ashore on your behalf. - **Dockage extras** — shore power, water, and port taxes.
Any APA left unspent at the end of the week is returned; any shortfall is settled before you leave. A reputable broker reconciles this in writing — ask to see the running total partway through the week if you want to track it yourself.
Why Riviera APA runs higher than the generic 30% rule
Most charter guides quote a flat 25–30% of the base charter fee as a rule of thumb for APA. On the French Riviera in July and August, that number is optimistic. Between premium berths at Port Hercule during event weeks, Michelin and beach-club tables that carry a real minimum spend, and fuel burned moving efficiently between Monaco, Antibes and Saint-Tropez, **we typically budget closer to 35–40% of the base fee** for a high-season Riviera week. Shoulder-season weeks (May–June, September) with a lighter itinerary can sit nearer the textbook figure.
The honest approach is to line-item your priorities — how many marina nights, which restaurants, how many islands-hopping legs — before the yacht is even shortlisted, so the APA estimate reflects your actual week rather than a generic percentage.
French VAT on yacht charter
French-flagged and EU-based charter yachts operating in French territorial waters are subject to French VAT on the charter fee. The applicable rate and any reduction depend on the vessel's length, whether the itinerary genuinely leaves French waters (the "high seas" navigation test), and the commercial structure of the charter agreement — rules that have been refined by the French tax authorities in recent years and continue to be interpreted case-by-case.
This is not a detail to estimate casually. Before you contract:
- Confirm with the central agent and the yacht's management company exactly how VAT is being calculated for your itinerary and vessel. - Ask whether any reduction applies, and on what basis (navigation outside French waters, vessel length, flag state). - Get the VAT treatment in writing as a line item on the contract, not folded into a single "all-in" figure.
We are brokers, not tax advisers — for a definitive ruling on your specific charter, the yacht's VAT specialist or a maritime tax adviser is the right source. What we can promise is that we will not let a VAT surprise appear after the contract is signed.
A short pre-contract checklist
1. Ask for the APA percentage in writing, and what it is based on for your specific itinerary. 2. Confirm which marinas are included in the plan and whether Port Hercule or Port Vauban premium berths are already held. 3. Get written confirmation of the VAT treatment for your vessel and itinerary from the yacht's management company. 4. Reconcile APA spend with the captain mid-week if the charter runs seven nights or longer. 5. Ask what happens to unspent APA — it should be returned, not absorbed.
For the wider Mediterranean picture — how these numbers shift in Croatia, the Amalfi Coast and Sardinia — see our [Mediterranean berth lead times guide](/journal/mediterranean-berth-lead-times). If a Grand Prix or Cannes Festival week is on your calendar, our [Monaco Grand Prix yacht week costs](/journal/monaco-grand-prix-yacht-week-costs) piece covers how event weeks change both berth and APA planning. For general charter economics, see the [yacht charter cost & APA guide](/charter/yacht-charter-cost-apa-guide) and [pricing FAQ](/pricing-faq).
Sources: [Côte d'Azur France — official tourism board](https://cotedazurfrance.fr/?lang=EN), [Société d'Exploitation des Ports de Monaco](https://www.ports-monaco.com/en/the-ports-of-monaco/port-hercule/), [Le Port Vauban](https://leportvauban.com/en/).