Many yacht charters on the Italian and French Riviera start or end in Genoa, Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino or Monaco. For guests flying into Milan, the drive to the quay is part of the holiday. This guide explains how long it takes, how to coordinate with the crew and how to plan the day you disembark.
How long it takes
On Google Maps, Genoa's port is about 2 hours from central Milan on a weekday morning. Santa Margherita Ligure is about 2 h 20 min and Portofino about 2 h 30 min. Monaco's Port Hercule is about 3 h 45 min, and Saint-Tropez about 5 h 15 min. From Malpensa, add between 15 and 30 minutes for the Ligurian ports. In summer, the last kilometres into Portofino and Santa Margherita are often the slowest part of the journey.
Coordinate with the crew
Ask the captain or the yacht agent for the boarding time and the exact berth. Marinas have different rules on where cars can stop; some allow a car close to the gangway, others ask passengers to walk the last part. Share the details with your chauffeur company so the driver knows where to go and whom to call on arrival.
Luggage and provisions
Charter guests often travel with more luggage than usual. A Mercedes V-Class takes up to seven passengers with bags, and the Sprinter Luxury VIP up to eight with plenty of luggage space. For larger groups, two vehicles can travel together and arrive at the same time.
A night ashore before boarding
If your flight lands late, a night in Portofino, Santa Margherita or Genoa makes the boarding day easier. Hotels such as Belmond Hotel Splendido above Portofino are about 2 h 30 min from central Milan; the car can take you to the hotel the evening before and to the quay in the morning.
Disembarkation day
Plan the end of the charter as carefully as the start. Tell us the planned disembarkation time and we follow any change from the yacht. From the quay we can take you to Malpensa or Linate, to a hotel in Milan, to Lake Como, or across the border to Nice Airport, about 3 h 10 min from Portofino.
Stops on the way
The motorway to Liguria makes a lunch stop easy, and some guests like to break the longer drive to Monaco or Saint-Tropez with a stop on the coast. Tell us in advance and we include it in the plan and the quote.
Crew changes
Yacht crews also need transfers on change-over days. The same planning applies: names, flights, luggage and the meeting point at the marina.
Combining the charter with Milan or the lakes
A charter on the Riviera combines well with a few days in Milan or on Lake Como before or after. The same car can collect you in Milan, drive you to the quay and, at the end of the week, take you from the yacht to a lakeside hotel such as Villa d'Este, about 45 minutes from Malpensa. Planning the whole journey with one company keeps the timings consistent and avoids waiting at the marina for a car that is not yet there.
When to travel
The Riviera is busiest in July and August, when traffic on the coast is heaviest and departure times matter most. In May, June and September the roads are quieter and the transfer times are closer to the figures in this guide.
Getting a quote
Send us your flights, the port, the boarding and disembarkation times and the number of passengers and bags. We reply with a written plan and a fixed quote. Price on request.