Even if the Canal du Midi (near Toulouse) is the most famous river cruise in France, there are many more options to relax on a barge (called péniche) in one of the French rivers.

There are 113 nautical bases for river cruising, covering about 5,000 miles of waterway. Most of them are located in the Eastern part of France. The South West is also very nice with the Lot or the Canal du Midi. We have tested for you the navigation on the Mayenne river, located near Angers in the Loire Valley.

 

This type of tourism is for travelers who want to go slow and enjoy life ; maybe around a glass of rosé wine with some cold cuts ; or taking a sunbath on the deck of a boat.

Your journey is about getting cooler in the river, passing locks and strolling villages along the way. At night, you’ll find a pontoon either in the nature or in a small river port.

Everything you need is onboard including a kitchen, a bathroom and bikes.

This is a really nice way to discover the French countryside!

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Linda & Michael
When we received our packet, I was amazed with all the info. Emilie put into it for our trip. We needed more time in the day for places on our daily agenda that we did not get a chance to visit. We will just have to return and finish them on the next trip to the Loire. Flo and Phil's, Les Bournais was a charming place with wonderful accommodations …
Daisy
We had an amazing experience visiting Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne in June 2018. We were a group of eight wine freaks and Emile & Laura organized an amazing itinerary with awesome attention to details. We definitely recommend FJFY!!
Linda & Scott
This was our first visit to France to celebrate my 40th birthday. We started in Reims/Champagne region, Burgundy, Loire Valley Normandy and finished in Paris. Our 21 day trip was exceptional in every way! Emilie and her team thought of everything and their service from fist email to our return home could not be faulted. The only way I can describe …
Craig & Ginette
France Just For You, made going to France a seamless experience. They took care of all the arrangements: train, and car travel, tours and stays. The bed and breakfasts were hosted by delightful people who took an interest in you and had met and praised Emilie. Emilie tailored the trip to our specifications. Her organizational skills are unmatched …
Kristina
I can't say enough good things about Emilie and France Just For You! From start to finish, Emilie was responsive, listened to our requests (and changes) and planned a wonderful trip for our 20th Anniversary. Her attention to detail did not go unnoticed and everything was perfect. We will definitely use them again our our next adventure.
Annie & Rob from Australia
We had the most amazing holiday visiting all the wine regions in France fully arranged by France Just For You. Those ladies thought of everything….from parking & fuel station options to fabulous restaurants & patisseries, scenic walks & some of the prettiest villages, chateaus & gardens you’ll ever see. They also shared such a lot of history & fun …