Who does what, from quayside to runway
The Federation operates no aircraft and no vessel, and it is neither an airline nor a shipping company. For a yacht, a helicopter or a jet, it acts as an intermediary: it finds the operator, checks it, passes on its proposal and coordinates the timings. As its terms and conditions put it, the Federation is answerable for the care taken in selecting and checking the operator.
- The chosen operator
- Carries out the flight or the day at sea, under its own licence and its own responsibility.
- The member chauffeur
- Handles the journeys on the ground, before and after, at the agreed place.
- The Federation
- Prepares, checks and coordinates: one point of contact for you.
- The operator’s terms
- Postponement, diversion, cancellation: set out with the proposal, before you pay for the flight or the day at sea.
A yacht day: the Calanques, the Frioul, the Côte Bleue
From Marseille, three stretches of coast lend themselves to a private yacht charter, for a full day or a few hours:
- the Calanques, from Marseille to Cassis: Sormiou, Morgiou, En-Vau, seen from offshore, and the limestone cliffs between them;
- the Frioul archipelago, off the Old Port: Pomègues, Ratonneau, the island of If with its château, and Tiboulen;
- the Côte Bleue, to the west, from L’Estaque to Martigues: Niolon, Méjean, La Redonne and Carry-le-Rouet, along a marine park created in 1983.
The port of departure, the length of the outing and the programme are agreed with the operator. The boat depends on what is available on your dates: the proposal specifies the vessel and its crew. Your chauffeur drops you at the quay and collects you there on your return. For a day that combines sea and land, see also Cassis and the Calanques.
In the Calanques National Park, the sea has its own rules
The national park extends out to sea: the skipper chooses where to stop according to the park’s rules, the wind and how busy the coves are. A few rules worth knowing:
- speed is limited to 5 knots within 300 metres of the shore;
- at En-Vau and Port-Pin, anchoring is prohibited altogether, and motor craft may not enter the head of either cove;
- vessels over 24 metres anchor offshore, beyond the Posidonia seagrass meadows; at Sormiou, Morgiou and other sites, anchoring is regulated, on buoys or sandy seabeds;
- from 1 June to 30 September, on days of red wildfire risk, boat trips are still allowed, but without going ashore.
If the weather or the sea calls for a change of plan, the operator decides, for everyone’s safety. Its postponement terms are set out with the proposal, before you confirm the outing.
Helicopter: a transfer, not a low pass over the cliffs
A helicopter can link Marseille with destinations further afield without taking the road: the Var, the Luberon, the Côte d’Azur. The departure and landing sites, the route and the time are set by the operator, in line with the rules of each site and of air traffic control.
Motorised aircraft may not fly over the heart of the Calanques National Park below 1,000 metres above the ground, except along the transit corridors set by the regulations or under exemptions reserved for certain missions, such as public service or works. We therefore promise no low-level flight over the Calanques: the operator tells you what its route allows.
On landing, your chauffeur meets you at the place agreed with the operator, which is written into your confirmation voucher.
Private jet: Marignane or Le Castellet
Marseille Provence Airport, at Marignane, has a terminal dedicated to business aviation. In the Var, Le Castellet International Airport, next to the Circuit Paul Ricard, has been a business airport since November 2001 and also handles helicopters. The airport, the slot and the aircraft are decided with the operator, according to your request and what it has available.
The pick-up point on the ground is arranged with the operator or the handling agent receiving you; whether a car can come close to the aircraft is checked case by case (see Marseille airport chauffeur). If your stay continues with a trade fair or a reception, see our chauffeurs for your events.
Preparing your request
To open a file, please tell us:
- your dates, and how flexible they are;
- the number of passengers, the age of any children, and your luggage;
- for a flight, the departure and arrival cities or airports; for a day at sea, the stretch of coast you have in mind and how many hours;
- the journeys needed on the ground, before and after.
Opening a yacht, helicopter or private jet file involves a study fee, paid before any work begins; the amount is shown on the file-opening quote. You then receive, subject to availability, a proposal, followed by a personal quote with our terms and conditions. Nothing is held until your payment has actually been received. To begin, get in touch.