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. More than that, the French waterways directly connect to other European national waterways (there are another 7,000km of those and they go right across the continent to the Baltic, Russia and Turkey), to the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Some carry commercial barge (péniche – or more specifically, spitz or spits) traffic – which is what they were originally constructed for – and some are very large. Transporting goods by water is extremely energy efficient and ecologically sustainable.
But the vast majority in France either co-exist easily with pleasure craft, or have seen their commerce gradually disappear, leaving the quiet, green and leafy historic network almost entirely to be enjoyed by leisure boats – that are themselves also of a wide variety of types and sizes.
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 boat, or hiring a 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. That’s what this website is all about. We hope you’ll find it clear, comprehensive, informative and inspirational – it is based on years of our own boating experiences.
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