Marina - South of France

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Can anyone reccomend a marina in the South of France with:
a) likely availability for a 45 footer
b) berthing rates similar or less than Solent
c) within 1 hr drive of any airport with cheap flights from any London airport

 

[tcm]

Yes. You should look to proximity to Nice airport, tho costs (depending on where in the solent) might force a move to toulon, which has GO flights from um stansted i think. Understand that the marina near Toulon are smaller and sparser and cheaper so queues are harder to jump. Bit crapper imho - better on cote d'azur.

Likely spots include

Villeneuve Loubet: "parking lot" marina right next to Nice airport. Bit of a dump, not many places to wander off to from the marina, but still 23 times nicer than the solent. It's only a £5 cab ride to the airport, but they charge 25 euros.

Baies des Anges: This is the marina around the base of those nasty-looking massive "pyramid" flats. It has a pool(only one around really). Only half a miles further on from v-l, still close to Nice and in the same bay.

Antibes; quite a masive place- largest (by tonnage) marina in europe. Nice little town very close. Loads of bars, ex-pats and stuff to do, specially for independent teenager kids who love it.

Golfe-Juan. In the next bay. Quite big, and there is some availability - jfm found a place here recently. Neaer 40 euros to airport.

La napoule: Popular,quite few restaurants, still with 30 mins (french say 20mins) to airtport, likely 50 euros by cab. Not dissimilar to Golfe-juan (which is on E side of Cannes, this is on W side of cannes, but need to go by coast road to airport) Go-karting, golf supermarkets, ferrari shops, mcdoalds all bicycleable or take a car. Declared interest: i have a berth for sale £100k on pontoon E! lasts until end 2019, annual charges £1600 per year.


La napoule (and la rague) only 2km to autoroute, closest of all these so good for travel all along the coast. Also quite quick by car : my best is 7hrs 15 mins from calais but needs sub-5minute petrol visits, possibly best to have a three-stop strategy...

La rague - cheaper than la napoule but sod all to do really - mainlya port for waiting about and getting boat fixed by Arie de Boom. NB:get your 30-55 foot boat fixed (but not nec. mainteined) by arie de Boom.

Note : not a bad idea to go down and have a look. Decide if/wher e you want, and go hard after the brokers, who manage berths as well as sell boats: any non-occupiying owners like me put the berth with the broker to pull favours, because they ask, and because the broker ensures that it's never empty.

Big berther article in MBY a little while back says this too (what a fab writer that chap is!)

Further west than this starts being painful to drive in season, with exception of frejus.

standing by if u have more questions.

East of nice is okay, but not as familar to me and seem even tougher to get a berth if not vgood french speaker, and french.

 

[DavidJ]

Mike
Agree La Napoule is a lovely place. I had a spot there (end of pontoon F) for a couple of months earlier this year before heading down to Sardinia. Really resented 60 euro taxi fare plus motorway toll of 5 euro after paying 30 euro or so for flights.
If you are getting your boat transported down there I can recommend an excellent company, Rabelais Haulage. PM me for contact numbers if required. The boat would be put in at La Rague and brought round (5 mins) to La Napoule.
David

 

[EME]

The man has spoken.

there are some decent places East of Nice as well ( notably Beaulieu and Port Cap d'Ail) where they do speak english as well. Only problem is travelling time from airport as only way is through Nice or via Monaco ( I jest not). You are better off further West at Frejus ( modern but cheaper) accessible via Nice or Marseilles airports .. but does require car hire as opposed to taxi.

Also don't let him tell you La Rague is a dump, contrary to what TCM says it has 2 restaurants !! And since I've been goingthere every weekend the bar isn't quiet.

TCM right , Go have a look

...I wanna boat please..

 

[tcm]

okay, la rague does indeed have 2 bars. But not much else, and very very seasonal. And the bars are dead in the evenings cos the daytrippers like you wiv no boat (who should be out on boat during the day but are in fact in the bars looking at boat details again) .... go home to their houses. So bit quiet in evenings. I was there a whole year, and it is so craop that it is only about 24 times nicer than anywhere in the solent,whereas lanpoule, golfe juan nearer 40 time better.

Nonetheless, on arrival at boat in la rague after transporting it home we stayed in la rague for 3 days cos it was so fab - then found every where else even better.

 

[EME]

Other reasons...

Closer to my house..
Price
Car autopilot select easier..
Beer Cheaper

Also Mother- In - Law lives in Cannes Eden,, could look down on boat and expect trip occasionally ... NOOOOOOOOOOO


may still need new berth in GJ or LN,, really like a Baia 48 !!!!!!!!! Am I never happy??

