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Your river cruise with Les Canalous

Explore France by hire a licence free boat with Les Canalous, the river tourism specialist

Come aboard one of our licence free houseboats for your next holiday and enjoy an unusual holiday in France. In the land of gastronomy, culture and art, enjoy a different way of travelling, discovering the most beautiful canals, rivers and rivers of France in a licence free houseboat.
Les Canalous is a French company set up in Burgundy in the early 1980s by a family with a passion for boating and boating holidays. With over 40 years’ experience, we are committed to helping you discover the charm of boating holidays in France. Our boats are accessible to everyone, even if you don’t have a licence and have never been on a boat before.

Les Canalous offers you several boat hire bases in France, in some of the most beautiful regions : Burgundy, Alsace, the Canal du Midi, the Camargue, the Lot, the Charente, the Mayenne, Brittany and the Ardennes. Discover typical villages, beautiful landscapes, visit castles, discover vineyards, not forgetting French gastronomy, which is different in each region.

Our fleet of licence free houseboats offers a wide range of options to suit all requirements for your holidays in France, at attractive prices. From comfortable boats to the most luxurious, including a range accessible to people with reduced mobility, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for, both in terms of quality and the best prices on the houseboat rental market.

After training on board to take charge of the boat, you will be the captain. However, our team will be on hand to assist you throughout your cruise. But once you’ve crossed the first bridges and locks, you’ll quickly feel at ease at the helm of your boat.

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Cruising on a river or canal, a different way of travelling in France

Aboard your holiday home on the water, you’ll open up a whole new perspective and be guaranteed an unforgettable river or canal cruise. Enjoy moments of relaxation and idleness on the outside deck of the boat. Enjoy the unique experience of passing through locks and tunnels. The beauty of the river landscape, in the heart of a rich and unspoilt natural environment, becomes the inspiring backdrop to a boating trip. River tourism gives you a great deal of freedom in organising your stay. You can stop and go ashore at any time, depending on the mood of your crew : a bike ride along the towpaths, a visit to a remarkable monument, or a stroll through the nearby local markets. There’s no shortage of things to do on board your boat : moor up to discover a lake or pond, relax with a spot of fishing or simply take a swim. Licence free houseboat holidays offer an almost inexhaustible range of varied activities accessible to everyone, whatever your age or tastes. Travelling with your family, friends or loved ones ? Canal boat hire is suitable for all crews, with something to suit every taste, and always at the best price. Dogs and other pets are welcome on board our boats.

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Original holidays to discover France off the beaten track

Hiring a boat for a family holiday or weekend break is not only another way of travelling and escaping mass tourism, it also lets you to explore sites that are unknown to the general public and reserved for connoisseurs. It’s a way of discovering France’s most beautiful regions in depth, up close to local life. With departure ports in the most popular river regions of France and Europe, you can choose your cruise destination according to your individual preferences :

The wild Camargue and the Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a Mediterranean flavour
Alsace/Lorraine : half-timbered houses, culture, green countryside and vineyards
Burgundy — natural and gourmet : an experience for gourmets and wine lovers
Brittany — Its legends and folklore
The spectacular landscapes of the Lot
Pays de la Loire — nature, traditions and festivities
The Charente, a natural experience in a region rich in history
The Ardennes — through forests and gentle mountains

We are also present in several European countries, so you can discover Europe in a different way by hiring a boat without a licence : Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Belgium and Norway

Must-see places for a successful stay

1 / 5 Canal du Midi, UNESCO The Canal du Midi is one of those river cruises you have to do at least once in your life. Every lock, every stone bridge, every kilometre we travel transports us to an enchanting setting, to French gastronomy and to the history of France. The Canal du Midi has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

2 / 5 Canal du Nivernais The Canal du Nivernais is nature as far as the eye can see. Considered to be the most beautiful canal in Europe, the Canal du Nivernais was created to transport wood from the forests of Burgundy to Paris. As well as this rich history, which is recounted along the canal, it's a real bowl of nature that awaits you on a river cruise on the Nivernais.

