Quick answer

Q. Greece or Turkey for a crewed yacht charter?

Greece and Turkey share the Aegean and little else in how a charter is sold. Greece is the EU market: MYBA-standard contracts, the yacht's VAT rate written into the agreement, and a crewed fleet of modern motor yachts and catamarans priced per yacht per week on the Greek Charter Index from EUR 17,000. Turkey is the gulet coast: the traditional wooden charter yacht at scale, a lower cost base and the Lycian shore's remoteness, outside the EU's regulatory frame. For a modern crewed yacht under European terms, Greece. For a gulet week at a lower price, Turkey. This house writes only the first.

Key facts

Greek crewed weeks on the Index 2026: sailing catamarans EUR 17,000 to 90,000, power catamarans 21,000 to 90,000, motor yachts 17,500 to 235,000, net base per yacht per week
Greek VAT on a weekly crewed charter is invoiced at the yacht's certified rate, 5.2, 6.5, 7.8 or 12 per cent, with 13 per cent the statutory ceiling; short charters under 48 hours and bareboat hires carry 24 per cent; Turkey is outside the EU and applies its own standard VAT
Contract: MYBA-standard terms with base fee, certified VAT rate, APA of 20 to 40 per cent and the customary 10 to 15 per cent gratuity itemised before signing
Grounds: the Cyclades, the Saronic and the Ionian, boarding at Athens, Lefkada or Corfu; no cross-border weeks and no gulets on the list

Source: George Yachts Greek Charter Index 2026

- George P. Biniaris, Founder and Managing Broker

Charter Destination Comparison

Greece vs Turkey Yacht Charter

Same sea, different shores. The comparison for a charterer choosing between them.

Last updated September 2026

The two shores of the Aegean

Greece and Turkey share the Aegean Sea and split its shores, and from the water the coasts can look alike. The charter products do not. Greek waters are the EU market. The contract is the MYBA form, the brokerage practice is IYBA and MYBA standard, EU shipping rules and data protection apply, and Greek VAT on a weekly crewed charter is invoiced at the yacht's certified rate, 5.2 to 12 per cent, with 13 per cent the ceiling, stated in the contract before you sign. The fleet is modern motor yachts and crewed catamarans: 91 on this house's list, 66 with a walkthrough video on their page. Turkish waters are the gulet market: the wooden charter yacht built for the purpose on the Bodrum and Marmaris coast, at a lower cost base, outside the EU, with local contract forms alongside the MYBA form. It is usually the cheaper week and we say so; we hold no Turkish rate cards and publish no Turkish figure. What this house does: weekly, fully crewed charters in the Cyclades, the Saronic and the Ionian, boarding at Athens, Lefkada or Corfu. We do not carry gulets, the Greek Charter Index has no gulet band, and we do not write cross-border weeks. If Turkey is the right answer for you, we will say so.

Best suited for

Charterers who want a modern, stabilised motor yacht or a crewed catamaran with a full galley
Family offices that want the MYBA form and an EU jurisdiction
Repeat Greek charterers curious about the other shore, told honestly what it is
Anyone weighing a gulet week against a crewed catamaran week

How the comparison breaks down

Season: both roughly May to October. Weekly rate: the Greek bands are published per yacht per week on the Index 2026; Turkey is usually the cheaper week and the figure is the operator's to quote. VAT: Greek VAT on a weekly crewed charter is invoiced at the yacht's certified rate, 5.2, 6.5, 7.8 or 12 per cent, with 13 per cent the statutory ceiling; short charters under 48 hours and bareboat hires carry 24 per cent. Turkey is outside the EU and applies its own standard rate; confirm the gross figure with the operator. Contract: MYBA-standard in Greece, every line itemised before signing; MYBA and local forms both in use in Turkey. Fleet: modern crewed motor yachts and catamarans in Greece, 49 and 51 on this list; the gulet at scale in Turkey. Anchorages: the Greek Cyclades open and dramatic, the Ionian sheltered and green; the Turkish Lycian coast pine-lined, mountainous and quiet by default. Culture ashore: Delos, Athens and Hydra against Ephesus and the Lycian ruins; both world class. Cross-border: exists in the trade on yachts whose flag allows it; not written by this house.

Notes from George

For a gulet week, Turkey has the fleet, the yards and the price. The comparable crewed Greek week is a sailing catamaran of 20 to 22 metres at EUR 31,500 to 43,500 net base, or a crewed sailing yacht of 24 to 31 metres at 24,000 to 55,000, with a full galley and a table that stays set.
If the brief is quieter and cheaper than Mykonos, the Greek answer is Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Folegandros or the inner Ionian, and the captain will route for it if asked.
A charterer who wants both coasts takes two separate weeks. The Turkish one is not ours to arrange.
Ask any non-EU quote whether the figure is gross or net of tax before comparing it with a Greek proposal, which itemises the line.

Frequently asked

Questions we get about Greece vs Turkey Yacht Charter

Is Turkey cheaper than Greece for yacht charter?

Usually yes, most clearly on gulets, because the cost base ashore is lower and the fleet is built locally for charter. The Greek side is published: crewed catamarans from EUR 17,000 and motor yachts from 17,500 a week net base on the Greek Charter Index 2026, before VAT at the yacht's certified rate and APA of 20 to 40 per cent. We do not publish a Turkish figure we cannot source.

Can we charter a yacht that crosses Greece and Turkey?

Not through this house. Our weeks begin and end in Greek waters, in the Cyclades, the Saronic and the Ionian. Cross-border charters exist in the trade on yachts whose flag and paperwork allow it; a charterer who wants both coasts takes two separate weeks.

Is the Turkish charter market regulated like the Greek one?

No. Greek charter operates under the MYBA form and EU rules, with the VAT rate stated in the contract. Turkey is outside the EU and runs its own maritime and tax regime, with local contract forms alongside the MYBA form. We do not advise on Turkish contracts.

Which has better anchorages?

Both excellent, and different. The Greek Cyclades have the open-water drama, Mykonos, the Santorini caldera, Folegandros; the Greek Ionian and the Turkish Lycian coast share the sheltered, pine-lined character. The house anchorage guides cover the Greek bays with depth, holding and shelter.

Does George Yachts charter gulets?

No. The Greek Charter Index has no gulet band and this house quotes gulets on request only. For the slow, wide-decked week the crewed sailing catamarans on the list are the Greek equivalent.

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