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
Susan
We just returned from a 15 day trip to Paris, the Loire Valley and Normandy. Our trip was planned by Emilie with precise attention to detail, giving us our perfect itinerary. We were independent in our travels but it was evident that Emilie and her staff were available throughout the trip. They appeared to always be mindful of our location and …
Kelly
My husband and I just returned from a 9 day trip to Burgundy and Provence. We had fairly high expectations based on all the reviews we had read about France Just For You. I must say, the trip far exceeded those expectations and was such a memorable experience. The B&Bs recommended were right in line with what we were hoping and the hosts were …
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 …
Lia & Grant
We had the most amazing trip to France which was so carefully curated by Laura at France Just For You. All of our interests were catered for with a fun and interesting itinerary! Laura took the time to find out where we wanted to travel in France and what we wanted to do there and made sure there were plenty of options. Everything was taken care …
Kate & Sister
My sister and I wanted to plan a vacation together with our husbands to Normandy and the Loire Valley so I started online only to find it was a difficult process. We found "France Just for You" and our problems were solved, Emilie planned every detail! Our hosts in all accommodations spoke English and made us feel most welcome, our stay in each …
Mervyn
My wife and I and two friends decided we would like to visit France and by chance I found Emilie's website and initiated an online conversation with her over a year ago. We really did not know what we wanted to do, nor where we wanted to go and so our planning became a moving feast, most ably supported by Emilie. How she ever put up with our …