Ideas for a cruise for a one or two weeks, on a boat hired in France.

[DandV]

We would love aquaint ourselves once again with the English inland waterways and it's people, but there is more of the world we would love to see by boat.

We have found amongst our friends, another couple who would love to join us in hiring a cruiser type boat on a French waterway.

Three of us can manage school kid French, and one intending to join us is fluent,  as well as being a very experienced boaty.

We would like a concentration of sights and experiences and options for one or two weeks. And a location that wouldn't provide too many challenges under any  high water flow conditions, or avoiding heavy commercial traffic. 

At the moment seem to be favouring Alsace or Brittany, but we are very open to other suggestions. 

 

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, DandV said:

We would love aquaint ourselves once again with the English inland waterways and it's people, but there is more of the world we would love to see by boat.

We have found amongst our friends, another couple who would love to join us in hiring a cruiser type boat on a French waterway.

Three of us can manage school kid French, and one intending to join us is fluent,  as well as being a very experienced boaty.

We would like a concentration of sights and experiences and options for one or two weeks. And a location that wouldn't provide too many challenges under any  high water flow conditions, or avoiding heavy commercial traffic. 

At the moment seem to be favouring Alsace or Brittany, but we are very open to other suggestions. 

 

A long time ago a group of us hired for 2 weeks and did a one way trip the entire length of the canal de Midi with some bits each end  as well.

[Laurie Booth]

3 hours ago, DandV said:

We would love aquaint ourselves once again with the English inland waterways and it's people, but there is more of the world we would love to see by boat.

We have found amongst our friends, another couple who would love to join us in hiring a cruiser type boat on a French waterway.

Three of us can manage school kid French, and one intending to join us is fluent,  as well as being a very experienced boaty.

We would like a concentration of sights and experiences and options for one or two weeks. And a location that wouldn't provide too many challenges under any  high water flow conditions, or avoiding heavy commercial traffic. 

At the moment seem to be favouring Alsace or Brittany, but we are very open to other suggestions. 

 

We loved the Canal De Midi

 

[Naughty Cal]

We hired in Brittany and really enjoyed it. Very scenic and very easy to navigate. All of the locks were manned.

 

We hired from Le Boat in Messac and they were expensive for what we got. Probably wouldn't go with them again. There was a Locaboat yard not far away though and they helped us no end when we had trouble with our Le Boat. Would definitely use them next time.

 

We have since revisited Messac and La Gaciliy with the van and will certainly do so again when we are in the area. The pizza takeaway in Messac is the best ever.

[CIEL]

We have enjoyed the Canal Du Midi starting from Marsellan and getting as far West as Castelnaudary in a week's easy cruising.

 

Here is another week we spent on the River Mayenne - have not touched this website in nearly twenty years, it's an abbreviated version of the log we kept of the trip.

http://www.christommo.plus.com/France1.htm 

 

 

[Phoenix_V]

There are many interesting areas of France where there are no hire boat bases, so I think it reasonable to assume that the hire companies have  picked the most interesting areas, have a look at the blurb and suggested itineraries for any bases of interest, all will have some scenery but if you like towns that will vary most will have some small towns but larger towns are more rare. France like New Zealand and unlike the UK is much more spread out geographically.

There is always a  (slight?) flood/high stream risk for rivers and this last year central and mid France suffered from drought, I wouldnt worry too much about any route which needs mixing with large boats.

Pont a Bar would be worth investigating lots of quiet routes, canal if its a wet summer, River Meuse if dry. The older Locaboat penichetes are lovely, proper boats.

[DandV]

Thanks for the contributions so far.

We have already spent some time in the area around the canal Du Midi so we are keen for another area. A visit to an area rather then a journey.

And thanks for the shout outs for Locaboat. 

 

[Boaty Jo]

The Canal du Nivernais is lovely. Rural so if that's your thing, it may suit.

Le Boat have (or did have) a base at Decize at the southern end and another at Migennes at the top of the Canal du Bourgogne.

In fact, there's a Le Boat base in St. Jean de Losne (or was) at the southern on of the Bourgogne too, so there's another option.

 

This may help

[Tam & Di]

Le Boat have another base at Branges on the little river Seille which runs into the Saône at La Truchère. There is plenty of countryside to explore, but also old French towns such as Louhans at the head of navigation with a great Monday market. Downstream to the little village La Truchère where there are 3 restaurants, particularly popular for sampling frogs legs - the regional wines are pretty damn good too  😃. Then onto the Saône, probably most interesting to go upstream, stopping initially at Tournus which has plenty to investigate and 3 Michelin restaurants if that is your thing, but our own favourite there is the bistro Le Quai on the riverfront. It is probably possible to do a one-way trip, on up to one of the other Le Boat bases mentioned such as St Jean de Losne. There is sadly very little commercial traffic on the Saône now other than the occasional 120m commercial running up from the Midi to Chalon-sur-Saône and a handful of enormous cruise ships, but the river is wide enough that you'd have no problem if you met one.

[Steve Hayes]

Another vote for the Canal de Midi.

We spent two weeks poottling from Hompes to Marsellan to Narbone and back to Hompes, no rushing, plenty of sightseeing, eating and drinking.

 

[Tam & Di]

DandV did say they have already cruised the Canal du Midi. It is anyway not the same once they lost their plane trees.

[Phoenix_V]

1 minute ago, Tam & Di said:

DandV did say they have already cruised the Canal du Midi. It is anyway not the same once they lost their plane trees.

