SuBacco Motor Boat Rental in Como: 2-Hour Self-Drive for Up to 5, From $224.80

SuBacco

Lake Como: 2h Motor Boat Rental

★ 4.6 (265) · from $224

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains an affiliate link, explained in the booking section.

The SuBacco motor boat rental puts you at the helm of a small motorboat on Lake Como for two hours, with a short lesson first and no skipper. It is listed from $224.80, which at the ECB rate of 16 October 2026 is almost exactly the EUR 200 boat fee the operator quotes in the description.

The detail that changes the decision is the fuel: another EUR 50 in cash is due on the day, and nothing in the price covers it. That puts the real cost at EUR 250 (about $281) for the boat, which is cheap per head for four or five people and roughly level with a shared tour for a couple.

If you would rather have a captain, my Lake Como boat tours hub lists them all, and the Harbor Advisor home page links the other cities I cover.

What is the SuBacco motor boat rental and what do you get?

You get a motorboat, a 15-minute briefing and the safety kit, and then the lake is yours for two hours. The operator says it checks during the briefing whether you can handle the boat safely, so it is not a rental you can simply hand to the first person who turns up.

• Boat and engine: a 40 HP outboard, which the listing says needs no boating licence.
• Extras fitted: an awning for shade, a sun deck at the bow, a swim ladder and a GPS unit.
• Safety kit: lifejackets, a floating ring, paddles, a fire extinguisher, a bailer, an electric bilge pump and navigation lights.
• Insurance: included in the price, according to the listing.
• Not included: fuel at EUR 50, food, drinks, a towel and any commentary.

The listing recommends bringing photo ID, a towel, sunscreen, swimwear and cash. The cash is not optional, because the fuel is collected in notes at the pier.

Where does the SuBacco rental start?

The listing sends you to a small public pier with steps beside the Villa Geno fountain on Como's lakefront, and asks you to arrive 10 minutes early. Someone from the company wears a white shirt with the SuBacco logo. Villa Geno pier on Google Maps shows the coordinates the listing gives.

The listing contradicts itself on one detail. Its written directions say to walk along Via Lungo Lario Trieste from Piazza Matteotti, which points toward the lakefront pier near Bar Lario, but its coordinates sit at Villa Geno. SuBacco's own Google Maps pin is on Lungo Lario Trieste. These two piers are about 1 km apart.

A July 2023 reviewer wrote that same-day slots are hard to find at any Como operator and advised booking ahead. Parking near the lakefront is also scarce in summer, according to the sibling SuBacco listing for the same pier area, so arrive on foot or by train if you can.

How much does the SuBacco motor boat rental cost in total?

The total for two hours is EUR 250: EUR 200 for the boat through GetYourGuide and EUR 50 in cash for fuel on the day. The four-hour version in the description costs EUR 350 for the boat and the same EUR 50 for fuel, EUR 400 in all.

The shared-tour comparison uses the SuBacco 2-hour small-group tour at $134.88 plus a EUR 20 cash fuel contribution, about $157 per person. That tour has a captain and commentary; this rental has neither.

Fuel is where the reviews bite. Three reviewers wrote about the EUR 50. One said the gauge barely moved, one said a full two hours at speed would have emptied the tank, and one asked for fuel to be folded into the price. The fee looks flat, so drive at a steady pace.

What happens in the briefing, and do you need a licence?

The briefing runs up to 15 minutes, and an operator explains the rules of the lake and how to drive the boat. Reviewers describe a short demonstration, one of them timing it at ten minutes, and one noted that the lesson and the return eat into the two hours.

The listing says no licence is required. The rule behind that is Article 39 of Italy's Codice della nautica da diporto: a 30 kW (40.8 CV) power mark, displacement limits by engine type, and minimum ages of 18 for an imbarcazione and 16 for a natante. I read it on Normattiva, Italy's legislation portal on 2026-10-17.

The listing gives no minimum driver age. Ask SuBacco before booking if the driver is under 18, and ask which category their boat falls into.

1. Arrive 10 minutes early at the pier named on your voucher and look for the white SuBacco shirt.
2. Show photo ID, pay the EUR 50 fuel in cash and listen to the briefing of up to 15 minutes.
3. Take the boat out, using the GPS, and turn round at about the one-hour mark.
4. Return to the pier within 15 minutes of the end time to avoid the EUR 50 fee.

Where can you go in two hours on a SuBacco boat?

The listing names no route and no speed, so your radius is your own call. What it does say is that you steer with the help of GPS, and that you are expected to return to the same pier on time.

The sibling SuBacco shared tour gives a useful guide to what the company thinks fits in two hours from this pier. Its 2-hour option reaches the Nesso waterfall, and its 3-hour option Isola Comacina and Villa del Balbianello. A self-drive boat has no such promise, but reviewers describe cruising to the villas, stopping to swim and seeing many lakeside villages.

One reviewer lost minutes to the handover and return, so a round trip to Nesso is ambitious for a first-time skipper. Pick a nearer turning point and spend the time on a swim.

Is the SuBacco motor boat rental worth it vs a shared trip?

It is worth it for four or five people who want a swim and freedom, and not worth it for one or two people who want to learn about the villas. The table sets the SuBacco rental against the other Como boats I have checked.

The cheaper self-drive entry is the Shusciu boat, but SuBacco's fixed two hours and the cap of five make this the more predictable price for a group. For the full list of rental boats see the Lake Como boat rental guide.

When is the best time for the SuBacco motor boat rental?

Late May to mid-September gives the warmest water and the longest light, and a late-afternoon slot gets you calmer water. One reviewer who booked 17:30 in July wrote that the lake was calm and quiet, and advised holding your nerve in the wake of larger, faster boats.

In autumn the sunset column is the constraint. At 18:40 on 15 October and 16:54 on 15 November, a 17:00 slot ends in the dark. The listing gives no latest-return rule, so ask whether they take bookings late in the day in the cold months.

12,206,878 passengers travelled on Navigazione Laghi's Maggiore, Garda and Como services in 2025, its best year on record.

That is a lot of boats on the water. The state operator also runs timetabled services between Como and the central lake, with an adult circular ticket from Como to Nesso at EUR 16.70 on its rates page. Its timetables are on the Lake Como timetable page. On busy days expect wakes from its fast services.

What do renters say about the SuBacco boat?

All 20 reviews I could read were five stars, so the sample is positive-only; the 4.6 average over 265 reviews is the fairer measure. The themes are consistent.

Only two of the 20 are from 2025 or 2026, so treat the detail as a pattern rather than a current rule.

Who should skip the SuBacco rental?

Skip it if you want a guide or if the driver is nervous in waves. The shared tours are the better fit in both cases.

• Couples who want company on board: the shared SuBacco tour costs about $17 more each and adds a captain, wine and commentary.
• Anyone who wants history: nobody on board will describe the villas.
• Cash-light travellers: the fuel is collected in cash and the listing names no card option.
• Groups of six: the maximum is five people.

How do you book the SuBacco motor boat rental?

Check three things on the booking page before paying: the pier named in the confirmation, the start time, and the capacity for your party size.

Frequently asked questions about the SuBacco boat

Sources: GetYourGuide listing 414081 (price, inclusions, description, reviews, checked 2026-10-17); Codice della nautica da diporto, art. 39, Normattiva; Navigazione Laghi rates; Navigazione Laghi timetables; Navigazione Laghi, Bilancio Consuntivo 2025; Frankfurter (ECB reference rates); Nager.Date; Open-Meteo archive; sunrise-sunset.org; OSRM foot routing; Google Maps.