...I wanna boat please..

 

[DavidJ]

La Rague is not a dump if you compair it, say, to Suffolk Yacht Harbour but this is the Med. La Napoule (and many others) are just so delightful.
David

 

[EME]

Eh ??

This is changing mood.,, La Rague is quiet not uglier, I could easily argue MUCH prettier than Golfe Juan.

BUT you do need a car there if you're a day/weekender like me OR are never there cos you cruise for weeks on end !!

...I wanna boat please..

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks, tcm. There was a superbly crafted article by a quite brilliant young author, the name of whom escapes me, a few months back in MBY extolling the virtues of Marseille. Is this a viable area to consider for long term berthing? What about Port Camargue? I see from previous posts that you've trashed it but what about the area in general?
What about the weather? Is the mistral more of a factor the further west you go?
With regard to the marinas you have mentioned, is there likely to be berth availability and what's the form for obtaining berths. Do you buy or rent on an annual basis as per the UK? I've got an 8yr old brat. Where's best for entertaining him?
We like the idea of Cote d'Azur especially since Nice airport seems most popular cheapo airline destination as well as giving good possibilities for business trip diversions but I'm a bit concerned about cost of berthing and starving to death as restaurants booked 2 yrs in advance

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks, Learner. Same question as to tcm. Wossit cost and is there availability?

 

[EME]

PM size of boat and I'll outline the options available. Need Beam as well...

...I wanna boat please..

 

[tcm]

Re: calling jfm

The area around Marseiles is indeed lovely. The coast is v beautiful (limestone and jagged) and the area is in general cheaper than further east BUT...nip into a chandlery shop and peruse the wind roses in the imray(?) hardback Mediteranean France pilot or the Golfe de Lion one, look at the front bits before the port guides , (of course don't buy it as its is 35 blimmin quid) but these wind roses and also the acompanying diagrams fo gales etc show that marseilles avergaes over 200 days per year experincing winds of f6 or more. Yikes! A good place for a visit, but fairly horrific for anything long term i'd say, hence real raggies go to marseilles area, and the real stinkpots stay nearer Nice. In other words the Mistral is a monster factor the further west you go, and most comfy-aware powerboats won't ever have gone round cap Sicie (that's the pointy apex of france between marseilles and Nice). Ilustration of the effect of Mistral is that Menton is on average 2 degrees hotter per year than St Tropez - cos of the wind and distance from Mistral.

You are quite wrong about restauranrt booked yonks in advance. You simply have to arrive for lunch at 12.30, not 1:30. Note that the brits see each new day as an opportunity to do new things and meet new challenges whereas the french see each new day as a bit of a boring wait until lunchtime at 1pm sharp. The brits eventually get hungry at 1.30 or later, and told to sod off cos it's all full altho it was empty at 12.30. I wd not try and find lunch (in a restaurant) after 1pm uless called in advance. Only 1 restaurant needs booking 2 weeks in advance and it is the Club 55 nr st tropez.

The best place for your 8-year old is in our 3rd cabin with the PS2, never to surface again except to say goodnight....However all along the coast are ace things for eight-year olds, or 40+ year-olds with 8-year old behaviour.

1) Remember - you can jump in the sea anywhere so all that man-overboard stuff is a zillion times less important - you or small people will survive hours or days.

2) everywhere is fab, no need to drive for miles as in uk. So in solent someone turns up and oo er better go somewhere nice er Weymouth? Not so in sof - even just outsdie harbour is ace eg 300 metres from mouth of la rague is nice anchorage of Theoule, free of course, in on the dinghy, prix fixe lunch for 15 quid at Marco Polo, ghet slaughtered for another 15 euros each (1 bt wine) beach adjacent 10 yards for 8-year-old to noodle around and play and consider swimming to floating diving-off thing 50 yards off. 2 miles away is Iles de lerins, blue sea between 2 islands and the ice cream boat turns up. another 1/2 mile is cvannes bay with free anchorage prix fixe lunches on beach (the 2nd-most westerly one on private beach, dark blue stripy one Royale is the correct choice) for 15 quid or tenner for one course plus Macdonalds not far away.

3) Go-ped scooters are great. But non-motorised ones are also ok. Likewise roller blades.

4) jfm has recently got a good spot in golfe juan for 43 footer so he will know rental prices. He'll also have a contact for Golfe Juan. Otherwuise you do have to go there.

5) Locals are all latins, hence much better at chikld care than you. On arrival at port for 2 weeks march into nearest sweetie shop, and if they seem ok for a laugh present 8-year-old (Monsieur- je vous présente Brat, mon fils, en vancance avec notre bateau blah blah) and they will love it - and keep an eye out for him too.

