Do you need a boat licence to hire a private boat in Paris?

The search 'licence-free boat Paris' comes up very often, and it actually mixes two quite different needs: skippering a small boat yourself, or hiring a private boat for an event. In the second case, the question doesn't even arise.

A private boat is always skippered by a professional captain

When you hire a private boat for a birthday, a seminar or a wedding, the boat is handled from start to finish by a captain holding the required qualifications. Neither you nor your guests ever need any kind of licence: your only role is to enjoy the occasion.

Why this question comes up so often

Many people looking for a boat in Paris instinctively think of the small self-drive boats that can be hired by the hour on some stretches of water, which are designed to be used without a licence so that as many people as possible can enjoy them. Hiring a private boat for an event works on a completely different basis: it is a floating reception venue, with crew included.

What changes if you want to skipper the boat yourself

If what you really want is to take the helm for a short trip with a few friends, that isn't what we offer: we look after private and corporate events on crewed boats, designed to host anything from 2 to several hundred guests in comfort, with no boating skills needed on your part.

The key takeaway

You will never be asked for a licence or any boating paperwork to hire a private boat with Sein'ario: the captain and crew take care of everything, from boarding to your return to the quay.