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French Waterways

Discover, enquire & book your boating or barging holiday on some of the 8,000km of beautiful rivers

France has something like 8,000km (5,000 miles) of navigable inland waterways – you can travel by boat across this large country from north to south; and east to west, using canals and rivers of great variety, size and scenic beauty. Whether you’re interested in a passage through the canals to the deep blue Mediterranean, or living aboard in one of the world’s most civilised countries, buying a bo

at, chartering a luxury hotel barge, or hiring a self-drive boat, for a holiday or a vacation, this is a big subject with almost limitless potential for fascination, safe exploration, huge enjoyment and warm friendship.

20/05/2026

Isn't she magnificent? Designed exclusively for two guests, Amour is 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒸 way to discover the Canal du Midi.
Honeymoon, mini-moon, baby-moon, special anniversary...

14/05/2026

Have you met Laurie? She's our river cruise connoisseur based in the USA and our expert on all things river cruise.

She sent us these photos from the recent River Cruise Expo in Europe where she toured river ships, dined aboard, and heard about the latest on-board innovations and guest offerings.

Tempted by a European river cruise this year or next? Drop us a line and we'll be delighted to advise.

09/05/2026

Dinner on Magnolia is cooked on deck, à la plancha, while the Canal de Bourgogne goes quiet for the evening.

Magali and Nicolas Rancelot own her and run her themselves. Six guests. The week's rhythm is built around their network — truffle producers when it's the season, the winemakers they know by first name, the locks where the keeper will wave Nicolas through before he's asked. A barge small enough to feel like a private house, on a stretch of Burgundy that earns the visit.

Message us to find out more.

08/05/2026

17 of the Best French Barge Cruises for 2026

Our expert guide: the seventeen luxury hotel barges we're recommending most this year. Canal du Midi. Burgundy. Champagne. Gascony. The Loire. Read the full comparison — who each boat is for, how many she sleeps, and what her chef is known for.

Read the 2026 guide on the blog

06/05/2026

Upper Loire in summer: Sancerre slopes tilting down to the water, market mornings in Pouilly, a lock-keeper's garden in full bloom at the next mooring.

C'est la Vie is cruising between Chatillon sur Loire and Plagny (Near Nevers) on the Canal lateral a la Loire in 2026 and between Montargis and Chatillon sur Loire on the Canal de Briare in 2027. These stretches of France that rewards the slow approach, and a season you can only catch this year or next.

Eight guests, 5* Grand Luxe. Olivier showcasing his prowess as host-chef in the galley, and private cellar wines chosen for each night's table.

A few charter weeks still open for 2026. Message us to enquire.

05/05/2026

Four guests. One barge. A week in Languedoc at exactly the pace you want it.

Saraphina cruises the Canal du Midi with Finn and Emily at the helm of a graceful 1920s Dutch barge built for just four. No other guests at the table, no sharing the sundeck, no compromising on anything. This is one of the hotel barges we suggest to couples travelling together, to families of four, to anyone who'd rather have the crew undivided.

The region does the rest. Market mornings in Languedoc villages, long lunches on deck, the occasional detour to a wine cave Emily knows the owner of.

Message us to enquire.

02/05/2026

13 French Food Markets Worth the Cruise

Oysters at Bouzigues before the heat. Friday mornings at Beaune. Sanary-sur-Mer on the Provençal coast where Monday belongs to the fishermen. Thirteen of the best French food markets — and where to moor for each.

Read our guide → https://www.french-waterways.com/best-food-markets-in-france/

30/04/2026

A morning on deck with the first coffee, the Garonne going about its slow business somewhere below — this is Saint Louis, and this is her stretch of France.

Peter and Wendy run her themselves, bringing the most fabulous Irish hospitality to this stretch of Aquitaine. Six guests. A seriously spcious sun deck. Wine and food at their finest and abundant.

The week's route takes in the St-Émilion circuit, with a Michelin table built into the itinerary and the sort of cellars a specialist like Wendy will have already booked you into.

A few charter weeks remain for 2026. Message us to enquire.

27/04/2026

17 of the Prettiest Villages in France

The ones worth detouring for. The ones where the baker still opens at six. Seventeen French villages we think about long after the cruise is over — from the ochre cliffs of Roussillon to the half-timbered lanes of Riquewihr. Read the full list.

Discover the guide on our blog

25/04/2026

Spring in France. Burgundy in bloom. The Canal du Midi coming into its own. The crowds not yet arrived.

A handful of deeply considered spring and early-summer offers sit open across the fleet.

Drop us a message and we'll match you to your perfect barge.

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