3 / 5 Alsace Cruising the canals of Alsace and Lorraine in a houseboat without a licence is a real invitation to take your time. Take time to discover its emblematic monuments, take time to discover its history, take time to taste its culinary specialities, and take time to follow the Alsace wine route.

4 / 5 Saint Cirq Lapopie The medieval town of Saint-Cirq Lapopie, with its 13 historic monuments, is one of the most beautiful villages in France. Perched on a cliff 100 metres above the river Lot, Saint-Cirq Lapopie is one of the most important sites in the Lot Valley. Below the fortress, the streets of the village, enclosed by fortified gates, are still home to several old houses with stone or half-timbered facades built between the 13th and 16th centuries.

5 / 5 Etang de Thau Etang de Thau is Languedoc’s largest lagoon (19 km long and 5 km wide). This natural resource has given rise to a series of artisanal activities: mussel and oyster aquaculture. These are facilitated by the diversity and abundance of phytoplankton fed on by these molluscs. This abundance is due to the moderately deep, warm and slow-moving waters. Thau is a veritable inland micro-sea with exceptional biological diversity!

Piloting, navigation

How is it possible to rent a houseboat without a boat licence?

You do not have a boat driving licence and are worried about driving a boat?

Rest assured! The handling is quite simple and our staff on the bases will take the time to show you how the different equipment works and introduce you to the maneuvers and docking. The boat works with 2 commands: a throttle lever with 2 positions (front and rear) and a wheel to steer: you see, it is simple!

Do I need to have any navigational experience to rent a houseboat? Will I be capable of maneuvering a canalboat?

Travelling at an average speed of 6 km/h, enjoy your holidays with a peaceful soothing rhythm, gently travelling on the water. Enjoy the scenery from a new perspective and feel free to punctuate your cruise with a fews stops, gourmet, history or sports. There will be something for everyone.

How do you manoeuvre your boat when you cross a barge or another houseboat?

You usually navigate down the centre of the waterway, however when you come across another boat, you have to move to the right and cruise slowly along close to the shoreline. When you come to a canal bridge or a narrow navigation area priority goes to the larger boat, and commercial barges always have priority. Be vigilant and don’t forget to look behind you in case another boat is travelling faster than you and wishes to pass.

Locks

Are the locks easy to pass? How do I do it?

Passing the locks is a simple manoeuvre and is enjoyable if you follow some basic rules: navigate slowly and carefully and remain patient if there are several boats waiting for the lock. It is easier to pass through the manual locks if you do so with two fit people. As you travel along you’ll realise that the lock manoeuvres can be very interesting as you can often chat with the lock keepers, sometimes enjoy the local produce or just admire the view and observe the local atmosphere.

Are the locks manual or automatic? What must I do to cross a lock?

There a several different types of locks: manual locks with a lock keeper which is the most common and automatic locks with a lock keeper which is often found on the larger rivers. However there are also another two types of locks without a lock keeper. The manual locks without a lock keeper tend to be found on certain canals and rivers which are rarely visited. If you come across one, you and your crew must cross it by yourselves; this will surely be an interesting memory for everyone involved. While the aforementioned manual locks tend to be rather small, the automatic locks without a lock keeper tend to be medium sized and are often found on commercial canals where there is not much traffic. The technicians at your departure base will show you a control system for an automatic lock and explain how to operate it.

Activities

Is it possible to swim?

Yes - there will be frequent bathing opportunities throughout your itinerary. Many lakes, rivers and canals allow swimming: take your swimsuit, it will also be useful for sunbathing on the deck. Ask at your starting base and you’ll be given all the information on swimming.

Does waterway tourism provide opportunities to meet new people?

Yes, waterway cruising on a houseboat does provide ample opportunities to meet new people. Going through locks puts you in frequent contact with other boaters. You’ll also have the chance to meet people from the area you’re travelling through. A little chat and a smile often leads to lovely encounters with cheerful, welcoming and uncomplicated individuals - take the first step, even when you’re cruising abroad and don't speak the local language very well.