Nicols Riviera 920
Self-Drive Boats in France

► Self-drive boats available in Northern Burgundy-Nivernais-Upper Loire
Hire Fleets and Bases
■ France Afloat/Linssen: Vermenton and Tonnere
■ Locaboat/Linssen: Joigny and Corbigny
■ LeBoat: Migennes and Tannay
■ Nicols: Brienon and Venarey-les-Laumes

Canal du Nivernais – River Yonne – Canal de Bourgogne

A hundred miles south east of Paris, North Burgundy is a region steeped in culture and history and is considered by some to be the gastronomic heart of France, with its Boeuf Bourguignon, its buttery garlicky snails and its Coq au Vin, not to mention its stunning Chablis wine. To the west of it, the Nivernais Canal links the Loire and the Seine basins and crosses the remote and beautiful heathland of the Morvan.

Among the Nivernais’ natural wonders are the Rochers de Saussois, a limestone bluff that soars above the River Yonne which feeds the canal as it goes, while man-made highlights include the Chateau de Tanlay with its romantic moat and famous trompe l’oeil frescoes. The breathtaking abbey at Vezelay is the starting point for one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago di Compostella , while Fontenay Abbey was built by St Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Still on a religious theme, Auxerre is a historic city of such astounding loveliness that it boasts not just an 11th century cathedral, but a 12th century abbey too.

The lives of more ordinary folk are evident Villeneuve sur Yonne and the beautiful half-timbered town of Noyers-sur-Serein with its characteristic mediaeval arcades, where walnuts and truffles were traded and enjoyed as a complement to the fine local wine.

► Self-drive boats available in Aquitaine-Charente
Hire Fleets and Bases
■ LeBoat: Castelsarrasin and Mas d’Agenais
■ Locaboat: Agen and Valence s/Baise
■ Nicols: Buzet s/Baise

Canal de Garonne – Canal de Montech-Montauban – River Baise

Aquitaine covers the far southwest corner of France and its capital Bordeaux is a stately presence on the estuary of the Garonne river and is ineffably associated with fine wines, claret in particular. The Maison du Vin in the city centre offers an introduction to many vintages, but a visit to some of the prestigious vineyards themselves is hard to beat.

Helping to link Bordeaux to Toulouse, the Canal de Garonne shadows a popular pilgrimage route to Compostella and one of its outstanding waystations is the town of Moissac, world famous for its Romanesque abbey cloister. There are exquisite country villages to discover, including Serignac with its curiously twisted church spire, and as you travel inland from the Atlantic the vineyards are replaced by orchards growing apples, pears and particularly Ente plums. Agen has become synonymous with prunes and the Pruneau d’Agen is so fine that it has earned itself a Protected Geographical Indication, which governs the location and means of its production.

► Self-drive boats available in Aquitaine-Charente
Hire Fleets and Bases
■ LeBoat: Jarnac
■ Nicols: Sireuil

River Charente – River Boutonne

The River Charente in the south west of France is navigable from Angouleme to the Atlantic and the French King Henri1V said it was the most beautiful in his kingdom. Like the Loire to the north and Bordeaux to the south the landscape is covered in vineyards, but rather than making wine they are used in the production of brandy, named after the local town Cognac.

Near Angouleme, the chateau at Verteuil-sur Charente was built in 1078 and was strategically placed on the road between the kingdoms of France and Spain – in the middle ages verteuil meant heavily fortified . Further west downstream the riverside city of Saintes is even more ancient, dating back to Roman times. As well as brandy, the area is known for its succulent charentais melons, its goats cheese and its irresistible salted caramels.

► Self-drive boats available in Brittany-Anjou
Hire Fleets and Bases
■ LeBoat: Dinan, Messac and Nort s/Erdre
■ Locaboat: St Martin s/Oust and Melesse
■ Nicols:: Glenac and Suce s/Erdre

Canal Nantes a Brest – River Erdre – River Vilaine – Canal Ille et Rance

The Canal Nantes-Brest travels for 385 km through the Breton interior, arcing from the south coast to the west coast at Lorient. Located at the mouth of the River Loire, Nantes was once the seat of the dukes of Brittany and still boasts a spectacular renaissance chateau. The modern capital is at Rennes, which was ravaged by fire in 1720, but its narrow streets with their half- timbered houses retain a lingering appeal.

