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The useful short answer
The weekly rate is the starting point, not the final holiday price. In our French catalogue — more than 800 houseboats and river cruisers on the Canal du Midi, in Burgundy, Alsace, Anjou, the Lot and the Camargue — the middle half of all weeks for a two-cabin boat costs €1,100–1,860 in spring and autumn and €1,830–3,160 in July and August. That rate covers the boat for your dates and its inventory.
Fuel, final cleaning, a one-way fee, extras and the refundable deposit are settled separately. There is no captain: you steer the boat yourself after a briefing, and on French hire waterways no licence is needed — see houseboat hire without a licence. Ask for a written quote that separates compulsory charges, estimates and refundable amounts.
| Season | 1–2 cabins | 3 cabins | 4+ cabins |
|---|---|---|---|
| March, April, October, November | €1,100–1,860 | €1,420–2,260 | €1,660–2,430 |
| May, June, September | €1,530–2,740 | €2,210–3,450 | €2,690–3,810 |
| July–August (peak) | €1,830–3,160 | €2,600–3,850 | €3,110–4,410 |
What moves the weekly rate
Season moves the price most. The same two-cabin boat that costs a median of about €1,470 a week in March, April, October or November runs about €2,420 in July and August — roughly 40% less outside the peak. May, June and September sit in between, with warm weather and full lock hours.
Cabins come next: a three-cabin boat costs a quarter to a third more than a two-cabin one in the same weeks, and four cabins add a little more again. The base, the boat’s age and its layout change the rate within each range, so compare exact models on the rivers and canals page.
| Cost item | In the weekly rate? | Typical range | What to clarify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boat for the dates | Yes | See the season table | Exact model, cabins and inventory. |
| Fuel | No | ≈€9–18 per engine hour | Metered at return or prepaid. |
| Final cleaning | Compulsory on about half of boats | €150–210 | Whether you may clean the boat yourself. |
| One-way fee | No | €100–165 | Which bases accept a one-way finish. |
| Damage waiver | Optional | €140–280 | What excess remains with the waiver. |
| Mooring | No | Bank free; ports ≈€10–15 a night | Which nights you plan in ports. |
| Bikes, pet, parking | Optional | ≈€50 a bike a week; pet ≈€50; parking ≈€6 a night | Availability at the base. |
| Deposit | Refundable | €2,500–4,500, most often €3,000 | Card hold and return conditions. |
Build the budget in five lines
Start with the weekly rate for the exact boat and dates, then add the compulsory items: final cleaning where it applies and the one-way fee if you finish elsewhere. Next, estimate fuel from engine hours — a relaxed one-way week of 13–20 hours at the helm comes to roughly €120–360 — or take the prepaid option some boats offer at about €50–85 a night.
Add optional extras only for what the group will use: bikes, a damage waiver, parking at the base. Finally, keep the deposit outside the holiday budget: it is a refundable hold under the charter agreement, returned after the boat is handed back in the agreed condition.
A simple way to compare two offers
Put every offer into the same six lines: weekly rate, compulsory extras, fuel method, one-way fee, optional extras and deposit. Compare the same dates, cabins and base before deciding which boat is cheaper; a lower rate with compulsory cleaning and a higher fuel rate can cost more over the week.
For a group, divide the expected total by the number of guests only after checking the cabin plan and the bathrooms. A lower per-person figure does not help if the boat has no shade on deck or too few bathrooms for everyone aboard.
Questions to ask before paying a deposit
- Is fuel metered by engine hour or prepaid, and at what rate?
- Is final cleaning compulsory on this boat?
- Is a one-way finish allowed on my route, and what is the fee?
- How much is the deposit, and what excess remains with the damage waiver?
- Which extras — bikes, parking, a pet — are available at the base?
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