For a licence-free boat, plan on roughly CHF 275 for a half day on Lake Lugano or in Ascona (petrol included) and roughly €210 for a half day on Lake Como or the Italian side of Maggiore (petrol usually extra). A licensed motorboat is about CHF 480 for a half day on the Swiss lakes and €250 on Como, plus fuel. The table has the full ranges.
In Issue #08, Rent First. Own Later. Maybe. I argued that renting is the smart first move for most beginners. Fair enough, but how much is a rental day, really? I went through the price lists the rental companies publish on their own websites. No marketplace "from" prices where I could avoid them, no guesses. Here is what I found.
2026 rental prices by lake
The bold number is the middle (median) of the published prices, the small one is the cheapest to the dearest list. Self-drive, no skipper. Half day means the operator's 3 to 4 hour slot.
| Lake | Boat | 1 hour | Half day | Full day | Fuel | Price lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Lugano CH | Licence-free (8 hp) | CHF 85 CHF 65–120 | CHF 290 CHF 210–600 | CHF 580 CHF 350–1,100 | petrol included | Oasis, Rivabianca, Newave |
| Lake Lugano CH | Licensed motorboat (150–400 hp) | CHF 160 CHF 140–180 | CHF 480 CHF 460–520 | CHF 800 CHF 650–900 | petrol extra | Rivabianca |
| Lake Maggiore CH side (Ascona) | Licence-free (8 hp) | CHF 80 CHF 65–100 | CHF 250 CHF 220–300 | CHF 450 CHF 380–450 | petrol included at most operators (not stated at one) | Asconautica, Züllig Boats |
| Lake Maggiore CH side (Ascona) | Licensed motorboat (90–300 hp) | CHF 120 | CHF 365 CHF 250–480 | CHF 500 CHF 390–800 | petrol extra or not stated | Asconautica |
| Lake Maggiore IT side | Licence-free (40 hp) | not published | €174 €149–€200 | €249 €210–€300 | petrol extra or not stated | DKrent, Enjoy Lago Maggiore, Rent Boat Lago Maggiore |
| Lake Maggiore IT side | Licensed motorboat (115 hp+) | not published | not published | €520 €440–€600 | petrol extra or not stated | Rent Boat Lago Maggiore |
| Lake Como IT | Licence-free (40 hp) | €90 €80–€100 | €230 €210–€310 | €375 €310–€520 | petrol extra | Water Experience Center, Comolakeboats, Sailing Garage |
| Lake Como IT | Licensed motorboat (150 hp) | not published | €250 €240–€260 | €380 €360–€400 | petrol extra | Comolakeboats |
Prices as published on 29 October 2026. Operators change them and some charge more at weekends (DKrent in Ispra, for example: €149 on a weekday morning, €199 at the weekend). Check the operator's page before you book.
What is not in the price
- Fuel. Included on almost every Swiss licence-free boat I checked. Usually extra on Italian licence-free boats and on all licensed boats, where you refill on return or pay for what you used.
- The deposit. Asconautica in Ascona asks CHF 500 in cash; Comolakeboats in Domaso €500 for licence-free and €600 for licensed boats.
- Weekends and August. The cheapest prices are weekday prices. Book ahead for July and August weekends.
- The licence. Above 8 hp in Switzerland and 40 hp in Italy you need one. See Do I need a licence to rent a boat?
Booking online
If you prefer to book through a platform, these are the GetYourGuide listings I link from the calculator:
- Lake Lugano: 1-hour boat rental, no licence (GetYourGuide)
- Lake Como: self-drive boat rental, no licence (GetYourGuide)
- Lake Como: 1-hour speedboat rental, no licence (GetYourGuide)
Affiliate links: if you book through them I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Their prices are set on GetYourGuide and are not part of the table above. More in the privacy policy.
Renting all summer? Run the numbers
A few half days a season is cheap compared with owning. Twenty full days is a different story. The Boat Budget Calculator uses the same price lists, adds fuel, and shows where buying would start to cost less, purchase price and depreciation included. Before the day itself, read Issue #07 on the rental handover, Issue #19 on what to pack and Issue #17 on fuel, and print the free boat rental checklist.
Quick answers
How much does it cost to rent a boat on Lake Lugano?
From the 2026 price lists I checked, a licence-free boat costs about CHF 290 for a half day (CHF 210 to CHF 600) and about CHF 580 for a full day (CHF 350 to CHF 1,100), petrol included; a licensed motorboat costs about CHF 480 for a half day (CHF 460 to CHF 520) and about CHF 800 for a full day (CHF 650 to CHF 900), petrol extra. Licence-free boats on the Swiss side are limited to 8 hp. Prices are in CHF.
How much does it cost to rent a boat on Lake Maggiore?
A licence-free boat on the Swiss side, in Ascona costs about CHF 250 for a half day (CHF 220 to CHF 300) and about CHF 450 for a full day (CHF 380 to CHF 450), petrol included at most operators (not stated at one); a licensed motorboat on the Swiss side, in Ascona costs about CHF 365 for a half day (CHF 250 to CHF 480) and about CHF 500 for a full day (CHF 390 to CHF 800), petrol extra or not stated; a licence-free boat on the Italian side costs about €174 for a half day (€149 to €200) and about €249 for a full day (€210 to €300), petrol extra or not stated; a licensed motorboat on the Italian side costs about €520 for a full day (€440 to €600), petrol extra or not stated. The Swiss side prices in CHF, the Italian side in EUR, and the Italian licence-free boats are 40 hp instead of 8 hp.
How much does it cost to rent a boat on Lake Como?
A licence-free boat costs about €230 for a half day (€210 to €310) and about €375 for a full day (€310 to €520), petrol extra; a licensed motorboat costs about €250 for a half day (€240 to €260) and about €380 for a full day (€360 to €400), petrol extra. Prices are in EUR, and the central lake around Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio is the busiest in summer.
Is fuel included in a boat rental?
On the Swiss licence-free boats I checked, petrol is almost always included. On Italian licence-free boats and on every licensed boat it is usually extra: you refill on return or pay for what you used. The only published fuel figure I found was a flat €50 for a 2 to 6 hour rental at Como. Ask at the dock, and remember the deposit: Asconautica asks CHF 500 in cash, Comolakeboats €500 to €600.
Do I need a licence to rent one of these boats?
Not for the licence-free boats: up to 8 hp (6 kW) in Switzerland and up to 40 hp (30 kW) in Italy. For anything bigger you need a licence, and on Lugano and Maggiore the rules follow your country of residence. The licence guide on this site has the details and the official sources.