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€

vnf-vignette-150x238Notes
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!

Use the VNF online system

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.