It does get a bit crowded too

 

[Naughty Cal]

10 hours ago, Phoenix_V said:

It does get a bit crowded too

 

No problem with that in Brittany. We had some couple of days where we never saw another boat on the move!

 

It was October mind so we were a bit out of season. 

[DandV]

Not cruised there, but spent over a week touring that area by car staying in camping grounds, and a reli's rented villa in one of the villages.

[MPR]

From Buzet sur Baise, on the canal de Garonne, the river Baise to the head of the navigation at Valence sur Baise is a delight for a gentle weeks cruising.  Less of a delight was our Nicols Quattro.

[CIEL]

On 11/12/2025 at 17:18, CIEL said:

We have enjoyed the Canal Du Midi starting from Marsellan and getting as far West as Castelnaudary in a week's easy cruising.

 

Here is another week we spent on the River Mayenne - have not touched this website in nearly twenty years, it's an abbreviated version of the log we kept of the trip.

http://www.christommo.plus.com/France1.htm 

 

 

Further to the first post - here is an up to date link to the base at Grez-Neuville 

https://www.samboat.co.uk/boat-hire/canal-boat/grez-neuville?map=1

 

From here you can take the Mayenne northwards (as we did) to Laval or if you are in to motorsport and the Le Mans 24hr you can go south then turn on to the Sarthe which will take you in to the centre of Le Mans.

[DandV]

In spite of the outside warm and sunny conditions here, and a stream of out of  town guests, some yet to arrive, and other Christmassy tasks, I have started to plot the suggestions here on google maps, and the hire boat web sites. Next stage is to look up the suggested enroute towns on our extensive collection of Michelain Green Giudes. Remember them. We based our European road and camping touring on their contents,  by selecting  routes that connected the most "stars" with the least travelling. We actually have a well used rebound  20 year old copy of the  Michelain 1:250000 Road Atlas from which we would extract the relevant pages for our intended touring. We used paper copies of the OS 1:250000 for the same purpose when touring in Britain. Still managed to get lost though!

[Athy]

i'S LIKE TO RECOMMEND A TRIP QHICH mRS. aTHY AND i HAVE DONE TWICE, FROM THE lOCABOAT BASE AT aGEN [AN EASY WALK FROM THE STATION] BY PENICHETTE ALONG THE cANAL DE gARONNE TO bUZET. hERE, DROP DOWN THE STAIRCASE AND TURN RIGHT TO FOLLOW THE UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL rIVER bAISE ON ITS RURAL CLIMB TO THE HEAD OF NAVIGATION [IT DOES SPORT ONE ATTRACTIVE TOWN, nERAC. FOR MOORING, SHOPPING AND NOSHING]. yOU MIGHT PREFER TO STOP BELOW THE TOP LOCK WHICH IS A RATHER DAUNTING 35 feet riaw...oh, hello xaps loxk///

   WE BOOKED THROUGH bLUE wATER hOLIDAYS IN yORKSHIRE WHO WERE EFFICIENT AND HELPFUL/

[cuthound]

35 minutes ago, Athy said:

i'S LIKE TO RECOMMEND A TRIP QHICH mRS. aTHY AND i HAVE DONE TWICE, FROM THE lOCABOAT BASE AT aGEN [AN EASY WALK FROM THE STATION] BY PENICHETTE ALONG THE cANAL DE gARONNE TO bUZET. hERE, DROP DOWN THE STAIRCASE AND TURN RIGHT TO FOLLOW THE UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL rIVER bAISE ON ITS RURAL CLIMB TO THE HEAD OF NAVIGATION [IT DOES SPORT ONE ATTRACTIVE TOWN, nERAC. FOR MOORING, SHOPPING AND NOSHING]. yOU MIGHT PREFER TO STOP BELOW THE TOP LOCK WHICH IS A RATHER DAUNTING 35 feet riaw...oh, hello xaps loxk///

   WE BOOKED THROUGH bLUE wATER hOLIDAYS IN yORKSHIRE WHO WERE EFFICIENT AND HELPFUL/

 

Welcome back Athy, long time no hear.

 

Sorry to hear about the issues you are having with your eyes.

Edited February 28 by cuthound
Spillung

[DandV]

At this stage the plan is May 2027.

Subject to affordability and no sudden aging. Hope also to spend two or three weeks back in the UK with time at a nephew's in Reading.

All probably a last hurrah for inter hemisphere travelling.

[Pluto]

18 hours ago, Athy said:

i'S LIKE TO RECOMMEND A TRIP QHICH mRS. aTHY AND i HAVE DONE TWICE, FROM THE lOCABOAT BASE AT aGEN [AN EASY WALK FROM THE STATION] BY PENICHETTE ALONG THE cANAL DE gARONNE TO bUZET. hERE, DROP DOWN THE STAIRCASE AND TURN RIGHT TO FOLLOW THE UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL rIVER bAISE ON ITS RURAL CLIMB TO THE HEAD OF NAVIGATION [IT DOES SPORT ONE ATTRACTIVE TOWN, nERAC. FOR MOORING, SHOPPING AND NOSHING]. yOU MIGHT PREFER TO STOP BELOW THE TOP LOCK WHICH IS A RATHER DAUNTING 35 feet riaw...oh, hello xaps loxk///

   WE BOOKED THROUGH bLUE wATER hOLIDAYS IN yORKSHIRE WHO WERE EFFICIENT AND HELPFUL/

Has it changed much since 1995?