Bareboat or skippered charter — which one is for you?
Licence requirements, costs and the honest pros and cons of sailing on your own versus hiring a skipper for your first yacht charter.
Every first-time charterer faces the same question: take the wheel yourself, or book a skipper? There is no wrong answer — only the answer that fits your crew.
Bareboat: your boat, your rules
For a bareboat charter in most of the Mediterranean you need a valid coastal skipper licence and a VHF certificate. Charter companies will ask for both at check-in.
- Total freedom over the route and the daily rhythm
- Lower cost — no skipper fee and no extra berth taken
- You carry the responsibility: weather calls, mooring, the deposit
Skippered: local knowledge on board
A professional skipper typically costs 150–220 € per day plus meals. In return you get someone who knows every bay, every harbourmaster and tomorrow's wind before the forecast does.
- Nobody in your crew needs a licence
- You will anchor in bays you would never find alone
- One cabin goes to the skipper — plan the sleeping arrangement
Our advice
If this is your first season and the crew includes children, take the skipper. You can always sail bareboat next year — with a season of local moorings behind you.
Whichever you choose, the filter is right on our search page — bareboat and crewed options are marked on every listing.