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
Elizabeth
My husband and I just returned from two magnificent weeks in France that included four nights in Paris, four nights in the Loire Valley, two nights near Mont Saint Michel, three nights in Bayeux, near the WWII Landing Beaches and one night at a CDG airport hôtel. We stayed in charming B&Bs with equally charming hosts who recommended great places to …
Kim
So helpful and thoughtful! We had an amazing trip thanks to their planning and insights. Highly recommend, especially if you don’t have time to research places on your own. All the b&bs were beautiful, restaurant recommendations fantastic, great suggestions of routes and stops on our longer drives and having the cell phone with our guide book …
Marcia
We would highly recommend “France Just for You” and will most defiantly use the services of Emilie again. At the end of April 2017 we spend two weeks in France visiting Normandy, Mont Saint Michel, Lorie Valley and Paris. We can would sum the trip in one word “Perfect!”. Emilie well prepared us with a personalized book, (179 pages) , describing our …
Pam
Dear Emilie, Thank you so much for all you did to make our vacation fantastic. From the initial planning, the guide book, and all the accommodations and plans, everything was fabulous! Our trip was made better because of you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Sheena
My friend and I decided to do a trip to Paris and then drive down to Nice. I was initially going to plan it however I got busy with work and did not have the time. This is when I found, France Just for You, and read the amazing reviews on Trip Advisor and decided to book. Emilie was great! She was thoughtful and paid great attention to detail. We …
Kellie
I have yet another 5-star review to leave because Emilie's trip planning is just that - exceptional! We do not do big trips often and did not have hours to spend online trying to find the perfect B&Bs and restaurants to fit our preferences. Over the course of a few emails, Emilie collected our requests and pieced together an itinerary that was …