Opening the Uber app to book a boat in Cannes, Nice or Saint-Tropez: from June 2026, this gesture enters the everyday life of Riviera visitors. Announced on 30 April at Uber's annual "GO-GET" event in New York, the Uber Boat service is landing in the Mediterranean and shaking up the consumer side of the boat rental market.
Not a maritime ride-hail, a daily charter
First important clarification: Uber Boat is not a "ride-hail on water" service connecting two points along the coast. It is a booking platform for day or half-day boat rentals, with or without a skipper. The user opens the app, picks a departure port, selects a boat from a local fleet, pays online and boards on the day, the same flow as any other boat rental platform, but built into the app already used by millions of Riviera visitors.
The deal behind the launch: Click&Boat
Uber is not launching its own fleet. The US giant is partnering with Click&Boat, a French platform founded in 2013, headquartered in Paris and now Europe's leading peer-to-peer and pro boat rental marketplace. Click&Boat aggregates around 50,000 vessels across the continent, motor boats, sailing yachts, RIBs, catamarans, bringing Uber the technical infrastructure, listings base and operational experience needed to launch across several countries within weeks.
Seven French cities, twenty Mediterranean destinations
In France, seven cities are covered from June 2026: Nice, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Marseille, Toulon, Annecy and Paris. Internationally, the service covers around twenty Mediterranean and adjacent destinations: the Balearics, Italy's Amalfi Coast, Croatia, mainland Spain, Portugal. The map predictably overlaps Europe's summer hotspots, the same zones where visitors look to enjoy the sea without owning or chartering a boat for the entire season.
10% back for Uber One subscribers
As with other building blocks of the Uber ecosystem, the service is integrated into the Uber One programme: subscribers receive 10% credits on their Uber Boat bookings. A familiar mechanic that pushes users to concentrate their travel spending, rides, Uber Eats, now boats, within the same app.
A broader "travel" strategy
The Uber Boat launch is not isolated. At the same New York event, Uber announced a partnership with Expedia Group for 700,000 accommodations available through the app, and a deal with Accor allowing ALL Accor loyalty members to earn points on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders. The message is clear: Uber wants to become the reference app for travel, from stay to table to sea outing.
Democratising the sea, or crowding it?
For the Riviera, which welcomes millions of international visitors every summer, the Uber Boat effect will be closely watched. Upside: easier access to navigation for tourists who hadn't found the existing platforms, broadening of the audience, better use of the season. Caution: congestion risks in the most popular bays (Pampelonne, Lerins Islands, Cap d'Antibes), pressure on harbour offices, and a need for stronger oversight of skipper-less rentals of powerful RIBs.
What about high-end yacht charter?
Uber Boat targets the daily dayboat segment first, small motor boats, RIBs, family sailing units, rentals priced from €200 to €2,000 per day depending on the model. The high-end charter market (20-50m motor yachts with crew, megayachts by the week, private superyacht events) remains outside Uber's current offering. The premium clientele that privatises a superyacht in Cannes for the Film Festival or the Monaco Grand Prix will keep going through specialist brokers, for crew guarantees, bespoke itineraries and concierge service that no consumer app delivers.
Looking to organise a tailored charter from Cannes, day or week, dayboat or superyacht? Our fleet of 107 yachts and our team based at the Vieux Port remain your prime contact. Request a quote within 24h.