Le Venoge

A boat from 1905, run by the people who saved it

Le Venoge is a historic boat on Lake Geneva with its home port in Perroy, in the canton of Vaud. It was built in 1905, and the association that looks after it describes it as the first boat in the world fitted with a Diesel engine. It carries up to 120 passengers, and it can be rented with its crew for a private day on the lake, a wedding included: the rental page names weddings first in its list of occasions, ahead of birthdays, family parties, cocktails on board and company events.

The boat is looked after by the Association pour la sauvegarde du bateau le Venoge, a group that says it saved the boat when it was days away from the scrapyard. The home page puts the aim in its own words: "Nous Voulons Restaurer ce Patrimoine du 20 e siècle" (we want to restore this 20th-century heritage), and to make the boat available to promote activities on the lake, leaving a piece of its history to future generations. Renting the Venoge for a wedding therefore also helps pay for its upkeep, which the Classique page states as its purpose.

What a day on board looks like

The rental page sets the tone with three blasts of the foghorn and a trip back to the last century. It promises that on board "vous voyagerez au rythme de la Belle Epoque" (you will travel at the pace of the Belle Époque) and that guests will be accompanied by "des gens passionnés, qui partageront leurs connaissances du lac et de la navigation" (passionate people who will share their knowledge of the lake and of sailing). For a wedding party, that means the crew is part of the experience rather than invisible staff.

Routes are flexible. The boat can leave from Perroy or from any CGN landing stage the renter chooses, and the association suggests combining several destinations. One option is a loop of the Petit Lac, taking in the Jet d'Eau in Geneva and returning along the French shore past the medieval village of Yvoire. The other heads for the Haut Lac, skimming the Lavaux vineyards, passing the Château de Chillon and returning along the French shore, which the site describes as still wild and preserved. Each stop at a landing stage is charged separately.

Two rental formulas and their prices

The association publishes its terms and prices, which is very useful for a couple budgeting from abroad.

Classique is the boat and its crew. It includes the crew, electricity, water, the captain and fuel. It starts at CHF 4500, with the final price depending on the date and the length of the cruise, and the season runs from 1 April to 30 September.

Premium is presented as a formula for company outings with local specialties, but it works the same way for a wedding. It includes everything in Classique plus optional catering and an optional DJ, and it starts at CHF 5500. Its season is longer, from 1 April to 15 October. Under Premium the association manages the requests for catering and DJ offers and puts the renter in touch with the providers it proposes, but those services are paid by the renter. To prepare them it asks for the date, the place, the number of guests, dietary preferences, the style of music, how long the service should last and anything else that matters to the couple.

Both formulas share the same rules. A rental day is 8 hours and runs at the latest until 22:00, out of respect for the neighbors, and the boat must be vacated by midnight at the absolute latest. A booking is confirmed only once a deposit of CHF 2000 is paid, by bank transfer or by Twint via a QR code. Stops at landing stages are not included and cost CHF 150 each. The association publishes general conditions and its statutes on the site. Outside the season the boat is laid up for the winter.

Booking and language

Requests go through a booking form on each rental page, which the association says it answers as quickly as it can, or by email to location@levenoge.ch, info@levenoge.ch or president@levenoge.ch. The postal address is Route suisse 47, 1166 Perroy. No phone number appears on the site.

The whole site is in French, with no English version, and it says nothing about which languages the crew speaks. A couple from abroad should write in French if they can, or be ready for replies in French. The association also runs its own public events on board, Venoge Events, with gastronomic evenings, wine tastings and concerts, and publicizes them through a newsletter and social media, which is a way to see the boat before booking it.

What the site does not settle

The pages do not say whether a wedding ceremony itself can be held on board, civil or symbolic, so this is a boat for the celebration unless the association confirms otherwise. They do not describe the layout on board, whether there is a covered or heated area if the weather turns, how many guests can sit down for a meal as opposed to standing, or whether the boat is accessible to guests with reduced mobility. The Classique formula lists no catering at all, and the site does not say whether a couple may bring their own caterer and drinks under it. There is no information on parking at the Perroy port or on how guests should reach it by public transport.

Who it suits

Le Venoge suits a couple who want a wedding day or an evening on the water rather than in a building, with a real historic boat and a crew who care about it, and a guest list of up to 120. The published prices, the fixed 8-hour day and the clear deposit rule make it easy to plan from a distance, and the choice of departure point means guests can board near where they are staying.

The constraints are just as clear. The day ends at 22:00 on the water and midnight at the quay, so this is not a venue for dancing until dawn. There is no rental from mid-October to the end of March. Catering and music are arranged through outside providers at extra cost. And everything is handled in French by an association, which suits a couple who value character over polish, less so one who wants a wedding coordinator on call.