FRANCE: Our Dip into the Canal Boating Scene

A couple years back, I thought we should experience another aspect of France – outside of the Parisian realm. My typical vacation planning process usually began with a Pinterest search supplemented with a deep-dive into travel magazines. So this time, while perusing the National Geographic Traveler, I happened to stumble upon an article on self-navigating the Canal du Midi. Past travels have always revolved around my interests and my husband (along with his credit card!) would go along for the ride. However, here was an opportunity to throw him a bone by playing to his interests! Putting my faith in the power of Dramamine, I set to exploring a vacation on a canal boat.

SEA SICKNESS: Fear not! I am the proverbial canary in the coal mine for all things even potentially nauseating. No ferris wheels, hang gliders, children’s swingsets… However, a canal boat leisurely meandering on lazy canals and rivers had piqued my curiosity. So we rented a 35-foot Linssen and embarked on our adventure. And as canal boats are limited to 10 miles per hour, the water was like glass. No speed boats. No watersports. No rocking the boat. Without a single motion sickness measure, not even a hint of nausea plagued me. However, for the doubting Thomas… I have conquered the seas off of Ireland on a regimen of motion sickness pills started the night before (8PM, Midnight, and the final pill at 6AM the morning we sailed.) My body had acclimated to the drowsy aspect over night, and by morning my inner-ear was so deadened that I could have eaten sushi while bouncing on those waves without incident!

CHOOSING THE CANAL: The French canal waterways extend from the Mediterranean Sea, to the Atlantic Ocean, to the English Channel on into Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. A Google search had come up with a variety of companies that rented boats. In considering reviews such as with TripAdvisor, I settled upon LocaBoat https://www.locaboat.com/ . The costs for rental varied depending upon the type of boat and the popularity of the canal destination selected. I opted to cruise Burgundy Nivernais, starting in the town of Joigny upon the river Yonne and into the Canal de Bourgogne – purely based solely upon budget and accessibility from Paris. We were NOT disappointed!

FUN FACT: These canals were originally devised to move products upstream from the south of France to destinations such as Paris. Prior to the implementation of the lock system, there was a damming method where barges and all types of boats were propelled willy-nilly upstream on the crest of a man-made wave. It was not only slow, but quite precarious and fraught with danger. However, in the mid-1600s, the canal lock system was built and upstream travel became safely possible as boats stair-stepped their way across the country.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
1. DO YOU NEED SAILING EXPERIENCE? No. You will get a 1-hour lesson on steering the boat, care of the boat, and canal etiquette. It’s adequate. However, the majority of our training came from the kindness of fellow boaters who were eager to befriend and shared experiences.
2. ENTERING LOCKS: The locks we experienced were a guillotine style and controlled by a professional gate keeper. They waved us forward when it was our turn to enter and assisted us on tieing to the side. In some cases, as many as 6 boats could be in a lock at a time. There was camaraderie amongst us travelers. After the first few locks, we were experts. Remember that the maximum speed is 10MPH but slow-and-go turned out to be the key!
3. FUEL: Your boat will be fully fueled and most boats can cruise for 3 weeks before re-fueling. We were on a 5-day cruise so this did not apply.
4. MOORING FEES: If there are open cleats for tieing up, then you’re good to dock. Expect to pay approximately 5 Euros for water and 5 Euros for electricity – tokens are purchased at each dock. Some areas had wi-fi for an additional fee.
5. BOAT OPTIONS: We were vacationing with our adult daughter so we chose a 2-bedroom, 2-bath (each with shower) boat. We had a full kitchen with stove/oven, small refrigerator, and sink. Pots, cooking/eating utensils, dishes, glassware were provided as were papertowels, cleaning products, bedding and bathtowels. There was a bright dining area. And we requested the bimini (shade cover) for outdoor entertaining protection from sun or rain. It was perfect!
6. REQUEST A BIKE RENTAL: For popping into town! Or pedaling on the shore beside the boat. A bike can easily go 10-15 miles an hour on these maintained paths alongside the canals. In most cases, your boat will be catching up to you! We saw young children riding ahead of their parents’ boats… and then assisting at the locks.

BENEFITS:
1. FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE IS GORGEOUS! The villages along the Yonne and Canal de Bourgogne came right up to the water’s edge. Cafes and restaurants, shops, and outdoor markets were a short walk from our boat.
2. STOP & DOCK WHENEVER YOU LIKE. Then move on when you are ready! Your scenery changes while your “hotel” travels with you so you only unpack once. Coin laundromats (laverie) are available in most towns.
3. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN FRIENDLY PEOPLE & VILLAGE LIFE: Although the canals enter into larger cities like Paris, we chose the quaint village experience. As we represent needed revenue for these rural towns, we always felt welcomed even with our limited language skills. Other boaters we met were from Germany, Australia, England and beyond. Some owned their own boats while others were renting like ourselves.
4. WHAT TO DO: For exploring, we found car rentals, taxis and trains were available to see the neighboring areas. Or do a Pinterest search (“favorite places to visit in ______”), TripAdvisor searches, or Google the towns you’ll pass through for ideas! However, that glass of wine on the back of the boat at sunset… PRICELESS!
5. OPTION TO COOK YOUR OWN MEALS: After so many days dining in restaurants, a quiet meal at home is a welcomed moment. Food and wine from the markets were quite affordable. Imagine relaxing in the morning to the water lapping against the side of your boat, sipping coffee and nibbling on a leisurely breakfast while the rest of your group was still sleeping! Cost savings are pennies to the dollar.

We loved this experience so much so, that we did it again in England the following year! On our France experience, we had chosen a 5-day option. That was too short. So for England, we opted for a 2-weeks. That was perfect! We normally vacation mid-May to mid-June, so we avoided the summer crowds – and the added benefit of pre-season pricing. Altogether, our 5-day canal boat rental was approximately $1800 U.S.