What We Do

We help our clients compare and choose the most suitable and sublime vacation options, calling upon our own extensive waterways experience and familiarity with France, and the kinds of cruises available on her inland waters. 

Hotel barge cruise France Burgundy Fleur de Lys
River cruise in France Scenic

Whether on a hotel barge charter, in a self-drive hire boat, on a river cruise ship or piloting your own boat, we’re here to help with the very best information about cruising in France.


Our Unique Inland Cruising Experience

Looking for a boating holiday in France? Want to see another side of l’Hexagone (as it’s affectionately referred to by the French)? Meander this way.

French Waterways was born from a love of cruising the country’s inland waterways and we haven’t looked back. Since Ruth and James first set sail across the English Channel in 2003, memorably in an equinoctial gale, the business has grown from strength to strength in both expertise and quality of portfolio. And during that time they’ve cruised more than 10,000km on their own boat throughout the canal and river network, north to south, east to west, passing through more than two thousand locks along the way. You can read the complete story of their original Sailing Through France voyage.


Focus, Scope and Expertise

You’ll notice that we focus on luxury hotel barge cruising, our specialism. Yet our love of the waterways ensures we’re inclusive of all boating vacations in France, including river cruises and hire boating holidays.

Hotel barge cruising is almost always a luxury travel experience. Yes, there are options for smaller budgets, but the very notion of these floating hotels is to provide exceptional extraordinary experiences. As such, our knowledge of each of our 40+ hotel barges is in-depth and first hand.  We already know the routes they cruise and many of the excursions from our own cruising as well as cruising aboard with them. Our relationships with barge owner-operators and the hotel barge fleets enable us to help you refine your options, tailor your itineraries and advise on other travel options either side of your cruise.

Our partnerships with self-drive cruising firms and our river cruise partner are longstanding and the expertise lies firmly in their hands. So while we represent their fleets and know many of their cruisers, they will hold your hand more firmly through the holiday booking process and finalise details for you.

So however you wish to explore France afloat on the wonderful waterways, we offer the benefit of close and long-established partnerships with the very best fleets, individual owner operators and specialist cruise agents. We frequently collaborate with other travel sector professionals . . . (more).


The French Waterways Team

The canals and rivers of France are central to everything we do. So some of the team are living and breathing life on the waterways for 6-8 months of the year. As such our fabulous team is based across France and the UK, from Yorkshire to Aquitaine and many places in between.

  • At the helm are founders and French waterways tourism experts, James and Ruth Newcombe, who have combined their passion with the legacy of their own successful careers to create a platform for cruise tourism in France. 
  • Pippa Peech is a friendly and professional concierge advisor for luxury hotel barge cruises. She is widely travelled including having spent time in France, where she has family.  
  • Kate Stinchcombe-Gillies is a highly respected and experienced travel industry personality who leads our marketing and communications efforts, keeping us front of mind amongst our audience. 
  • Matt Lowe leads our web development efforts and has been integral to our world-leading digital and online success since 2013.
  • David Edwards-May is a world renowned waterways expert and author who brings his unrivalled knowledge of France to our practical navigation content to keep us on our logistical toes. 
  • Christina Taylor manages barge bookings, guiding clients smoothly and knowledgeably through the process up to and including the hotel barge cruise itself. 
  • Tom McLoughlin and Chris Parr work hard delving into what we say and how we say it, to elevate our search engine optimisation and bring their extensive travel sector expertise too.
  • Julie Berry is a travel sector business expert, formerly part of the senior management team at renowned international travel firm Thomas Cook. 

You’ll often find James out and about at waterways specific events and conferences as we’re proud members of The Barge Association (DBA) and Inland Waterways International (IWI). We also have a proactive working relationship with the French waterways authority, Voies Navigables de France (VNF) and we’ve spoken regularly at their seminars and work with them to promote their work. 

As established French waterway experts we have also been approached a number of times by TV production companies looking to make programmes and series about the canals and rivers, including the ‘Celebrities Go Barging in France‘ series made for the UK’s Channel 5.
Our involvement in waterways tourism developments means that we can continue to deliver the best boating vacations and support a hugely enjoyable segment of France’s tourism economy.


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What do they say about us?

  • I am gobsmacked. Your website is excellent. Absolutely excellent in all its detail. What a gift to people who, like me, are researching the ‘possibility’. Congratulations and, more importantly, THANK YOU!!!!!
  • Once again congrats on your web site, I am getting lots of good info and tips from it and think it’s great that there are people such as yourself who are willing to put the time and effort in so that others can benefit. Well done, and thanks. If we meet out there I’d be pleased to buy you a drink.
  • I just wanted to say your website has provided me with an endless supply of reading material for what started out as an idea
  • Thanks so much for your speedy, helpful and thoughtful response.
  • Thanks very much for your reply; not only do you do a great site but you also respond with warmth and alacrity to queries: wonderful!
  • I would like to thank you again for your detailed emails. You have been a lifesaver for us.
  • What a fantastic and informative source of invaluable information. Very many thanks, will keep me occupied for weeks, no months.
  • Well once again many thanks. Your site is the best reference on the web and so usable.
  • You should probably get commission from the French tourist board for the good work you do.

In the Press

French Waterways is regularly featured in national and cruising industry publications, including:

  • The Telegraph
  • House & Garden
  • The Times
  • Sunday Mirror
  • The Washington Post
  • Seattle Times
  • Prima Magazine
  • Travel Daily News