Rent a houseboat without a licence

Houseboat without a licence: how the charter certificate works

For many of our houseboats on the Mecklenburg and Brandenburg Lake District you don't need a boating licence. A charter certificate is enough. If you don't hold a licence, you'll get an approximately three-hour briefing (theory and practice) at the marina and then set off as a charter captain.

The charter certificate is issued for the duration of your trip. It doesn't replace an official boating licence, but it's enough for your holiday as long as you follow the rules, for example permitted boat length, area restrictions and daylight cruising.

What the briefing involves

Before you cast off, you don't just get a quick explanation but a thorough on-site training: theory first, then a practical exercise on the boat. After that you receive your charter certificate. Many guests quickly find that steering a houseboat is easier than expected. On the Woma boats, bow and stern thrusters make berthing easy, even for first-timers.

Good to know before you book

• Crew: for the Woma D13 bungalow boats a minimum crew of three adults applies, or two adults and one capable teenager. Boats from other operators may have different rules, shown on the respective boat page.
• Speed: the speed of licence-free houseboats is limited to about 6 to 10 km/h. For a relaxed holiday we recommend daily legs of around 25 km.
• Costs: if you don't hold an inland boating licence, the charter certificate is listed as a cost item on the boat. You'll see the exact breakdown of all extra costs for each boat before booking.
• Check the boat: depending on the boat and region, a boating licence may be required. Whether a boat is licence-free is shown on its boat page.

Cruising area and home marinas

Our houseboats are berthed at Marina Röblinsee in Fürstenberg and at Marina Wolfsbruch near Rheinsberg. With four relaxed hours of cruising a day, you'll reach the Müritz from Fürstenberg within a week and be back in good time. Some boats can be booked from just three nights, other operators have longer minimum stays, which you'll see on the boat card.

Which boat is the right one?

The cards above show the lowest-priced boats first. The button takes you to the full list, where you can filter by dates, number of guests, home marina and other features. Save favourites and compare equipment, cabins and prices directly.