As one of Europe’s most beautiful countries and home to over 100 waterways, France offers a world of opportunities to cruise its rivers and canals. With more than 8,000 km of navigable waters this provides plenty of scope, making it challenging to pick the best river cruise excursions in France.
In fact, we’d say that each and every one of the river cruises in France is worthy of a ‘best’ stamp. Even the shortest waterways have something to offer the discerning traveller and delights await you at every meander on a France river cruise. All guarantee stunning scenery (and always at eye level!), foodie treats and plenty to see and do as part of your cruising experience.
This article is an introduction to river cruises in France generally and aims to give insight into where the trips go and the types on offer. Bookmark this page to follow the regional-specific pieces and river cruise tips describing the cruise destinations in detail.
Facts about French rivers
But before we jump into the different locations for river cruise excursions in France, the facts.
The geography
France has three imposing mountain ranges that dominate the regions of France where rivers thrive – the eastern Vosges, Jura and Alps; the Massif Central, slightly south of the country’s geographical centre; and the Pyrenées in southwest France along the Spanish border.
These three ranges are responsible for the five main rivers in France:
- the Seine and Rhône emerge from the eastern peaks
- the Loire and Dordogne have their sources in the Massif Central
- just the Garonne flows from the Pyrenées
The Rhine, a Grand Dame among Europe’s rivers, also pops into France for 100km of its 1,233km length. It forms a natural border between France and Germany in the Alsace region.
The big players
Although France boasts over 100 waterways crisscrossing the entire country, just five rivers are of notable length and viable for commercial waterway cruises:
- Loire – easily the longest river in France, it runs for 1,012km northwest from the Massif Central before it reaches its Atlantic wetlands at Nante.
- Rhône – the second-longest, this waterway starts high up in the Alps before reaching the Mediterranean at the Camargue Delta 812km later.
- Seine – perhaps the most famous river in France, this waterway runs northwest from the Jura into Le Havre via Paris over a distance of 776km.
- Garonne – the only major river with its source in the Pyrenées, it travels 645km northwest to meet the Atlantic at the Gironde Estuary near Bordeaux.
- Dordogne – this river flows 483km southeast to reach Bordeaux where it joins the Garonne and plays its part in creating the giant Gironde Estuary.
The language
As our travel advisors will tell you, French has three terms for river:
- le fleuve, used for a river that enters the sea. For example, the five rivers mentioned above
- la rivière, the term for a tributary, i.e. a river that enters another before reaching the sea. For example, the Vèzere on the Dordogne or the Saône on the Rhône
- cours d’eau – a general term for waterway
Main waterways for river cruise excursions in France
Almost all waterways in France allow some sort of cruising, from large river ships to small drive-yourself boats via luxury hotel barges. Ultimately, the size of the vessel depends on the depth and flow of the river.
As a result, river cruise ships travel the largest rivers while hotel barges can navigate the larger waterways as well as the smaller canals but prefer to keep out of the way of the larger river boats, whether touristic or freight.
River cruise excursions on the Loire
The longest river in France, the Loire, flows through some of the most beautiful parts of the country, particularly the Loire Valley and is common river cruise experience offering. Also known as the Garden of France, this picture-perfect region is home to the largest UNESCO site in France – the area from Sully-sur-Loire to Chalonnes-sur-Loire which covers some 280 km.
Main tributaries
The Allier is the longest, but the Loire also welcomes the Cher, Creuse, Loir,
Sarthe and Vienne on its way to the Atlantic.
Highlights
As well as verdant scenery, a river cruise along the Loire will incorporate land tours
of French châteaux (there are over 300 in the region), vineyards producing Loire Valley wine and iconic cities such as Angers and Nantes.
>>> Find out more about Loire River cruises
River cruise excursions on the Rhône
Quintessential southern France awaits you on a river Rhône and Provence cruise where you’ll also find something of a gastronomic paradise as you cruise south to the Mediterranean. Of course, art provides an inspirational backdrop since this is the land of Van Gogh. A premium Rhône route will take it all in with excursions galore!
Main tributaries
Rhône and Saône river cruises sweep you along the Saône as the Rhône’s main tributary and a major scenic river cruise destination. Others include the Ain, Durance and Isère.
