Liguria · Italy — 43.82°N, 7.78°E

Boat rental in Sanremo: compare every platform

Q: Do I need a license to rent a boat in Sanremo?

Italy is the most permissive country: no license up to 40 hp (30 kW) , within 6 nautical miles of the coast. That is why the "senza patente" fleets of Sardinia, Sicily and the Amalfi coast are so large. Still mandatory: safety equipment on board and respect for swimming zones.

Renting a boat in Sanremo (Liguria) opens up one of Italy's most beautiful coastlines. Each platform lists only its own fleet: Boat-Comparator queries them all and puts real prices, photos and ratings side by side.

Compare prices in Sanremo →

40 hp with no license, twenty minutes from Menton

This is the Italian Riviera’s decisive argument for a French crew: Italy requires no license up to 40 hp (30 kW), within 6 nautical miles of the coast, where France stops at 6 hp. A genuinely usable boat, then, with no qualification at all. On our reading of 21 August 2026 for a 20 September outing: 39 offers, median €339 per day, first offer at €93 — one of the lowest medians among the ten bases compared this month. By category: license-free €320 median (6 offers, from €93), RIB €327 (9 offers, from €175), motorboat €421 (11 offers, from €164), sailboat €194 (5 offers, from €93). Compare with the French border, some twenty miles away: see Menton and Italy by boat.

Portosole, the old harbour and the Riviera of Flowers

Two departure points in town (OpenStreetMap records): Portosole Sanremo and the Porto Vecchio, below the Pigna old town; then, further out, Bordighera Marina 9 km towards the border and Marina degli Aregai 11.4 km to the east. The coast is short and legible — Ospedaletti, Bordighera and the Ventimiglia headland one way; Arma di Taggia and the bay of Alassio the other. The microclimate sheltered by the Ligurian Alps delivers light breezes on most summer days: easy waters for a first outing. Offshore, these waters belong to the Pelagos sanctuary: speed limits and approach distances apply if you meet cetaceans.

September in Liguria: when boating drops back under the threshold

The median barely moves between August and September (€334 → €365), but footfall collapses — and that is the real gain. Venturini et al. quantified recreational boating in Ligurian marine protected areas in 2016 in Environmental Management: the Portofino MPA exceeds its critical threshold (over 220 boats) on 12.5% of the days monitored in summer, with weekend boat density roughly four times the weekday figure (see the study). Two transferable lessons here: go out midweek rather than at the weekend, and favour the late season. See renting a boat in Liguria, which base to pick in Italy and choosing the right platform.

Sanremo's waters, in practice

The Italian Riviera of Flowers, a stone’s throw from the French border, below greenhouses and palms. Wind-wise: a microclimate sheltered by the Ligurian Alps, with light breezes most summer days.

Departures, day-trip classics and season

Departures: Portosole and Sanremo’s old harbour, below the Pigna old town. The local classics: the coast towards Bordighera and Ospedaletti, the Pelagos sanctuary waters and Monaco some twenty miles off. High season: from May to September, casino and festival keeping the legend alive.

How it works

One search, four catalogues: Boat-Comparator queries Boataround, SamBoat, Click&Boat and GlobeSailor at the same moment, gathers the boats available in Sanremo and sorts them by real price. Booking then happens with the operator, under its guarantees — free, no account.

Not sure which platform to trust? Read our comparison and our detailed reviews: Click&Boat, SamBoat, Boataround, GlobeSailor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a boat rental cost in Sanremo?

Roughly €100–250 per day for a license-free boat, €200–600 for a RIB, more for motorboats, sailboats and catamarans. Boat-Comparator compares the real prices published by the platforms at the time of your search.

Do I need a license to rent a boat in Sanremo?

Italy is the most permissive country: no license up to 40 hp (30 kW), within 6 nautical miles of the coast. That is why the "senza patente" fleets of Sardinia, Sicily and the Amalfi coast are so large. Still mandatory: safety equipment on board and respect for swimming zones.

Which platforms list boats in Sanremo?

Boat-Comparator queries Boataround, SamBoat, Click&Boat and GlobeSailor live, showing price, photo, rating and booking link for every offer.

Can you rent a boat in Sanremo without a license?

Yes, and far more powerful than in France: Italy requires no license up to 40 hp (30 kW), within 6 nautical miles of the coast. On our 21 August reading for a 20 September outing, six license-free offers were comparable, at a €320 median per day, the cheapest at €93.

How much does a day afloat in Sanremo cost?

A €339 median per day across 39 offers logged on 21 August 2026 for a 20 September outing, first offer at €93. By category: sailboat €194, license-free €320, RIB €327, motorboat €421. It is one of the cheapest bases in this month’s comparison.