Nice Boat Trips Through the Year, and When Each One Stops

The Nice boat season does not end on one day. It ends in stages through October, boat by boat, and the first scheduled sailing of the new year comes in mid-February. Use this guide to match your dates to every boat cruise in Nice that sails, and to see when each one stops and starts.

When does the Nice boat season end?

In stages, from 5 October to 1 November 2026. The sunset catamaran's printed timetable ends first, then the regular Saint-Tropez boat, the sunset RIB, the Monaco boat and, last, the 1-hour cruise.

If you travel in late October, you still have a choice, but a shrinking one. The charters and the solar boats publish no season at all. They sail when the sea allows, so ask them about your date before you plan around it.

What still sails in October?

Most of the season's boats, on shorter days. In October you get the sunset RIB for 90 minutes instead of two hours, at €55. You can take the Saint-Tropez boat on Tuesdays and Saturdays only, until 20 October. The Monaco boat keeps its Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until 31 October.

October is also wet. Météo-France's normals give Nice about 128 mm of rain on about eight days, the second-wettest month after November. If a boat matters to you, book it early in your stay and keep a spare day behind it.

Which are the last boats of 2026?

The late Saint-Tropez sailings serve the town's street sale on 23, 24 and 25 October. You leave Nice at 08:15, have Saint-Tropez from 10:45 to 16:00, and are back at 18:00. If you want the regular day, with five hours ashore, your last chance is 20 October.

What is left from November to February?

No scheduled boat sails. The 1-hour cruise stops after 1 November and restarts on 17 February, so a winter visit means you charter a boat or you watch the sea from the shore.

The solar boats list blankets for their winter trips, so ask them about a date in the cold months. November is the wettest month in Nice and December has the least sunshine, so you should expect some days when no boat goes out at all. Our page on things to do from the water covers the coast from the shore for those days.

When do the boats start in spring?

• 17 February: the 1-hour cruise, the first scheduled boat of the year.
• 1 April: the sunset RIB, 90 minutes at €55.
• 4 April: the Monaco day boat, three days a week.
• 1 May: the sunset catamaran's printed timetable, boarding 19:30.
• 12 May: the Saint-Tropez day boat, four days a week.

These are the 2026 dates. Check the 2027 timetable for your trip before you book next year. If you plan a spring trip around one boat, pick a date after its start, not on it.

Spring days are mild rather than hot. Météo-France gives Nice a mean daily high of about 17 °C in April and 21 °C in May, so you want a warm layer on deck, above all on a fast RIB or in the evening.

What is high summer like on the water?

July and August are the sunniest and driest months: Météo-France records about 349 hours of sun in July and about 14 mm of rain. You can take the Saint-Tropez boat every day except Monday.

It is also the busiest time. The 12-seat boats and the evening boats fill first, so book them a few days ahead. A RIB has no shade, so pick the morning or the evening, and bring a hat, water and sunscreen whichever you choose.

When can you swim from a boat?

Whenever the swim boats sail. The snorkel boat gives you a wetsuit when the water calls for one, and the sunset RIB anchors for a swim from April to the end of October. In winter, only a charter or the solar boats go out, and a swim is your own call.

The sea on the day matters as much as the month. Your captain chooses the anchorage, and may move you to a calmer bay. If you want the longest time in the water, the snorkel boat gives you about 90 minutes at anchor off the cape.

When do the sunset boats sail?

The sunset catamaran moves its boarding time with the light: 19:30 from May to July, 19:00 in August and 18:30 from September to 5 October. The sunset RIB's time moves with the month too, and you see it when you book.

The RIB runs longest in summer: two hours from May to September, 90 minutes in April and October. If you want the sunset in late October, the RIB is your only shared boat. The Nice sunset boat tours page compares them.

Can you reach Monaco by boat after October?

Not on the scheduled boat, whose 2026 season ends on 31 October. The speedboat and the private charters publish no season, so if you want Monaco from the water in November, ask them about your date first.

If you want a day ashore there in winter, you will go by land. The boat tours from Nice to Monaco page lists every way to reach Monaco by sea while the boats run.

Do prices change by season?

Some do. The sunset RIB's own price table climbs from spring to summer and back, so the same trip costs you more in July than in April.

The scheduled boats hold one fare all season. Charter prices move with the date and your party's size, and the booking page shows your total before you pay.

Does the wind cancel boats?

Sometimes. Météo-France records the lowest average wind in Nice from June to August and the strongest in December. Gusts of 58 km/h or more come on about four or five days a month from November to May, and about two a month in summer.

The mistral is the north-west wind of the Rhône valley, channelled along this coast by the mountains. When the sea turns rough, the operator decides whether you sail. You may be offered a refund, a new date or a calmer bay. Our best time to visit page has the month-by-month detail.

Which month suits which trip?

• April and May: the Monaco boat and the sunset RIB, before the crowds.
• June: every boat is sailing, and July's crowds have not come.
• July and August: the swim trips, early or late in the day.
• September: warm days, the last full month for Saint-Tropez.
• October: the last sailings, with a spare day for rain.

If you can choose your month, choose June or September. You get every boat, long days and fewer people aboard than in July and August.

How should you plan around the last sailings?

Put the boat you care about most early in your stay. If the weather cancels it, you still have days to catch it again before its season ends.

• Check the day of the week. The Monaco and Saint-Tropez boats do not sail every day.
• Check the last date. Several boats stop during October.
• Book with free cancellation. Every trip here refunds in full if you cancel 24 hours ahead, so you can hold a date while you watch the forecast.
• Keep a shore plan. A rained-off day can go to the old town or the museums.

Our guide to booking and refunds covers what happens when a boat is cancelled on the day.

Frequently asked questions

Trips with the longest seasons

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

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Nice: Sunset Boat Tour with Wine and Local Snacks

An evening on a 12-seat RIB with wine and local snacks, turning at Cap de Nice as the light goes. Sails until 30 October, 90 minutes in October.

From $62 per person

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Ferry from Nice to Monaco

The scheduled boat to Monaco for the day, stroller accessible and carrying up to 200. Food, drinks and a guide are not in the fare; the season ends on 31 October.

From $67 per person

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