More VNF news. Waterways are proposed by VNF to be divided into three classifications – Type 1 – designated for tourist/pleasure use only Type 2 – pleasure and commercial use Type 3 – commercial use only No implications yet understood regarding Type 3 and private plaisancier use, but a number…
Just announced by VNF – the 10% discount available for a full year’s licence to travel the rivers and canals of France has been extended to 30th April. It’s normally available up until 30th March, but changes to the VNF vignette charging structure for 2013 created some ‘hard case’ increases…
Recent updates to the information available on french-waterways.com – River Baise cruising in detail guide Information about this delightful river in south-west France that flows north to join the Garonne near Buzet. The Baise is attractively leafy and narrow, in some places twisting as well. In a suitable boat (including…
There’s a new pontoon mooring on the River Rhone at PK266, about 1km upstream from Tarascon. Unfortunately it’s for passenger boats only. There is a proposal to create a new port de plaisance at Tarascon, but its location (immediately north of the castle) is near the road bridge, on one…
Paul and Sheryl Shard, of the Distant Shores sailing adventure travel TV series that is broadcast in 24 languages worldwide, have released a preview from their forthcoming ‘Through the French Canals’ video. It’s a really excellent taster of what the canals are like and what going through locks is like:…
Cruising details for the waterway linking the Rhone and Saone with the Rhine are now available on french-waterways.com. The canal (opened in the early C19th and modernised in recent years) incorporates sections of the River Doubs and passes through picturesque historic towns such as Dole and Besancon and also some…
Veolia is one of the world’s big utility companies, with a noticeable presence in France, where it was founded, as Compagnie Generale des Eaux in 1853. Veolia has followed a policy of interacting with towns and councils to provide many kinds of public services including managing, on their behalves, ports…
Speed limits and sensible behaviour on the canals and rivers of France Hire boaters are an easy target, not without good reason but not always with justification. In our many years on the canals and rivers throughout France we’ve encountered good manners, common sense and proper ‘nautical’ behaviour (e.g speed,…
The last few weeks have seen heavy rainfall all over the Atlantic margins of western Europe, not the least amount falling on Aquitaine (simply put, the area of France east of Bordeaux). The rivers in this region are fed from the Black Mountains and the Massif Central to the north…
