Canal boat holidays in France

Rent a canal boat in France and when winding your way down the Canal du Midi, keep an eye for the medieval fortified city of Carcassonne, overlooking the canal and River Aude. The city was constructed in the 5th century and remains one the best preserved of its kind. The outer city walls are some of the longest city walls in Europe and add something extra to one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the country.

You can view Carcassonne from the comfort of your Canal du Midi boat hire on the calm waters of the Canal du Midi. You can even see more at the side of the canal by getting out on foot. Simply walk the meandering routes up to the medieval city and see its many sites.

Apart from walking, you can also store bicycles while on your canal trips in France and cycle your way around the well-preserved city. Cycling also allows you to cover far more ground and see more of Carcassonne when boating down the Canal du Midi.

Canal barge holidays in France give you the chance to see a wide variety of sites you otherwise would not have seen. The town of Narbonne, along the south of France’s Mediterranean coast, is one of the jewels along the Canal du Midi route. As the first settlement outside of Italy to be settled by the Roman’s, the city’s historical significance and place as the Gaul capital can not be understated.

The city’s well-restored medieval quarter is one of Narbonne’s major highlights, and the Cathédral St-Jus is also one of the tallest cathedrals in all of southern France. The shining feature of Narbonne has to be the Pont des Marchands. This Roman bridge over the Canal de la Robine is one of only three of this kind in all of France and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Narbonne is another such town that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your barge or up close if you choose to moor up and take a walk around the town. As the canal cuts through the heart of the city, it is more than simple enough to navigate your way through with a canal barge in France.

One of the biggest challenges when driving canal boat rentals in France is navigating the ever-changing routes of the waterways. The Canal du Midi has its fair share of obstacles and routes to navigate, making it an interesting route to travel down at the best of times. One of the canal’s most impressive features is the bridge at Capestang. The bridge is known as one of the lowest bridges on the Canal du Midi and is a delight to sail through.

Other sights in Capestang include the 12th-century collegial church of St-Étienne, home to the archbishops of Narbonne. This is another iconic religious and historic landmark, one of many that call the French canal routes home. There is so much to see; whether you sit back and relax on the boat or get out onto dry land, the exploration takes a new turn.

Barge holidays in France can be full of adventure and surprises no matter where you go, but this is especially true of the Alsace region. Lapping the borders of France, Germany and Luxembourg, the Alsace region has long had a mixture of influences and cultures that added to the area’s charm and appeal. Alsace canal boat hire will take you down the Sarre Canal through towns such as Harskirchen and Saverne.

Apart from its stunning beauty and culture, the Alsace region of France, much like the rest of the country, has its fair share of foodie delights. Although often overlooked as a foodie region, the Alsace region of France has its own dishes, tastes and gastronomical delights just as appealing as the rest of France.

The Alsace’s national dish is a fermented cabbage dish known as choucroute garnie, a French version of the famous sauerkraut. Another Alsace favourite is a hearty meat casserole dish known as Bäckeoffe, ideal after a day on the water. Revellers can sample these dishes and many more along the Alsace canal route, stopping to sample a drop of traditional Alsace white wine on the way.

Canal boat hire in Brittany is one for the foodies! France’s northeastern region, Brittany, has its own network of canals, ideal for travelling around the green opened spaces of the Breton peninsula. The one channel that stands out is the Nantes–Brest canal, linking two major port cities in the entire Brittany region. The ease of obtaining a French river boat rental means you can travel through the entire region completely on the canals or rivers. With a similar climate and environment to the UK’s west country, the rolling cliffs and green fields are a step away from the country’s busier regions.

Again, Brittany has its own cuisine and culture, reflecting the region’s unique people, history and landscapes. As the Breton peninsula has the ideal climate for apples and orchards to flourish, this has given birth to a hearty cider making culture. This Breton cider has made a name for itself in France and across the globe, competing with traditional makers such as Herefordshire or Somerset in the UK.

Alongside their rich cider making history, Brittany has its fair share or traditional Breton dishes too. Those seeking a culinary adventure alongside their trip barging in France can sample the taste of Brittany through their delicious selection of seafood, especially muscles.

France’s Burgundy region needs no culinary introduction. Home to fine wines and even finer food, this region has welcomed both Frenchman and foreigner alike for decades. Burgundy canal holidays often wind their way through the two main waterways of Canal de Bourgogne and the Canal du Nivernais, a total of 200 miles. This route will take holidaymakers from north to south or vice versa, giving them a grand overview of the entire Burgundy region.

Burgundy Franche Comté canal boat hire is a simple process and makes the region one of the most popular to barge travel in France. Alongside the fantastic canals and rolling landscapes, the Burgundy region is a haven for French cuisine, both food and wine. The now world-famous beef Bourguignon was coined in this region of France, and it is this perfect match between food and wine that makes the Burgundy foodscape what it is.

Apart from the famous beef bourguignon, other must-try dishes in the Burgundy area include the quintessential Burgundy dish known as Pôchouse. This freshwater fish stew will keep on theme with the day’s canal and river adventures and will have you tasting the true essence of local French cuisines.

While on the gastronomical canal tour of France, there is one stretch of canals that should not be overlooked, and that is the Briare Canal. Constructed in the mid 17th century, the Briare was an impressive feat of civil engineering and is just remarkable today. Running from Briare to Bruges, this canal route runs through the very heart of France, south of Paris, and is often an overlooked area of the country when it comes to cuisines and culture.

Being overlooked has done nothing to the cuisine and culture that remains in the Loiret region in which the Briare Canal runs. Championed at the top of most of its cuisines are the fabulous patisseries and sweet treats this area is famed for. These include ‘le poirat’, a sweetened French pear pie that is the perfect complement to a long day’s boating along the Briare Canal.

If you’re planning that perfect romantic trip for two or simply wish to travel through the French countryside with an effortless boat, simple in size and easy to maintain, then a small, compact boat is the right one for you. Whether in the luxury category or the economy range, you can find smaller boats in many different styles, all of which are legally accepted along French waterways and will be of little trouble to even the newest of boat operators.

The smaller boats maybe some of the best boats for navigating the French waterways, yet users must remember that smaller self-drive canal boats in France will lack the capacity of larger vessels, meaning you can take fewer supplies on board and fewer people can call the boat home for the trip. This lack of storage space may not be a concern for those who are using the boat merely as a way of travelling between each destination.

Those who need far greater size and space for their explorations across France’s rivers and canals should opt for a larger medium-sized boat. These boats still have the finesse and diligence that is needed to navigate the French waterways, yet the ability to hold far more supplies makes it an attractive choice for those who like to barge hire in France’s canals.

Apart from the ability to hold far more supplies, the medium-sized boats can play host to up to six people. This is perfect for families who wish to make a holiday out of boating along France’s waterways or a large group of friends taking the boat out together. Although these larger boats can be much more challenging to handle, the same principles apply to the larger vessels as they do to the smaller ones.