“
5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Area guide
Brittany & the Loire — at a glance
112 boats are available to book in Brittany & the Loire from 6 bases; the largest are Sablé-sur-Sarthe (31), Messac (27), Grez-Neuville (23). The fleet is 98 motor boats and 14 houseboats. The most common models are Nicols Confort 1350 (7), Nicols Confort 1100 (7), Nicols Estivale Duo (6), Nicols Sedan Primo (6), Nicols Estivale Quattro B (5) — 51 models in all. Built 1986–2025, 5.5–15 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests. Day rates start from €25; the typical boat here is around €266 per day, and every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate before extras.
The rivers between Brittany and the Loire are the lock-light end of French cruising: the Sarthe and the Mayenne through Anjou, the Vilaine and the Nantes-Brest canal through inland Brittany, and the Erdre north of Nantes.
Sablé-sur-Sarthe is the base for the Sarthe and the Mayenne, between Le Mans and Angers; Grez-Neuville covers the Mayenne and the Oudon north of Angers; Messac sits on the Vilaine 40 minutes south of Rennes, with Saint-Martin-sur-Oust and Glenac on the Nantes-Brest canal and Sucé-sur-Erdre on the Erdre.
No licence is needed. The water is wooded and slow, the locks come a few kilometres apart, and the châteaux of Anjou are the reason most people come.
Charter bases in Brittany & the Loire
- Sablé-sur-Sarthe 31 boats
- Messac 27 boats
- Grez-Neuville 23 boats
- Saint-Martin-sur-Oust 12 boats
- Glénac 11 boats
- Sucé-sur-Erdre 8 boats
Getting there
By air. Rennes (RNS) is about 45 km from Messac; Nantes (NTE) serves the whole region — about 100 km from Grez-Neuville, 110 from Messac and 130 from Sablé. By rail. Sablé-sur-Sarthe has a TGV stop, two and a half hours from Paris via Le Mans; Angers and Rennes are both on the Paris TGV. By road. The A11 Paris-Nantes passes Le Mans and Angers; the N137 links Rennes and Nantes past Messac.
Brittany & the Loire before you cast off
Solesmes abbey above the Sarthe, known for its Gregorian chant; the faience potteries at Malicorne; Angers with its château and the Apocalypse tapestry, an hour from Sablé and 25 minutes from Grez-Neuville; the Château du Plessis-Bourré and the villages of Chenillé-Changé and Château-Gontier on the Mayenne; Le Mans' cathedral and old town; and in Brittany, Redon at the crossing of the Vilaine and the Nantes-Brest canal, La Roche-Bernard on its rock above the tidal Vilaine, and the château at Josselin.
The bases have a shop, water and fuel. Sablé, Château-Gontier, Redon and Rennes have supermarkets and markets; the river villages have a baker and a restaurant, which on these rivers is usually enough.
A week on the Sarthe and the Mayenne
Day 1 — Sablé → Solesmes (4 km, 1 lock). A short first afternoon upstream to the abbey.
Day 2 — Solesmes → Malicorne (25 km, 5 locks). Up the wooded river to the pottery town.
Day 3 — Malicorne → Le Mans (35 km, 8 locks). Through the water meadows to the city (or turn around at Malicorne for a shorter week).
Day 4 — Le Mans → Malicorne (35 km). Back downstream.
Day 5 — Malicorne → Sablé → Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe (40 km, 8 locks). Past the base and on down the Sarthe.
Day 6 — Châteauneuf → Sablé (20 km, 4 locks). Back up to the base town.
Day 7 — Sablé. Return the boat by mid-morning.
Types of boats in Brittany & the Loire
- Motor boats 98 boats · from €25 per day
- Houseboats 14 boats · from €266 per day
Ports in Brittany & the Loire
Sablé-sur-Sarthe (31) · Messac (27) · Grez-Neuville (23) · Saint-Martin-sur-Oust (12) · Glénac (11) · Sucé-sur-Erdre (8) · All boats in France
Brittany & the Loire · prices
What a charter in Brittany & the Loire actually costs
Adriavela lists 112 boats leaving from Brittany & the Loire. What separates one price from another is the type of boat, its size, and the base it leaves from — not the month you go.
The average week is €1,847 and the cheapest boat on the list is €179. Figures are list prices for a 7-night bareboat charter, refreshed nightly; the exact total for your dates is confirmed on the boat’s own page before you book.
| Boat type | Boats | Guests | From | Average | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor boat 5.5–15 m · 3 cabins · built 2006 | Boats98 | Guests2–12 | From€179 | Average€1,816 | |
| Houseboat 9.3–12.6 m · 2 cabins · built 2001 | Boats14 | Guests4–10 | From€1,865 | Average€1,908 |
| Charter length | Available for a trip type | Share of fleet |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Available for a trip type 57 | Share of fleet51% |
| Two days | Available for a trip type 80 | Share of fleet71% |
| Three days | Available for a trip type 80 | Share of fleet71% |
| Four days | Available for a trip type 80 | Share of fleet71% |
| One week | Available for a trip type 112 | Share of fleet100% |
Short charters are priced per boat and date rather than by the week, so no range is quoted here. Pick your days on a boat’s page and the rate comes back live.
| Budget / week | Boats | Sleeps | Typical size | Mostly | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under €1,500 | Boats7 21% | Sleeps6 | Typical size9 m | Mostly7 motor boats | |
| €1,500 – €3,000 | Boats26 79% | Sleeps6 | Typical size11 m | Mostly15 motor boats, 11 houseboats |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yacht charter in Brittany & the Loire cost?
Day rates on the boats listed here start from €25 and the typical boat is around €266 per day; a week (7 nights) starts from €179. Prices are the boats’ own listed rates; fuel, marina fees on the route and local taxes are paid separately.
What kinds of boats can I charter in Brittany & the Loire?
112 boats are available to book in Brittany & the Loire: 98 motor boats and 14 houseboats. The most common models are Nicols Confort 1350, Nicols Confort 1100, Nicols Estivale Duo, Nicols Sedan Primo.
Which marinas do charters leave from in Brittany & the Loire?
Charters in Brittany & the Loire leave from 6 bases: Sablé-sur-Sarthe (31 boats), Messac (27 boats), Grez-Neuville (23 boats), Saint-Martin-sur-Oust (12 boats), Glénac (11 boats).
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 57 boats here accept a single-day booking, and 80 take two days. A day rate is quoted for the specific boat and date, so pick your day on the boat’s own page and the price comes back live.
What is not in the price?
The figure is for the boat. Transit log, tourist tax and the APA are mandatory, set per boat, and paid at the base. Skipper, hostess, extra equipment and other services are optional and also settled at the base.
Why do some boats show no price?
79 of the 112 boats in Brittany & the Loire are on request — usually larger or crewed yachts, where the rate depends on the week and the crew. They are left out of every figure above.
Do I need a licence for a canal boat in France?
No. Licence-free river cruisers can be hired by anyone over 18 on the French waterways; the base gives an hour’s instruction on steering, mooring and the locks before you leave.
How do the locks work?
Most locks on the Canal du Midi and the Burgundy waterways are worked by a lock-keeper or are automatic; the crew handles the ropes. Locks are closed at lunchtime and overnight, so a day’s cruising is about six hours.
What day do charters start?
Weekly hires usually run Saturday to Saturday or Friday to Friday, with handover in the afternoon and return by mid-morning; shorter breaks of three or four days are common — the exact times are on each boat’s page.