How to Take a Boat Trip in Nice: Quays, Fares and What to Know (2026)
The short answer. Decide first what you are buying: a seat on a scheduled boat, a place on a shared boat of about twelve, or a whole boat for your party. Then check which quay it leaves from, how early to be there, and whether a fee is paid on board. The boat trips in Nice you can book run from a one-hour cruise to a full day at sea, and the season ends in stages through October.
Quick facts
- Cheapest: the one-hour cruise to Villefranche bay, $33 a person.
- Shared swim boats: $56 to $125 a person.
- Private boats: $86 to $464 a person, or $987 for a group.
- Fees on board: several charters add €300, or €150 plus €150.
- Check-in: 30 minutes early at the ferry desk, 15 for the small RIBs.
- Last sailings of 2026: from 5 October to 1 November, boat by boat.
Decide what you are buying
Everything sold as a boat trip in Nice falls into one of three kinds. The first is a seat on a scheduled boat run by Trans Côte d'Azur: the one-hour coast cruise, or the day boats to Monaco and Saint-Tropez. You sail at a fixed time with up to a couple of hundred others, and you do not stop to swim.
The second is a place on a shared excursion boat, usually a RIB or a catamaran. These take about twelve people, carry a guide, and nearly all stop to swim. The third is a private charter, where the boat, the skipper and the route are yours.
| What you buy | Typical boat | Fare | Swim stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| A seat on a scheduled boat | Passenger boat or ferry | $33 to $112 a person | No |
| A place on a shared boat | RIB or catamaran, about 12 | $56 to $125 a person | Nearly always |
| The whole boat | Motorboat, yacht or solar boat | $86 a person to $987 a group | On most |
Each of the three has a clear best buy. For a seat, it is the hour-long cruise to Villefranche bay. For a shared boat with a swim, the swim at the Mala cave is two hours with 45 minutes in the water. For a boat of your own with nothing added on board, the silent solar boat from Beaulieu starts at $86 a person.
Find the right quay
Most trips leave the Port of Nice, but the port has several quays, and they are not side by side. Trans Côte d'Azur sells and boards at its desk on Quai Lunel, under a yellow awning. Nissa Croisières' RIBs meet in front of the Port Lympia tram stop on Quai Napoléon 1er. AMC Cape Grace's catamarans board on the pontoon below Quai Amiral Infernet. The Monaco speedboat waits at pontoon G04.
Some charters do not use the port at all. They leave from Beaulieu-sur-Mer, from the harbour at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, or from Port Silva Maris below Èze, and one catamaran sails from Cannes. Read your booking for the start point before the day. Every quay is marked on the map of departure points, with the tram stop that serves the port.
Be early, because boats do not wait
A boat leaves at its time, and the small ones will not hold it for you. Allow for this:
- Trans Côte d'Azur: be at the desk 30 minutes before, to swap your voucher for a ticket.
- Nissa Croisières: be at the tram stop 15 minutes before; late arrivals are refused.
- AMC Cape Grace: be at the pontoon 10 minutes before boarding.
- A charter: be at the berth your booking names, which may be outside Nice.
There is no queue to skip on a boat. A booking holds your place, and the desk exchange is the only wait.
What to bring
A boat trip here is sun, salt and very little shelter. Pack for that:
- Swimwear under your clothes if there is a swim stop. There is nowhere to change.
- A towel. The Nissa RIBs and the solar boat do not provide one.
- A hat, sunscreen and sunglasses. The small RIBs have no shade at all.
- Euros in cash for drinks on the Trans Côte d'Azur boats.
- A light jacket: it is on the packing list for the RIBs.
Leave big bags at your hotel: the Nissa RIBs do not take luggage or large bags.
Swimming: who can go in
A swim stop does not mean anyone can swim. On the Nissa RIBs the swim is unsupervised, and people who cannot swim stay on board. The Poseidon snorkel boat takes nobody under 12 and provides no life jackets, so you must swim unaided. Where masks and snorkels are included, they come on board with you; the Monaco speedboat does not include them.
If you are travelling with children, the age limits differ from boat to boat. They are set out in the post on Nice by boat with children.
Weather, refunds and the end of the season
Book early and keep watching the forecast. A full refund up to 24 hours before the start is the rule on these boats, and a boat cancelled for weather is rebooked or refunded. A missed departure is not refunded. Trans Côte d'Azur may also cancel a crossing for too few passengers.
The season does not end on one date. In 2026 the sunset catamaran's timetable runs only to 5 October. The Saint-Tropez boat's regular timetable ends on 20 October, with three street-sale sailings on 23, 24 and 25 October. The sunset RIB sails to 30 October, the Monaco ferry to 31 October and the one-hour cruise to 1 November.
Where to go next
For the Saint-Tropez day, the timetable and what you can do in five hours ashore are on Nice to Saint-Tropez by boat. For what you pass on the water, cape by cape, read things to do in Nice from the water. The fees, the quays and the timings are gathered in the visitor guide, and short answers to common questions are on the FAQs.
A seat, a shared boat or your own
Nice: 1-Hour Sightseeing Cruise to Villefranche Bay
One hour from the desk at the port, with live commentary in French and English: the city's bay, Cap de Nice and Villefranche bay. A seat on a timetabled boat, no swim stop.
From $33 per person
Check Availability
Nice: Secret Riviera Boat Tour to Mala cave with Snorkeling
Two hours on a RIB of up to 12: about 45 minutes swimming and snorkelling at the Mala cave, then home past the capes with a guide. Masks, snorkels and life jackets included.
From $74 per person
Check Availability
Nice: Exclusive Tour - Outstanding Solar Boats - Pro Captain
The whole boat for your party, silent and solar-powered, from Beaulieu's marina with a captain-guide. One hour to four; the swim stop comes on two hours or more.
From $86 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: Pick the kind of boat first, then check which dates still have room. Every fare sits side by side on Nice Boat Tours.