Using the French river and canal navigable waterways network involves paying a fee – and then displaying the vignette licence on the boat.
Navigation Fees
Licence (Vignette) Fees 2024
Navigation fees are simply based on boat length. The vignette certificate should be displayed at the front of the boat, on the starboard side.
VIGNETTE DURATION | To 8m length |
8m to 11m |
11m to 14m |
14m + |
Year (Jan-Dec) | 9.90€/m +97.40€ |
9.90€/m +223.20€ |
9.90€/m +425.00€ |
9.50€/m +554.70€ |
Month (30 days) | 8.60€/m +31.20€ |
8.60€/m +45.20€ |
8.60€/m +59.10€ |
8.60€/m +75.40€ |
Week (7 days) | 4.70€/m +17.30€ |
4.70€/m +26.10€ |
4.70€/m +34.70€ |
4.70€/m +43.20€ |
Notes
1) Boat size classes are according to hull length overall.
2) Yearly fees paid before 31st March 2024 attract a 10% discount. The fee calculator on the VNF website automatically takes account of that offer.
3) All time periods are now consecutive.
4) 1 day passes are also available.
5) **No vignette required for craft under 5m (not all éclusiers may be aware of this) nor for vessels under 9.9HP.
The latter would appear to exempt human-powered craft (rowed boats) but there is now a 1-year vignette available (46.10€) for such – we cannot advise beyond stating that. The situation regarding jetskis, ski boats, etc. is subject to local rules and regulations.
6) Reduced tariffs are available for zero-emission craft (evidence required), and for craft powered by HVO Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil.
7) These fees apply to ‘VNF Waterways’. Most, but not all, waterways are, for example neither the River Lot nor the rivers and canals of Brittany are, and where no licence needs to be bought.
Note : All periods are now consecutive. A year is a calendar year 1st Jan to 31st Dec.
Comment : Fees are due when the boat moves (irrespective of whether she passes through an écluse or not) – and only then. Now that it is easy and possible to obtain vignettes on-line, if you spend most of the time moored in port and not on the move, it might conceivably be possible that a series of one day or three day vignettes would be both practical to obtain and more economical than a year’s or a month’s.
Payment
Please note – french-waterways.com is not the VNF – you cannot buy a vignette through us!
The system works well and easily. However, there are reports (Jan 2023) that Australian (and perhaps other non-European) users experience problems when using the Firefox browser and may need to route via a VPN. Chrome and Edge browsers said to work ok. You do need to be able to print out the vignette and display somewhere visible (port side might be expected).
b) It is also possible to pay by credit card by telephone to 03 21 63 24 30, between 09:00 and 12:00, and 14:00 and 17:00.
c) By cash at a VNF office that issues vignettes. See list following.
VNF Offices
VNF Vignette Offices (** = open weekends, ecluse hours)
AGDE** Service de la navigation du Sud Ouest Tél : 04.67.94.10.99 Écluse ronde d’Agde – 34034 – Tél : 04 67 94 23 09 ARLES 1, quai gare maritime – 13200 Tél : 04 90 96 00 85 ARMENTIÈRES Écluse d’Armentières – 59280 Tél : 03 20 77 15 67 BERLAIMONT Écluse de Berlaimont 59145 Tél. : 03 27 58 81 70 BÉTHUNE 175 rue Ludovic Boutleux – 62400 Tél : 03 21 63 24 30 CALAIS 45 quai de la Meuse – 62100 Tél : 03 21 34 25 58 CASTETS EN DORTHE Écluse 53 – 33210 Tél : 05 56 61 28 74 CONFLANS-Ste-HONORINE Cours de Chimay – 78700 Tél : 01 39 72 73 09 DOUAI 263 Quai d’Alsace – 59500 Tél : 03 27 94 55 70 DUNKERQUE Terre plein du jeu de Mail – 59140 Tél : 03 28 58 71 25 FRONTIGNAN Pointe Caramus – 34110 Tél : 04 67 46 65 80 GIVET Écluse 59 des 4 cheminées – 08600 Tél : 03 24 41 26 73 LE HAVRE La citadelle – avenue L Corbeaux -76600 Tél : 02 35 22 99 34 LILLE 37, rue du Plat 59034 Tél : 03 20 15 49 70 LYON 11 quai du Maréchal Joffre – 69002 Tél : 04 78 42 74 99 MARGNY-LÈS-COMPIÈGNE 92, rue du 14 juillet – 60281 Tél : 03 44 83 65 42 MARPENT** Écluse de Marpent – 59164 Tél :03 27 39 54 52 |
NANCY 2, rue Victor – Pont des Tiercelins – 54000 Tél : 03 83 17 01 01 NANTES 2 rue Marcel Sembat 44049 Tél : 02 40 71 02 17 NARBONNE 9bis, quai d’Alsace – Écluse de Gua – 11100 Tél : 04 68 42 23 27 NIFFER** Écluses de Niffer 68680 KEMBS Tél. : 03 89 74 57 44 NEVERS 1, Bd Coubertin – 58000 Tél : 03 86 71 70 75 PARIS 18, quai d’Austerlitz – 75013 Tél : 01 44 06 63 60 QUESNOY-SUR-DEûLE Nouvelle écluse de Quesnoy – 59890 Tél : 03 20 39 87 67 REIMS 11, boulevard P. Doumer – 51084 Tél : 03 26 85 75 95 ROUEN 71 avenue J. Chastellain – 76000 Tél : 02 32 08 31 70 SAINT-JEAN-DE-LOSNE 17, quai National – BP16 – 21170 Tél : 03 80 29 01 37 SAINT-MAMMÈS 10, quai du Loing – 77670 Tél : 01 64 70 57 70 SAINT-QUENTIN 2, rue Léo Lagrange – 02100 Tél : 03 23 62 60 21 SARREGUEMINES 1, rue de Steinbach – 57216 Tél : 03 87 98 11 15 SARREGUEMINES** Écluse 27 – 57200 Tél : 03 87 98 13 47 STRASBOURG 5, rue du Port-du-Rhin – 67016 Tél : 03 90 41 06 06 THIONVILLE Terre plein de l’écluse R. Schuman – 57105 Tél : 03 82 88 22 80 TOULOUSE 2, port Saint-Etienne – 31073 Tél : 05 61 36 24 24 VOLGELSHEIM** Ecluse de Neuf-Brisach – 68600 Tél : 03.89.72.54.33. |