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
Candy
Wherever possible we prefer to travel on our own as opposed to going on a tour package. With France - Just For You, they arranged for a vehicle and booked us into a couple of lovely B&B’s and a great Boutique Hotel in Paris and booked a couple of activities that we were interested in. Besides that, they put together a book for us with everything we …
Steve
We normally craft our own trips or join a small group tour. This time, we decided to try Emilie and Guillaume's tailored holiday service to enjoy southern France in a way we wouldn't have otherwise done. It was an excellent experience in every way and we recommend them highly. The BnB's chosen , the sightseeing and dining suggestions made as well …
Roger
The planning and coordination of our holiday was quite awesome and far exceeded all of our expectations and indeed our imagination. The 300 odd page personalised guide book with maps, times and distances, restaurants on route and at our destinations, recommended places to visit on route and the accomodation itself and hosts at each location were …
Lisa & Dave
Our 11 day trip in France planned by “ our Ladies “ at France Just For You was wonderful. There were no snafus, the lodging and activities were all more than expected, which all together created a great trip. We did well driving with the use of their excellent directions and gps coordinates that hooked up with Waze. We also were lucky to have warm …
Naomi
Our trip was arranged and detailed well in advance, with reservations for activities and places of special interest, and free days with suggestions for things to see and do. We fell in love with Dordogne and the Paleolithic caves for which we had reserved tours, and were able to take in another cave the next day at the suggestion of our B&B hostess …
Jim
If you want to experience France, but are hesitant because you don’t speak the language, this company is for you. Emilie will prepare an itinerary that is so detailed that even the most inexperienced, non-French speaking traveler will be able to navigate France. Her attention to detail is so incredible that almost everything sitiuation you …