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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Destination guide
Ireland — at a glance
90 boats are available to book across 3 departure bases. The largest are Carrick on Shannon (53), Portumna (32), Banagher (5). The fleet is 83 motor boats, 7 houseboats. Weekly prices start from €1,376 for a houseboat; every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate for 7 nights, before extras.
When to go
The Shannon season runs from March to October, and the boats are rented by the week or for short breaks from Friday or Monday. May, June and September have the longest evenings and the emptiest moorings; July and August are the family months and book out early at Carrick-on-Shannon. Irish weather is changeable in any month, which matters less than it sounds on a river cruiser with a heated saloon, and the locks and harbours are free or nearly so. No licence and no experience are needed: the base gives a two-hour handover and the river is slow.
Where to sail in Ireland
Boat hire on the upper Shannon from Carrick-on-Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon is the largest base in Ireland and the centre of the river: north to Lough Key and its forest park, Boyle and the Shannon-Erne waterway into Northern Ireland and Lough Erne, south to Lough Ree and Athlone. A week can reach Enniskillen one way or loop Lough Key, Lough Allen and the Erne canal.
Boats leave from Carrick on Shannon 53
River cruising on Lough Derg and the middle Shannon
Portumna and Banagher are the bases for Lough Derg, the largest of the Shannon lakes, with Killaloe at its foot and the sailing and fishing harbours of Terryglass, Dromineer and Mountshannon around it; north from Banagher the river runs through Clonmacnoise and Athlone to Lough Ree. The quieter half of the river, with pubs on the quay at every stop.
Sailing and coastal boats in Ireland
Sea-going yacht charter in Ireland is a small market of skippered and club boats on the west and south coasts, and none of it is on this page yet; the Shannon cruisers are the Irish fleet on Adriavela, and the Shannon-Erne link is the only cross-border cruise in Europe done without paperwork.
Boats leave from Carrick on Shannon 53 Portumna 32
A week on the water in Ireland
Day-by-day routes from the bases below, with the distances between stops. Each opens the full week on the base page.
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A week from Carrick on Shannon 53 boats
Lough Key / Boyle or Dromod · Lough Ree, Lanesborough · Athlone · Banagher · Portumna
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A week from Portumna 32 boats
Terryglass · Mountshannon · Killaloe · Garrykennedy · Banagher
Bareboat, skippered or crewed
No licence is required on the Shannon or the Erne; the hirer must be 21 or over, every base gives a handover of one to two hours on the boat itself, and the lock keepers and harbour masters do the rest. Boats are rented bareboat to families and groups, from two-berth to twelve-berth cruisers, with a fuel deposit and a damage waiver. Skippered days are not a product here.
Types of boats in Ireland
Steel and fibreglass river cruisers of nine to fifteen metres are the whole Irish fleet on Adriavela - bow thrusters, central heating, a sun deck - plus a few houseboats at Carrick-on-Shannon for those who prefer a wider boat and shorter distances.
- 83 motor boats from €1,416 per week
- 7 houseboats from €1,376 per week
Yacht manufacturers in Ireland
Ports and marinas in Ireland
- Carrick on Shannon 53 boats
- Portumna 32 boats
- Banagher 5 boats
Ireland · prices
What a charter in Ireland actually costs
Adriavela lists 90 boats in Ireland, spread across 3 departure bases. 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 €1,905 and the cheapest boat on the list is €1,376. 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 9–15 m · 3 cabins · built 2001 | Boats83 | Guests3–12 | From€1,416 | Average€2,044 | |
| Houseboat 10.2–14.5 m · 2 cabins · built 2000 | Boats7 | Guests5–12 | From€1,376 | Average€1,706 |
| Charter length | Available for a trip type | Share of fleet |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Available for a trip type 72 | Share of fleet80% |
| Two days | Available for a trip type 72 | Share of fleet80% |
| Three days | Available for a trip type 72 | Share of fleet80% |
| Four days | Available for a trip type 72 | Share of fleet80% |
| One week | Available for a trip type 90 | 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 | Boats3 18% | Sleeps6 | Typical size11 m | Mostly2 houseboats, 1 motor boat | |
| €1,500 – €3,000 | Boats14 82% | Sleeps8 | Typical size14 m | Mostly9 motor boats, 5 houseboats |
| Departure base | Boats | From | Average | Mostly | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrick on Shannon | Boats53 | From€1,449 | Average€1,943 | Mostly47 motor boats, 6 houseboats | |
| Portumna | Boats32 | From— | Average— | Mostly32 motor boats | |
| Banagher | Boats5 | From€1,376 | Average€1,814 | Mostly4 motor boats, 1 houseboat |
Do I need a licence to charter a boat in Ireland?
No licence is required on the Shannon or the Erne; the hirer must be 21 or over, every base gives a handover of one to two hours on the boat itself, and the lock keepers and harbour masters do the rest. Boats are rented bareboat to families and groups, from two-berth to twelve-berth cruisers, with a fuel deposit and a damage waiver. Skippered days are not a product here.
When is the best time to sail in Ireland?
The Shannon season runs from March to October, and the boats are rented by the week or for short breaks from Friday or Monday. May, June and September have the longest evenings and the emptiest moorings; July and August are the family months and book out early at Carrick-on-Shannon. Irish weather is changeable in any month, which matters less than it sounds on a river cruiser with a heated saloon, and the locks and harbours are free or nearly so.
Where can I sail in Ireland?
3 sailing areas: Upper Shannon from Carrick-on-Shannon (from Carrick on Shannon); Lough Derg and the middle Shannon (from Portumna, Banagher); And coastal boats in Ireland (from Carrick on Shannon, Portumna). Each has its own bases, and the boats on this page leave from all of them.
How do I get to the charter bases in Ireland?
The nearest airports to the largest bases: Carrick on Shannon (53 boats): Dublin Airport (DUB), about 135 km away; Portumna (32 boats): Shannon Airport (SNN), about 65 km away; Banagher (5 boats): Shannon Airport (SNN), about 85 km away. Distances are as the crow flies; most charter companies arrange a transfer on request.
How many boats can I charter in Ireland?
90 boats from 3 bases: 83 motor boats, 7 houseboats. Availability and prices are live from the charter companies.
How much does it cost to charter a boat in Ireland?
On the boats listed here day rates start from €196 and a week (7 nights) from €1,376. These are the boats’ own listed rates before extras; fuel, marina fees on the route and local taxes are paid separately.
How much does a yacht charter in Ireland cost for a week?
The typical boat is €1,932 for 7 nights (the median across the priced boats), and the cheapest on the list is €1,376. Prices run from small sailing boats up to crewed yachts, so the median says more than the average (€1,905) here.
What is the most common boat in Ireland?
Motor boat — 83 of the 90 boats listed. An average one sleeps 8 and costs €2,044 for the week.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 72 boats accept a single-day booking, and 72 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.
Where do most boats leave from?
Carrick on Shannon has the largest fleet at 53 boats, and there are 3 departure bases in Ireland altogether. The base you start from changes the price as much as the boat does.
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?
73 of the 90 boats 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.