Arty crafty villages abound: Rochefort-en-Terre is home to a colony of artists and even the post office is housed in a renaissance building. Other attractions include the Chateau de Josselin, a renaissance gem, and Redon, famous for its chestnut festival every autumn. Last but not least is Dinan, a medieval town overlooking the River Rance and still surrounded by 13th century ramparts – the perfect place to retreat to a café and order Brittany’s best loved dish: a crepe.

► Self-drive boats available in Brittany-Anjou
Hire Fleets and Bases
■ Nicols: Grez-Neuville, Laval and Sable s/Sarthe

River Mayenne – River Sarthe

The River Mayenne rises in Southern Normandy and travels south to Angers where it joins the River Sarthe and becomes the River Maine It is a stretch of water characterized by unspoilt country villages, wide meadows and ancient water mills. Angers itself was once the capital of Anjou and gave rise to the historic Plantagenet dynasty whose descendants ruled over England in the Middle Ages.

At Laval, which was formerly a centre for linen and textiles and the birthplace of the artist Henri Rousseau, an ancient chateau gazes down over the river. With the Loire Valley close by, chateaux abound: Plessis-Bourre is a fairytale construction surrounded by a moat which still has a working drawbridge, while at Lassay there are two fine examples within a kilometre of each other. Local delicacies include Rillauds d’Anjou, a dish of pork belly cooked in fat, and Muscadet-flavoured sausages, best washed down with a glass of wine from nearby Saumur.

► Self-drive boats available in Northern Burgundy-Nivernais-Upper Loire
Hire Fleets and Bases
■ France Afloat/Linssen: Vermenton and Tonnere
■ Locaboat/Linssen: Joigny and Corbigny
■ LeBoat: Migennes and Tannay
■ Nicols: Brienon and Venarey-les-Laumes

Canal du Nivernais – River Yonne – Canal de Bourgogne

A hundred miles south east of Paris, North Burgundy is a region steeped in culture and history and is considered by some to be the gastronomic heart of France, with its Boeuf Bourguignon, its buttery garlicky snails and its Coq au Vin, not to mention its stunning Chablis wine. To the west of it, the Nivernais Canal links the Loire and the Seine basins and crosses the remote and beautiful heathland of the Morvan.

Among the Nivernais’ natural wonders are the Rochers de Saussois, a limestone bluff that soars above the River Yonne which feeds the canal as it goes, while man-made highlights include the Chateau de Tanlay with its romantic moat and famous trompe l’oeil frescoes. The breathtaking abbey at Vezelay is the starting point for one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago di Compostella , while Fontenay Abbey was built by St Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Still on a religious theme, Auxerre is a historic city of such astounding loveliness that it boasts not just an 11th century cathedral, but a 12th century abbey too.

The lives of more ordinary folk are evident Villeneuve sur Yonne and the beautiful half-timbered town of Noyers-sur-Serein with its characteristic mediaeval arcades, where walnuts and truffles were traded and enjoyed as a complement to the fine local wine.

► Self-drive boats available in South Burgundy-France Comté
Hire Fleets and Bases
■ Locaboat/Linssen: Dompierre s/Bresbre, St Leger s/Dheune and Macon
■ LeBoat: Branges

Canal du Centre – River Saone – River Seille

The Saone is one of the most attractive rivers in France: wide, sleepy and unhurried, it wends its way from the mountains of the Vosges to the Rhone, linking up with the Burgundy Canal, the River Doubs and the Rhone au Rhine Canal and passing through delightful countryside replete with wildlife. Macon offers an ideal base for discovering the Beaujolais – an undulating crest of hills famous for the production of light red wine, while fans of photography will be keen to visit Chalon-sur-Saone, the home of Nicéphore Niepce and thus regarded as the birthplace of this popular art form: the colourful Sunday market offers perfect opportunities for taking vivid holiday snaps.

A bucolic tributary of the Saone, the River Seille leads to the heartlands of Bresse, famous for its delicious chickens which have appellation d’origine contrôlée status, while the Canal de Centre which links the Canal Lateral a la Loire with the Saone, passes through the rolling verdant vineyards of the Cote Challonais.