bestboatingholidays

Taking a canal holiday in the South West of France can be very enjoyable. Our short break started at a small villiage named Meilhan sur Garonne near Bordeaux, in the Aquitaine region of France. The trip was along the Canal Lateral a la Garonne which is an unspoilt area with wonderful scenery, superb local food and wine. The region has many medieval castles and very old villiages almost unchanged throughout the years.

You can hire a canal boat that either sleeps 2,6 or 8 people for your journey. All have comfortable beds – some double; fully equipped galleys (kitchens) with fridge, gas cooker and oven; all the cutlery, crockery and utencils that you need; and come complete with all bed linen including duvets. However, you need to bring your own towels. Heating is either with a space heater or there is central heating depending on the size of the canalboat you hire. All boats have radio cassettes or CD players and some have 240v supply. Before you leave the mooring for the first time, the boat hire staff go around the vessel with you to allow you to familarise yourself with everything. They will give you instructions on starting the engine, handling the boat and stopping as well as how to moor up.  You will have no problems understanding the staff because they all speak very good English.

For those that have a passion for nature, there is a large nature reserve easily accessable along this canal trip. The place is at Tonneins, called Reserve Naturelle de L’etang de la Maziere. The nature reserve covers 100 acres of wetland, and is home to a vast array of aquatic wildlife. Not only bird watchers will be fanscinated but anyone with an interest in nature. There are well over 200 species of birds including herons, black kites, crested grebes and bitterns. In addition to birds the reserve also has loads of mammals, 44 different species, so something for all the family to see and enjoy.

Along the canal towards our destination at Agen we also visited the vineyards at Buzet-Sur-Baize, for a guided tour of the whole process of wine making!  After looking at all the barrels of wine, you get to sample at the tasting session. Wonderful! You are then able to buy some bottles at the shop on site. Afterwards you can wander around the vineyards on several routes throughout the area.

At Agen, the end of our canal journey, there is a beautiful Art Museum which dates back to the 16th century. It has over 2000 works of art including some from the Spanish artist, Goya. The museum also has the Palissy ceramics, which are very decorative. You will certainly come away having both an educational and enjoyable day in Agen.

Our one weeks holiday on the canalboat from Meilhan to Agen cost about £700 in April for 2 adults. Prices may vary depending on dates and special offers etc. It was certainly very relaxing, entertaining, enjoyable and we would thoroughly recommend this area of France for a holiday on the canals.

After spending a few years hiring boats in Britain I decided to hire a boat on the French canals. My wife had spent sometime in France before I met her, so she was keen to return.  She could speak French quite well so I was not too aprehensive. Boating holidays in France are a perfect way to explore the quieter, less populated parts.  It is really relaxing as you meander leisurely through the countryside on your canal boat. 

There are lots of places to choose from on your French canal trips. For example, the River Lot offers dramatic limestone gorges to view as you pass by. The River Charente offers relaxing scenery and is a wonderful introduction to boating in France.

While in France you must sample their tremendous food. Each region has its own specialities and these are within easy reach of your canal boat each day and evening. Sightseeing not only as you pass along the canals and rivers is wonderful but also away from the water. Why not moor up and go exploring? Ancient castles, medievil villages, churches, and abbeys all offer history for you to learn about as you wander around.

Boating holidays in Brittany, Lot, Burgundy, Vosges, Aquitaine and Alsace Lorraine are all wonderful places to spend you time exploring on board boats with your family or friends. Why not book a break today with one of the most reliable hirers, Hoseasons. Just click on the advert on the righthandside of this page to visit their site. It has all the information you need to book a wonderful holiday.

A French canal holiday can be very varied because of the vast amount rivers and canals. For this reason you can be sure that you will be able to find just the right type of holiday for you and your family.

As you cruise along the rivers or canals at a leisurely pace you will get to see things that most people will never experience. Each region also offers you the chance to enjoy their fantastic and sometimes unusual cuisine along with the superb French wine that is as varied as the different regions.

A boating holiday in France will enable you to fully appreciate the wonderful countryside with the added plus of the glorious weather to match! There is such a wide choice available for your boating holiday and you can pick the area with the climate to suit you. Obviously,the further south you go, the warmer it gets, but don’t forget that whilst cruising along, you need to be on the right hand side of the river or canal.