6) Go Karting is at Cannes and port grimaud. Macdonalds nearby at Nice and Cannes ports. Get dinghy out before berthing for evening adventures. get handheld vhf for nailing onnem and reprting back.

7) I belkeive that the brilliant young author dirtied his ticket by wingeing about not being paid enough, so they manage without him now.

8) MBY did do an article bout sth of france inwhich they expected to get taken apart financially...and didn't. The ban on new marinas and lots of other reguations are specigfically aimed to allow normal people to continue to live and holiday there.

 

[tcm]

No argument there - in comparison with almsot everywhere in uk, la rague is glorious.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: calling jfm

Thanks, tcm. Info much appreciated

 

[jfm]

Deleted User, as TCM said, we recently moved our 43 footer there. So I'm no expert, but here's what we have discovered. Berthing is similar to upmarket Solent, ie £6grand/year give or take. Availability is tight, but just possible. IMHO be close to airport: you will travel by taxi, so closer = cheaper. You do not want a rental car in summer becos 1 hour ++ rental car queue at Nice airport and nowhere to park. We like Golfe Juan - good location, near airport, near Antibes town (in case weather bad) and lots of anchorages close by. But La Napoule seems v nice too. Again, I'm a newbie but La Rague does seem a bit quiet/industrial. Also there a few smaller marinas that you hear little about (eg Gallice, just N of Eden Roc Hotel on W side of Antibes peninsula). I have no idea about availability in these places, BarryD mentioned some are reserved for locals so you need a relative living there to Q jump

Peters and May did a great job moving our boat by road. They used an ultra low loader, during SIBS when they were all available. They got caught in the floods in Provence (about 3 weeks ago) and had to re route but they picked up all the extra costs and delivered the boat with absolutely no damage.

The other costs to remeber (speaking from ££££ recent experience) are that you need aircon (8g for a nice set up) passerelle (4g), a fast sterring-wheeled water-ski speed tender to replace the 5hp Solent job (5g ish), bimini (1g). Delivery is 5g. They are all sterling prices not Euros.

 

[Torbay]

Just returned today and as I happened to be looking around the area yesterday having made the mistake of thinking there would be something affordable at the Monaco Boat Show - I hope these comments are useful. Well that shows how new I am.

I can't talk prices or availability - but a few more ideas.

Nice itself has a small area. This is very close to the Airport (35 euros) but it's also walking from a great market that transforms into eating in the evening (Massena) and the old town which is choca full of eating. You should try the Negresco Hotel - the fixed price is 46 euros with an extra 10 if they choose wine for each course. This is for a meal in a michelin 2* restuarant - so just once in a while might be justified.

Next door is Villefranche with a pontoons. There's a station that links with the airport and I've never seen a taxi with a driver in it to take you back to the airport. This is a touch more inaccessable.

Cap Ferrat is next and is perfect with around 30 marina side restaurants the very best being The Sloop where the perfect menu of the day - I was told very forcibly that Michael Winner thinks they are perfect - but to be frank they are. The fixed price menu was 25 euros each for the most perfect meal. The total including wine, a glass of cherished 1965 armagnac water and coffee was 104 euros. £65 for two for a perfect meal.

Beulieu Sur Mer is great as well with a great walk linking it with St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Villefranche. The best place to eat there is supposed to be the Reserve where a sandwich costs 35 quid allegedly. We go to the Metropole where unbelivable eating is available waterside for about the same as the Negresco. Beualiu has a train station.

This whole coast is the coast used on the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels film if you want to take a peep!

Cap Daisle (?) is next up but we haven't been that far.

Good luck.

J

 

[EME]

Me thinks you did go to Port Cap d'Ail...wasn't that where the boat show was? Actually Cap d'Ail beach itself is only accessible by steps from just off teh Basse Corniche...in the village of the same name Cap d'Ail)

...I wanna boat please..

 

[Torbay]

.....nope I didn't go there (I think I said that!) ... but I did go to the Monaco Boat Show which was I assure you at ...... Monaco!

J

 

[Torbay]

.....nope I didn't go there (I think I said that!) ... but I did go to the Monaco Boat Show which was I assure you was at ...... Monaco!

J

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

jfm, you may remember you kindly replied to a posting of mine a while back with info on Golfe Juan. How did you manage to get a berth there without actually buying a boat there because everyone's telling me that the only way to get a berth in SoFis to buy a boat in a marina with a berth attached that the owner's willing to rent to you? Thanks in advance for any info