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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Area guide
Lot & Charente — at a glance
137 boats are available to book on the Lot & Charente from 8 bases; the largest are Douelle (30), Jarnac (24), Le Mas d´Agenais (20). The fleet is 105 motor boats, 22 houseboats, 9 sailing boats and 1 catamaran. The most common models are Pénichette 1020 (8), Salsa A (6), Calypso (6), Royal Mystique (6), Magnifique (5) — 64 models in all. Built 1989–2025, 8–15 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests. Day rates start from €114; the typical boat here is around €266 per day, and every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate before extras.
Two rivers, both gentle and both nearly empty of commercial traffic. The Lot runs west from Cahors through vineyards and limestone cliffs with a handful of locks; the Charente runs from Angoulême through Cognac and Saintes to its tidal estuary, past distilleries, Romanesque churches and water meadows.
Douelle is the hire base for the Lot and Jarnac for the Charente, with Cahors, Le Mas d'Agenais and Buzet-sur-Baïse on the Lot and the Canal de Garonne, and Sireuil, Saintes and Angoulême along the Charente. La Rochelle, at the Atlantic end, is the one sea port in the region.
No licence is needed on either river. These are the quietest weeks in France: short days, few locks and a village mooring most nights.
Charter bases on the Lot & Charente
- Douelle 30 boats
- Jarnac 24 boats
- Le Mas d´Agenais 20 boats
- Buzet-sur-Baïse 15 boats
- Cahors 15 boats
- Sireuil 14 boats
- La Rochelle 10 boats
- Saintes 9 boats
Getting there
By air. Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) is about 120 km from Douelle and Bergerac (EGC) about 110. Bordeaux (BOD) is about 120 km from Jarnac, and La Rochelle (LRH) about the same — it is also the region's own airport for its one sea port. By rail. Cahors is on the Paris-Toulouse line; Angoulême is on the Paris-Bordeaux TGV, two hours from Paris, and 25 minutes from Jarnac by road. By road. The A20 serves Cahors and the Lot; the N10 and the A10 serve Angoulême, Cognac and Saintes.
Lot & Charente before you cast off
On the Lot: Cahors with its fortified Valentré bridge and covered market, the cliff village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie at the far end of the week, the cave paintings at Pech Merle and the Cahors malbec vineyards. On the Charente: Courvoisier on the quay at Jarnac, Hennessy and Martell 15 km downstream at Cognac, the Roman arch and amphitheatre at Saintes, and the ramparts and comic-strip murals of Angoulême.
The bases have a shop, water and fuel. Cahors, Saintes and Angoulême have markets and supermarkets by the water; the villages between them have a baker and a cafe, so the week is provisioned at the start and in the towns on the way.
A week on the Lot
Day 1 — Douelle → Cahors (12 km, 2 locks). Upstream through the vineyards to the quay at Cahors under the Valentré bridge.
Day 2 — Cahors → Vers / Saint-Géry (20 km, 5 locks). Into the cliffs of the Lot valley.
Day 3 — Saint-Géry → Bouziès / Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (12 km, 4 locks). The towpath cut into the cliff and the village on its rock; moor at Bouziès or below Saint-Cirq.
Day 4 — Saint-Cirq → Cahors (32 km, 9 locks). Back downstream to Cahors.
Day 5 — Cahors → Luzech (25 km, 5 locks). Downstream past Douelle to the loop of the river at Luzech.
Day 6 — Luzech → Douelle (13 km, 3 locks). Back to the base village.
Day 7 — Douelle. Return the boat by mid-morning.
Types of boats on the Lot & Charente
- Motor boats 105 boats · from €127 per day
- Houseboats 22 boats · from €114 per day
- Sailing boats 9 boats · from €192 per day
- Catamarans 1 boat · from €400 per day
Ports on the Lot & Charente
Douelle (30) · Jarnac (24) · Le Mas d´Agenais (20) · Buzet-sur-Baïse (15) · Cahors (15) · Sireuil (14) · La Rochelle (10) · Saintes (9) · All boats in France
Lot & Charente · prices
What a charter on the Lot & Charente actually costs
Adriavela lists 137 boats leaving from Lot & Charente. 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 €1,903 and the cheapest boat on the list is €801. 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 8–15 m · 3 cabins · built 2006 | Boats105 | Guests3–12 | From€892 | Average€1,665 | |
| Houseboat 9.5–14.9 m · 2 cabins · built 2003 | Boats22 | Guests4–12 | From€801 | Average€1,804 | |
| Sailing boat 8.9–14.4 m · 3 cabins · built 2024 | Boats9 | Guests4–8 | From€1,350 | Average€2,861 | |
| Catamaran & trimaran 13.1–13.1 m · 5 cabins · built 2022 | Boats1 | Guests8–8 | From€2,800 | Average€2,800 |
| Charter length | Available for a trip type | Share of fleet |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Available for a trip type 73 | Share of fleet53% |
| Two days | Available for a trip type 96 | Share of fleet70% |
| Three days | Available for a trip type 96 | Share of fleet70% |
| Four days | Available for a trip type 96 | Share of fleet70% |
| One week | Available for a trip type 137 | 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 | Boats26 41% | Sleeps7 | Typical size10 m | Mostly19 motor boats, 6 houseboats, 1 sailing boat | |
| €1,500 – €3,000 | Boats32 51% | Sleeps6 | Typical size11 m | Mostly16 houseboats, 11 motor boats, 4 sailing boats | |
| €3,000 – €6,000 | Boats5 8% | Sleeps6 | Typical size14 m | Mostly4 sailing boats, 1 motor boat |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yacht charter in Lot & Charente cost?
Day rates on the boats listed here start from €114 and the typical boat is around €266 per day; a week (7 nights) starts from €801. 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 Lot & Charente?
137 boats are available to book in Lot & Charente: 105 motor boats, 22 houseboats, 9 sailing boats and 1 catamaran. The most common models are Pénichette 1020, Salsa A, Calypso, Royal Mystique.
Which marinas do charters leave from in Lot & Charente?
Charters in Lot & Charente leave from 8 bases: Douelle (30 boats), Jarnac (24 boats), Le Mas d´Agenais (20 boats), Buzet-sur-Baïse (15 boats), Cahors (15 boats).
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 73 boats here accept a single-day booking, and 96 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?
74 of the 137 boats in Lot & Charente 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.