best source for planning in europe

[Bill Yeates]

Looking for recommendations for European canal planning guides, esp northern and central France.

Is there a Nicholsons equivalent or similar?

[Mike Adams]

www.carte-fluviale.com or www.fluvialnet.com - not cheap for a detailed guide but you can get a lot of free information from www.vnf.fr

 

[TheBiscuits]

 

Canalplan ?

[Athy]

22 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Canalplan ?

Do they cover French waterways?

 

We have used the Breil guides for some years and found them very good. They are in several volumes, covering various regions, the mapping is good and clear, and the text is in English as well as in French and German. They aren't cheap to buy new, but second-hand copies crop up quite often, especially on French eBay.

EDIT: actually not expensive - available new for £20 or so each.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Athy

[Onewheeler]

Canalplan is patchy and the naming is erratic. (e.g. last time I looked, Reims wasn't there). Best source is to join the DBA (barges.org) and use their downloadable waterways guides which are actively maintained by members. They give the latest info on moorings, fuel etc. The Catre Fluvial series are good but eye-wateringly expensive. There's a similar big atlas for Belgium (de rouck geocart voies navigables Belges) which covers the whole country but that was well over 50€ (I think quite a lot over)

. 

[Bill Yeates]

Many thanks for all your suggestions.

Bill

[TheBiscuits]

15 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

Canalplan is patchy and the naming is erratic. (e.g. last time I looked, Reims wasn't there).

 

I have to confess I haven't used it for European waterways, I just saw it had them listed.

 

If it's patchy, you could always correct it.  Sign in and hit edit ...

[Phoenix_V]

v

16 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

Canalplan is patchy and the naming is erratic.

(de rouck geocart voies navigables Belges) which covers the whole country but that was well over 50€ (I think quite a lot over)

. 

the vnf planner is better than canalplan for France

You will have to search for Derouk as it is out of print, prices vary but one edition covers N France and Belgium. Here is one but just Belgium. https://www.amazon.fr/Atlas-guide-voies-navigables-belges/dp/9052087210

 

pc navigo is an option for pc and much more uptodate and very costly

 

 

[Bill Yeates]

thanks

[Dav and Pen]

You need to decide where you are going in France as there are lots of Fluvial guides and they are specific to each area. You can get a map of the waterways of France to give an overall picture of how things link together. Some Fluvial guides are hard to get or out of print especially Nord pas de Calais. There is a app or programme covering  European waterways which will run on PC’s which I think is called Navigo but I never used it. It can be used for planning and also daily navigating and it gives up to date details of vhf Chanel’s and stoppages. Unfortunately I let all my guides go with the barge which is now a static live aboard in Cambrai.

We spent 18 summers cruising on the continent so PM me if you have specific questions.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Dav and Pen
Spelling

[Alan de Enfield]

 

If you like your 'toys' then maybe have a look at Navionics there is one that covers much of Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The detail is down to an individual buoy. or rock, and is very simple to zoom in and out.

Gives you speed, distances, time to next point, location, track of cruise, a 'snail trail' to follow and loads more.

We use it all the time (for our coastal work).

 

Edit : Any idea why pictures are posting inverted ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by Alan de Enfield
No idea why picture is upside down !!

[Tam & Di]

2 hours ago, Dav and Pen said:

 I let all my guides go with the barge which is now a static live aboard in Cambrai.

How depressing. At least from what you say it has been allowed to moor there - last we knew was Cambrai powers-that-be had filled the basin with little pontoons and only allowed little boats, plus there is no longer room to swing a bigger ship anyway.

 

On 08/02/2021 at 12:11, Onewheeler said:

Canalplan is patchy and the naming is erratic. (e.g. last time I looked, Reims wasn't there).

 

I did once look at Canal Plan in France and it was not too bad, but as has been said the DBA guides are good and included entries for mooring possibiities etc. Also joining the DBA is a must-do if you seriously intend cruising continental waterways for all the essential on-the-spot back up information about engineers, shipyards, fuel providers and general info of daily life from a boat-owning view point.

