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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Port guide
Jarnac — at a glance
24 boats are available to book in Jarnac from Jarnac. The most common models are Salsa A (3), Clipper (3), Calypso (2), Caprice (2), Cirrus A (2) — 15 models in all. Built 1998–2024, 8.8–15 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests.
Jarnac is a cognac town on the river Charente between Angoulême and Cognac, and its port is the hire base for the Charente: licence-free cruisers down the river through Cognac and Saintes towards the tidal estuary, or up to Angoulême, past distilleries, Romanesque churches and water meadows on one of the gentlest rivers in France. Bordeaux airport is an hour and a half away.
Getting there
By air. Bordeaux Airport (BOD) is about 120 km — an hour and a half by road or via Angoulême station; La Rochelle (LRH) about 120 km. By rail. Angoulême station has TGVs from Paris in under two hours; Jarnac is 25 minutes by taxi or local train. By road. The N141 Angoulême–Cognac road; free parking at the base.
Jarnac before you cast off
Courvoisier’s distillery is on the quay at Jarnac; Cognac, 15 km downstream, has Hennessy, Martell and the others along the river. Saintes has a Roman arch and amphitheatre; Angoulême its ramparts and comic-strip murals.
Supermarkets in the town within walking distance of the port; the base has a shop, water and fuel.
A week from Jarnac
Day 1 — Jarnac → Cognac (15 km, 3 locks). Downstream to the cognac houses on the quays.
Day 2 — Cognac → Saintes (30 km, 5 locks). Through the water meadows to the Roman town.
Day 3 — Saintes → Port d’Envaux / Taillebourg (12 km, 1 lock). The last navigable reach before the tidal estuary.
Day 4 — Taillebourg → Cognac (42 km). Back upstream.
Day 5 — Cognac → Jarnac → Châteauneuf-sur-Charente (30 km, 6 locks). Past the base and on towards Angoulême.
Day 6 — Châteauneuf → Jarnac (15 km, 3 locks). Back to the base.
Day 7 — Jarnac. Return the boat by mid-morning.
Every boat on the Lot & Charente
Ports near Jarnac
Sireuil (14 boats · 18 km) · Saintes (9 boats · 36 km) · La Rochelle (10 boats · 92 km) · Le Mas d´Agenais (20 boats · 144 km) · Buzet-sur-Baïse (15 boats · 162 km) · Douelle (30 boats · 181 km) · Cahors (15 boats · 186 km) · Sucé-sur-Erdre (8 boats · 211 km) · All boats in France
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of boats can I charter in Jarnac?
24 boats are available to book in Jarnac: 24 motor boats. The most common models are Salsa A, Clipper, Calypso, Caprice.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 24 boats here accept a single-day booking. 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?
24 of the 24 boats in Jarnac 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.
How far is the airport from Jarnac?
The nearest airport is La Rochelle Airport (LRH), about 95 km away as the crow flies; Bordeaux Airport (BOD) is about 105 km. Transfer times by road are longer; most charter companies arrange a transfer to the base on request.
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.