Highlights
Provençal countryside accompanies you on this port to port cruise as you visit Arles and Avignon on the Rhône. Think lavender fields, olive groves and medieval villages. If you’ve chosen a Saône River cruise, Beaune and Chalon-sur-Saône are key ports of call.
>>> Find out more about Rhone River cruises
River cruise excursions on the Seine
Ask anyone to name a French river and the Seine will almost certainly be the first to come to mind. Probably because Paris sits on its bank and the Eiffel Tower dazzles, particularly on a Paris to Normandy adventure. But this river is also one of the country’s major commercial waterways and navigable for big ships between Rouen and Le Havre in northern France.
Main tributaries
The most important tributaries of the Seine river are the Aube, Eure, Marne, Oise and Yonne. The Marne is a popular river for luxury barge cruises to Champagne.
Highlights
Paris, obviously, and the City of Light need no introduction but this is also where a Paris and Normandy cruise will likely begin as the Seine also cruises through that region. There, highlights include Monet’s house and garden at Giverny, the WW2 beaches and monuments, and the pretty medieval harbour town of Honfleur.
>>> Find out more about Seine River cruises
River cruise excursions on the Garonne and Dordogne
Brilliant Bordeaux, one of the world’s most famous wine destinations, is the base for these river cruises where, as you’d expect, wine tasting takes centre stage. Not only the vin, but also Cognac, produced a little further north near the Cher river. Bordeaux cruises include a side trip along the Dordogne where you’ll discover wine meccas such as Saint-Emilion.
Main tributaries
This river has two main tributaries, the Lot and the Tarn.
Highlights
The city of Bordeaux is the absolute gem on this cruise and a city packed with
UNESCO treasures and excellent wining and dining. Other highlights on river cruise tours, aside from Saint-Emilion, include the citadel-town of Blaye, and Cadillac with its stunning château.
>>> Find out more about Garonne River cruises
River cruise excursions on the Rhine
France is a port of call on Rhine River cruises that usually start in Basel, Switzerland and end in Amsterdam, taking in European waterways before the mighty Rhine enters the Atlantic. However, the French stretch is particularly stunning and includes the beautiful town of Strasbourg in Alsace.
Highlights
The scenery of this Europe tour is breathtaking as you glide downriver, past the Black Forest on your right and pretty Alsace on the left. Strasbourg ranks among Europe’s most fascinating medieval cities and then there’s the hearty Alsatian cuisine, paired with excellent wines.
>>> Find out more about Rhine River cruises
Facts about river cruise excursions in France
Now we know where the main river cruises go in France, it’s time to look at the cruises themselves. Firstly, it’s important to bear in mind that a river cruise has little to do with an ocean cruise. In fact, they’re two completely different worlds.
Cruising a river is all about the scenery, which, unlike on an ocean cruise, is within easy sight. River cruising is also about the destinations along the way and you
spend much more time on land than you do on an ocean cruise. The diversity of experience therefore makes family river cruises increasingly popular. And themed cruises attract frequent cruisers back to the waterways time and again. The small yet sociable scale of river cruise lines also appeal to fans of solo travel.
>>> Read our FAQs about river cruising in France
Typical duration
River cruises in France typically last between 3 to 7 seven nights. The exceptions include, for example, a 14-night cruise along the Seine and the increasingly popular cruise-stay-cruise options, which link two different cruises with a luxury hotel experience – but most take around a week.
Number of passengers
Unlike many ocean cruise liners where the passenger count can easily reach the thousands, river cruises are much smaller. Expect 100-200 others on board if you choose a river liner cruise. If, on the other hand, you go for a hotel barge cruise, your fellow cruisers will number between 4 and 12.
When to river cruise in France
Most routes run between late March and early November, with some Rhine cruises extending into December so that you make the most of the Christmas markets en route. High season is the summer, but spring and autumn may have cooler temperatures for cruising and sightseeing.
Activities while you’re river cruising
Cruises organise excursions from ports of call and suit various interests. You are, of
course, free to explore on your own or join escorted tours. On-board entertainment tends to include a touch of local flavour.
Booking your French river cruise
If these French river cruise tips have whetted your appetite for seeing France from its major waterways, take a look at our selection of river cruises. From the Uniworld boutique river cruise collection to Avalon Waterways explorations, we have something for everyone to discover la belle France from the waterways. Immerse yourself in our collection of destinations and cruise ships to suit your preferences and interests.
