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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Port guide
Sablé-sur-Sarthe — at a glance
31 boats are available to book in Sablé-sur-Sarthe from Sablé-sur-Sarthe. The fleet is 29 motor boats and 2 houseboats. The most common models are Nicols Confort 1100 (4), Nicols Confort 1350 (4), Nicols Sedan 1010 (2), Nicols Sedan 1170 (2), Nicols Estivale Quattro (2) — 15 models in all. Built 1987–2023, 5.5–15 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests. Day rates start from €25; the typical boat here is around €271 per day, and every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate before extras.
Sablé-sur-Sarthe is a town on the river Sarthe between Le Mans and Angers, and its port is the hire base for the Sarthe and the Mayenne: licence-free cruisers up the Sarthe through Solesmes and Malicorne towards Le Mans, or down to the confluence with the Mayenne and the Loire at Angers. The rivers are quiet, wooded and lock-light; Paris is an hour and a half by TGV to Sablé.
Getting there
By air. Nantes Airport (NTE) is about 130 km — an hour and a half; Paris airports two and a half hours by TGV via Le Mans or direct to Sablé. By rail. Sablé-sur-Sarthe station has TGVs from Paris-Montparnasse in about 1 h 30; the port is a ten-minute walk. By road. The A11 and A81 motorways; free parking at the base.
Sablé-sur-Sarthe before you cast off
Solesmes abbey, a few kilometres upstream, is famous for its Gregorian chant and its river frontage; Malicorne makes faience pottery; Le Mans’ cathedral and old town are 45 minutes, Angers’ château an hour.
Supermarkets in the town within walking distance of the port; the base has a shop, water and fuel.
A week from Sablé-sur-Sarthe
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 Sablé-sur-Sarthe
- Motor boats 29 boats · from €25 per day
- Houseboats 2 boats · from €149 per day
Ports near Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Grez-Neuville (23 boats · 37 km) · Sucé-sur-Erdre (8 boats · 105 km) · Messac (27 boats · 111 km) · Glénac (11 boats · 135 km) · Saint-Martin-sur-Oust (12 boats · 145 km) · Arzon (41 boats · 195 km) · La Rochelle (9 boats · 199 km) · La Trinité-sur-Mer (9 boats · 204 km) · All boats in France
Sablé-sur-Sarthe · prices
What a charter in Sablé-sur-Sarthe actually costs
Adriavela lists 31 boats leaving from Sablé-sur-Sarthe. 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 €1,927 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 2003 | Boats29 | Guests2–12 | From€179 | Average€1,978 | |
| Houseboat 9.3–11.2 m · 2 cabins · built 1992 | Boats2 | Guests6–8 | From€1,043 | Average€1,188 |
| Charter length | Available for a trip type | Share of fleet |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Available for a trip type 18 | Share of fleet58% |
| Two days | Available for a trip type 20 | Share of fleet65% |
| Three days | Available for a trip type 20 | Share of fleet65% |
| Four days | Available for a trip type 20 | Share of fleet65% |
| One week | Available for a trip type 31 | 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 23% | Sleeps4 | Typical size8 m | Mostly5 motor boats, 2 houseboats | |
| €1,500 – €3,000 | Boats20 65% | Sleeps9 | Typical size11 m | Mostly20 motor boats | |
| €3,000 – €6,000 | Boats4 13% | Sleeps10 | Typical size14 m | Mostly4 motor boats |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yacht charter in Sablé-sur-Sarthe cost?
Day rates on the boats listed here start from €25 and the typical boat is around €271 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 Sablé-sur-Sarthe?
31 boats are available to book in Sablé-sur-Sarthe: 29 motor boats and 2 houseboats. The most common models are Nicols Confort 1100, Nicols Confort 1350, Nicols Sedan 1010, Nicols Sedan 1170.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 18 boats here accept a single-day booking, and 20 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.
How far is the airport from Sablé-sur-Sarthe?
The nearest airport is Rennes Airport (RNS), about 110 km away as the crow flies; Nantes Airport (NTE) is about 125 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.