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
Tyndall from the US
Truly an amazing experience traveling with France Just for You. Their attention to detail, availability, communication, and knowledge of France is unmatched. Went on the girls trip of a lifetime thanks to them! Made incredible memories and loved the balance of having curated activities planned and suggested activities for the time in between. Truly …
Tonya & Bob
We did 2 weeks May to June to Normandy, Loire Valley and Paris and had a wonderful time. We gave Laura our list of must see and do items and our budget and she took care of the rest. From arranging our auto rental to providing suggestions to the French smart phones, everything was taken care of and good not have been easier. When our car got a flat …
Naomi
You may already know from other reviews that "France Just for You" will create an itinerary based on your interests and time frame, booking attractions and lodgings, arranging a car, and providing a detailed guide book with historical and cultural information, and suggestions for things to see and do with your unscheduled time. The whole service is …
Gabriele
This trip was such an awesome cultural adventure and we can not say enough about Emilie and France Just for You. This service was outstanding, well planned according to our interests and the B&B's were all wonderful. Each B&B was different but all fantastic in their own way. The suggestions Emilie made all worked amazingly well and so did the …
Bryan & Family
France Just for You has my highest recommendation. I will never forget our trip to France. Laura was amazing. Perfect itinerary. They did the little things right. Were available throughout the trip. We forgot my 4 year old's blanket at the first hotel. I contacted Laura and she had it waiting for us when we arrived at the hotel airport to leave. I …
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 …