Chartering on French canals

[Rigger]

I'm thinking of chartering a boat for up to 12 people on the french canals for the last week October. Both Blakes and Hoseasons seem to have plenty on offer. Has anyone had any experience ,or any recommendations as to best area to visit. We would probably want to drive rather than fly. Thanks

 

[dickh]

We were on holiday near the Canal du Midi last week and it was amusing watching the hire boats going through the locks. All the grp hire boats we saw were overgrown Broads type cruisers. They had heavy rubber fendering all round with fenders hanging all round - and they needed it! Apart from the poor boat handling, the lock keeper just let the water rush in with the boats bouncing all over the place(at the flght of locks near Bezier).
The Canal du Midi is very nice with no commercial traffic(and we were planning to do it in a year or so) but I'm having second thoughts about going down in my own boat and mixing it with the hire cruisers....... I might just stick to the Dutch canals and locks - much more civilised.

 

[albineer]

They used to reckon that Connosieur was better than
Blakes but Blakes took them over so the difference is not so marked. Locaboat has a good reputation. I've always fancied trying one of their penichettes. We have our own boat on the Canal du Midi but we've never been there as late as October. We manage to stay clear of the hire cruisers when we go out of season. I think hiring a boat somewhere on the stretch between Castelnaudry and Sete would give you a reasonable holiday. The Canal Laateral to the (East of Toulouse) is not so intyeresting IMHO. Easyjet flies to Toulouse. If you like castles stop at Carcasoone. If you are going to Beziers remember that the Fonserannes flight has timed ascents and decents and the locks shut for lunch or they used to. We liked the Charente (I know it's a river) and there are several hire bases. We were always treated well by Locaboat at Cognac and their hire customers seemed satisfied.
've heard that the Canal du Bourgoune is pretty and peaceful but never tried it.
HTH
N

 

[tcm]

i hear that burgundy area, chalons, is supposedly the bee's knees. Not dunnit meself.

 

[LadyInBed]

"Has anyone had any experience ,or any recommendations "

Yes, if you have your own boat on the canal, take a days rest on 'Bumper Boat' changeover day /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Cloven]

Based in Southern Brittany and we have seen and spoken to lots of satisfied customers using Crown Blue Line. Boats look good too.

 

[DaveS]

Some years ago we hired a boat on the Canal du Midi from Crown Line. It was one of their cheaper ones - for good reason: an old grp ex-Broads cruiser with collision holes in the hull and very dodgy hydraulic steering which eventually failed completely, wasting most of a day before it was fixed. The front steering position felt a bit like driving a bus with huge blind arcs. That said, the canal itself was nice. Their gallus method of operating the staircase locks was quite alarming, with several gates open simultaneously and a mini tidal wave advancing down the chamber...

 

[Sea Devil]

I am convinced that the Canal du Midi is the most lovely canal in France... Yes there are lots of hire boats but equally there are lots of parking places - some with water and electricity beside small towns and villages and some out in the country all alone... It is because it is so lovely and so easy to use that the charter fleets favour it I think.

I have never had any significant problems with the charter boats but tend to keep out of their way... A lovely way to spend a summer holiday -

Michael