You will need a license to be able to travel by boat on the French waterways. Basically, any boat that has a motor means that you have to have a license, although temporary permits called La Carte Plaisance are available and are issued by the boat rental company or charter firm that you book with. A la Carte Plaisance is valid only for a set period of time for any habitable boat, which is under 15 metres in length, but there is also permit available for your children to drive the boat if they are between the ages of 14 and 16, if you feel they have a good sense of direction! but this is a great way to get all the family involved in the fun, but you must ask for a La Carte Junior in order to be allowed to do this.

Your charter boat company will issue you with river guides,available in English, so you can be sure that you will not miss any of the local attractions or delights on offer. You can also find these guides along with extra information from the regional tourist offices.

All you need to do is choose which region of France you wish to visit. It is so important to get the best out of your holiday and in the North West of France there is Brittany, which is an area known for cider and crepes, to the East of France were there are rivers and canals throughout the regions of Alsace and Lorraine and you will find this area great for experiencing a diverse landscape from rolling hills to forests, whilst trying some of the local French beer and crisp white wines that this region produces.Or you could choose Burgundy within the center of France which is a great place to experience local cuisine and fine wines.

In addition there is the South of France, obviously with the better weather, you can experience traveling along the Canal du Midi, which is the oldest canal in Europe and runs from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, and at the same time you will be able to take in the amazing variety of wildlife such as flamingos whilst on your canal boating holiday. You only need to complete a section of this canal and if you hire a car with your booking, the car hire firm will have it waiting for you at the end of your canal destination. Some groups combine a week on the canal with a week in a villa as their two week holiday. We recently spent a week near Bordeaux,  travelling between Meilhan and Agen, it was beautiful and relaxing.

As with any country, there are always rules and regulations on how you travel the waterways, whether it be the rivers or canals and before you embark on your boat trip you will be given some basic tuition, so that you can be issued with your license. This license is a requirement but is fairly straightforward to acquire.

There are over 2000 locks in France, which are known as écluse? But don’t worry too much as some locks are automatic and some are still operated by a lockkeeper, however others will need to be operated by yourselves, although most people on the canals are very helpful and will come to your aid if you get stuck.

Although the rivers and canals are used extensively by pleasure boats these days, there is also commericial traffic as well and it is these merchant vessels that have the priority on the waterways, plus also the traffic going up stream has priority over those travelling down stream.

As with road systems, the waterways have speed limits and although you are not likely to wish to speed along, these do have to be obeyed, but, it is the left-hand side that is used for overtaking just as it is on the French roads, and the slower boat must also slow down more to let the faster vessel pass.

The condition of the French rivers and canals are excellent and you will find that they even have designated areas for swimming and water sports. For obvious reasons, swimming is not permitted wherever you feel like going for a quick dip, yet if you are into fishing, then you can even do a spot of this while you are meandering down the river, but you will probably need a license for fishing in some parts.

All along your chosen route you will find lots of fantastic areas where you can stop for lunch and stock up on supplies for that important alfresco dining while you are cruising leisurely along.

So even if you have never done this sort of thing before, you will without a doubt have an incredible fun time and when your boating holiday in France is nearing its end, you know that no one will want to leave. So why not book a boating holiday in France on one of their canals?

About bestboatingholidays
Welcome to the site – a blog about boating holidays in Britain, Europe and around the world.

My name is Ian McCulloch and I have been spending my holidays on all sorts of boats, in different places around Britain and Europe.

I was introduced to boats as a toddler aged 4 and since then I have been fascinated with boats of all types. When I met my wife we began travelling abroard and I was again eager to learn about boats from these various countries.

My main passion is sailing but I am equally happy spending time on a canalboat. Anywhere near water and boats really. Over the years I have built up an enormous amount of information on boats and spending holidays on or near water. I hope to be able to pass on as much of this knowledge as possible to you, reader.

This site is dedicated to helping people get the best from their boating holiday, with others sharing their own experiences and to promote holidays afloat.

If I can help in anyway, please get in touch through my Contact Us page.

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