 

 

Tam

[Onewheeler]

12 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

I did once look at Canal Plan in France and it was not too bad, but as has been said the DBA guides are good and included entries for mooring possibiities etc. Also joining the DBA is a must-do if you seriously intend cruising continental waterways for all the essential on-the-spot back up information about engineers, shipyards, fuel providers and general info of daily life from a boat-owning view point.

Yes, I don't want to diss Canalplan at all. I have used it on the mainland, but mainly for estimating timings. It is difficult to find places due to rather random naming, and, last time I tried, it got in a bit of a mess when crossing borders.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

I also had the Navionics app on my phone and chrome-cast it to a 12v TV mounted at the outside helm

 

[Phoenix_V]

32 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

I also had the Navionics app on my phone and chrome-cast it to a 12v TV mounted at the outside helm

 

I doubt it shows so much detail on inland

1 hour ago, Onewheeler said:

Yes, I don't want to diss Canalplan at all. I have used it on the mainland, but mainly for estimating timings. It is difficult to find places due to rather random naming, and, last time I tried, it got in a bit of a mess when crossing borders.

The vnf planner is OK

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, Phoenix_V said:

I doubt it shows so much detail on inland

 

 

Certainly on the Uk version it shows the River Trent in full detail, and even down to the pontoon locations in the Marina at Newark.

I haven't used it to look at Canals as we were too big to get onto them.

[Dav and Pen]

1 hour ago, Tam & Di said:

How depressing. At least from what you say it has been allowed to moor there - last we knew was Cambrai powers-that-be had filled the basin with little pontoons and only allowed little boats, plus there is no longer room to swing a bigger ship anyway.

 

 

I did once look at Canal Plan in France and it was not too bad, but as has been said the DBA guides are good and included entries for mooring possibiities etc. Also joining the DBA is a must-do if you seriously intend cruising continental waterways for all the essential on-the-spot back up information about engineers, shipyards, fuel providers and general info of daily life from a boat-owning view point.

 

 

Tam

I should put the record straight, actually Francis who brought our barge is the acting harbourmaster and does intent to cruise when he retires.

Defiantly should join DBA even if just for the individual waterway guides which are nearly always up to date regarding mooring and facilities but not the actual navigation such as locks and tunnels.

[Onewheeler]

I think it was the Navionics app that I played with recently. Can't remember why I deleted it. It was quite good on French canals, totally useless in the UK other than the bigger rivers.

[Onewheeler]

2 hours ago, Tam & Di said:

How depressing. At least from what you say it has been allowed to moor there - last we knew was Cambrai powers-that-be had filled the basin with little pontoons and only allowed little boats, plus there is no longer room to swing a bigger ship anyway

 

We were last in Cambrai two years ago. Quite a lot of small pontoons but space for five or six bigger boats. I didn't feel comfortable that there was space to wind our 16 m without a bow thruster, it was a bit of a job reversing back from the water point. She pulls very insistently to port in reverse. Lots of people emerged on the plastic boats opposite and put down fenders!

 

Francis was a very helpful bloke even if he didn't own up to understanding any English. His young assistant was great and refused to speak French. He booked us through Ricquevalle. We were amazed at how pretty the c. st Quentin is.

 

[Dav and Pen]

3 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

We were last in Cambrai two years ago. Quite a lot of small pontoons but space for five or six bigger boats. I didn't feel comfortable that there was space to wind our 16 m without a bow thruster, it was a bit of a job reversing back from the water point. She pulls very insistently to port in reverse. Lots of people emerged on the plastic boats opposite and put down fenders!

 

Francis was a very helpful bloke even if he didn't own up to understanding any English. His young assistant was great and refused to speak French. He booked us through Ricquevalle. We were amazed at how pretty the c. st Quentin is.

 

I don’t think Francis had any English our negotiation with him was difficult but luckily John  who moors there acted as go between for the difficult bits. He didn’t show a lot of interest in mechanics of the barge but brought a boatman with him as he had only had a small cruiser and didn’t fancy taking it back to Cambrai from the burgundy canal. 

[Bee]

I've managed to get one or two second hand from Amazon.