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
Sandy & Dennis
Emilie and Guillaume planned a wonderful trip for us. The B&Bs we stayed in were outstanding. Every recommendation -from restaurants to walks to things to do and see -was wonderful. They were very responsive to all our questions and concerns. I recommend them VERY highly and without reservation.
Deirdre
My husband and I spent one week visiting Normandy and the Loire Valley on a trip planned by France Just For You. The trip was amazing....We stayed in beautiful accomodations,had the BEST private guides,utilized many suggested itineraries---and all while keeping within our budget! For anyone who does not have the time or inclination to plan a trip …
Shelley & Andy
We feel lucky that we found Emilie online! Usually, we like to plan our own trips, but we did not have the language capabilities or confidence to plan this vacation alone. Emilie to the rescue! She listened to our concerns and wishes and planned the perfect trip. Loved the small boutique hotel in the perfect part of Paris, and all the bed and …
Michael
My wife and I are fairly seasoned travelers so when we decided to include a trip to France in our year long 50th Anniversary Celebration we wanted to do something different. We looked at group travel companies including those who specialize in "small" groups. None of them had the flavor we were looking for. In my search for somethin new I happened …
Teri & Family from the US
Customized Itinerary with Fantastic Service & Support for France Travel Laura and Emilie with France Just for You provided exactly the itinerary we asked for. We corresponded with them several times to develop exactly what we were interested in and it worked out beautifully. This saved us so much time! We even experienced some challenging airline …
Bip
My wife and I took a road trip in the Normandy, Loire Valley and Burgundy regions of France last May. The road trip was 17 days long. The trip was planned by Emilie, the owner of "France Just For You". Emilie sent us a 400+ page personalized guide book before we set off to France. She booked our rental car, all the B&B's and 3 guided tours. We got …