The Waterways of France
France boasts a greater variety and abundance of towns, cities and unspoilt countryside than most European countries, and running through this great tapestry, like a glistening thread are the many and varied inland waterways. They all have in common the ability to delight and surprise, providing an unspoilt rural view, a seemingly forgotten village or a new found friend.
The regional variations in wine and food, are as rich as the landscapes and each bend in the canal provides a new opportunity to taste the local speciality in one of the nearby restaurants.
And after these indulgences, some gentle exercise of locking through, cycling along the traffic free towpath, or swimming in the clear waters of the river provides the perfect antidote for a guilty conscience!
From start to finish the operators strive to make your holiday the experience of a lifetime. They will spend time advising you on all aspects of the holiday including your travel arrangements and insurance. On arrival at the operating base, you will be warmly received and all the formalities will be efficiently dealt with and then once again they will give you all the help you need whilst demonstrating the handling and features of the boat, discussing the locality and its delights and specialities. Then when you are happy and confident, they will wave you off to discover for yourselves the wealth of sights and experiences that only France can offer you.
We have two areas to offer on the canals and rivers of France.
Burgundy (Central France)
Burgundy can offer the Canal du Nivernais, often described as the most beautiful canal in France and, further south, the gently flowing River Saone.
In Champagne, the River Marne meanders past vineyard cloaked hills. Chablis, Beaujolais and Champagne, three of the most famous and distinctive wines in the world are to be found along the waterways, together with a multitude of lesser known wines all waiting to be discovered.
The towns and cities of the region are no less famous: Reims, Epernay, Meaux, Dijon, Macon and Auxerre are all steeped in history and each worth visiting in their own right. Alsace Lorraine, with its many cultural traditions, makes a refreshing change, not only for its German influenced food and wines, but also for its characteristic countryside and multitude of lakes. It is also rich in history with Gallo-Roman remains, forts, cathedrals and many monuments to man's engineering ingenuity.
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Canal du Midi (Southern France)
The Canal du Midi winds gracefully through a typically Mediterranean landscape: vines, cypresses, pine trees and a riot of flowers exude their glorious aroma whilst cicadas and crickets shrill all around. Shaded by plane trees you will journey from town to town, each with its tale to tell from an eventful history. Carcassonne, Béziers, Narbonne and many others invite you to taste mouthwatering regional specialities and such unusual wines as Pacherenc, made from late-picked grapes. To see on the skyline the towers of Carcassonne is a heart-stopping moment, so formidable are the fortifications restored by Viollet le Duc and now granted World Heritage status by UNESCO.
One of the hire fleets used by Latelink is based in the picturesque Languedoc village of Le Somail, which lies on the 54 kilometre "Grand Bief" (lock-free pound) of this wonderful canal.
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