598 guides · page 10/29

Boat rental guides

Real prices, licenses, skippers, platforms, itineraries: concrete answers before you book.

• Sormiou, Morgiou, Cassis bay: the mandatory mooring buoys in the CalanquesFree anchoring is receding in the Calanques National Park: mandatory eco-friendly buoys, the official "Mes Calanques" app, which sites are affected, and what it means for a rental boat.
• Paying for a boat rental with French chèques-vacances: what actually worksCan French ANCV holiday vouchers (chèques-vacances) pay for a boat rental? What the big platforms actually accept, where the vouchers still work, and how to check first.
• Why boating is good for you: the science of "blue spaces" and stress reliefBlue spaces, cortisol, attention restoration: what public health research shows about the benefits of time on the water, and how to make the most of it during your rental.
• Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2026: watching the classic yacht parade from a rental boatFrom 26 September to 4 October 2026, the 28th edition brings the world’s finest classic yachts to the gulf. Why these wooden hulls demand constant upkeep, and how to watch them from the water.
• Grand Pavois La Rochelle 2026: the boat show at France’s largest marinaFrom 22 to 27 September 2026, Port des Minimes hosts the Grand Pavois and the return of Éric Tabarly’s Pen Duick yachts. Why this 5,100-berth marina is the right base for the occasion.
• Monaco Yacht Show 2026: watching the superyachts, and renting something more modestFrom 23 to 26 September 2026, Port Hercule displays the world’s superyacht elite. What that market really represents, and how to enjoy Monaco’s bay on a standard rental budget.
• Cannes Yachting Festival 2026: following the boat show from the waterFrom 8 to 13 September 2026, over 700 boats on display at the Vieux Port and Port Canto. How to enjoy Europe’s biggest in-water boat show without exhibiting a boat of your own — by renting one.
• SailGP in Saint-Tropez: watching the F50s fly from a rental boatOn 12-13 September 2026, fourteen nations race foiling catamarans in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Race zone, safety distances and tips for following the racing from the water.
• Watching the Route du Rhum 2026 start from a rental boat in Saint-MaloVillage from 20 October to 1 November, start on 1 November at 1:02pm: how to watch the legendary solo transatlantic race from the water, within the rules set for pleasure boats.
• License-free houseboat rental on the Canal du MidiFrom Toulouse to the Thau lagoon under centuries-old plane trees: the canal's history, the stops along the way, the Fonseranes locks, real budgets and the health of the trees lining the water.
• License-free boating at Raiatea and Tahaa: their shared lagoonTwo Leeward Islands inside a single reef-enclosed lagoon. French Polynesia rules, passes, coral heads, motu and pearl farms: the Raiatea and Tahaa guide.
• Renting a boat in Saint-Malo: Dinard, the Rance and ChauseyEurope's biggest tides, the Naye lock, Cézembre, cruising up the Rance and crossing to Chausey: a practical guide to renting a boat in Saint-Malo.
• Getting to the Glénan Islands: ferry, boat rental or skipperRegular ferry, self-drive motorboat or skippered sailboat: the three ways to reach the Glénan archipelago from Concarneau, Bénodet or La Forêt-Fouesnant, compared honestly.
• Boat rental without a licence in Croatia: what the law really saysUnlike France or Italy, Croatia requires a licence for every motorboat. Recognised foreign permits, the VHF certificate, fines and the legal alternatives.
• License-free boat rental in the Cyclades: Naxos, Paros, SantoriniRenting a boat with no license in Naxos, Paros, Santorini or Milos: Greece's 30 hp rule, the port police, the meltemi wind and where the sheltered water is.
• Split or Dubrovnik: where should you start a Croatia charter?Cruising ground, fleet size, prices, crowds, sample 7-day routes and the one-way option: how to choose between Split and Dubrovnik for a boat rental in Croatia.
• License-free boating on Lake Maggiore: the Borromean IslandsUp to 40 hp without a licence on the Italian side, just 6 kW on the Swiss side: rules, winds, departure bases and budget for reaching the Borromean Islands.
• Boat rental in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Èze and Cap-d’Ail: the Riviera between Nice and MonacoDeparture ports (Beaulieu Plaisance, Silva Maris in Èze, Cap-d’Ail), day routes to Villefranche or Monaco, easterly swell, budget: the local guide.
• Boat hire excess insurance: how it works and when it pays offSecurity deposits of €500-5,000, deposit waivers most often at €10-30 a day, third-party excess insurance: how to cap the financial risk of a boat hire.
• Provisioning a charter yacht on the French Riviera: how it worksAPA, dockside fuel, delivery to the boat, Saturday timing: how provisioning works when you charter a yacht around Cannes, Antibes, Golfe-Juan and Mandelieu.
• License-free boat rental on Lake Serre-Ponçon and Lake Sainte-CroixTwo artificial lakes in the southern French Alps, two opposite rules: combustion engines tolerated on one, strictly banned on the other. The guide to license-free boating at Serre-Ponçon and on the Verdon.