France Afloat

The Nivernais canal is often described as the most beautiful canal in France, a reputation that is well deserved. The fine wines and excellent restaurants also merit a similar reputation and the regional cuisine is not to be missed. Vermenton, being at the northern end of the canal offers excellent cruises and access via Auxerre to the river Yonne and the Burgundy canal.

One week cruises:

Vermenton - Marigny sur Yonne ONE WAY: 24 hours cruising

Vermenton - Clamecy , Tannay and return: 30 hours cruising 

Vermenton - Auxerre, Joigny and return: 25 hours cruising

Two week cruises:

Vermenton - Clamecy, Marigny sur Yonne, Chatillon en Bazois and return: 66 hours cruising

Three week cruise:

Vermenton - deicze - Briare, Montargis, Sens and Auxerre: The grand circle: 110 hours cruising

 

 

Le Boat

With some of the most beautiful countryside and villages to see in France, the Nivernais Loire provides a truly peaceful haven from every day life. Marvel at the quiet as you cruise through majestic forests abundant in fauna and flora, ancient villages perched high on rugged rocks, and the occasional Medieval town.

One week cruises:

Decize – Briare ONE WAY : Canal Lateral à la Loire 133 km ; 26 locks ; 27 hours cruising

Highlights: Earthenware pottery at Nevers, Abbey at La Charite, goat cheese and wine tasting at Sancerre; 19th century Briare viaduct

Decize – Baye and return: Canal du Nivernais 144 km; 72 locks; 30 hours cruising 

Highlights: Stately homes, the Loire plains, rural countryside

Tannay – Laroch Migennes ONE WAY : Canal du Nivernais – Yonne 156 km ; 78 locks ; 39 hours cruising

Highlights: Market town of Clamecy,panoramic views at Mailly- le- Chateau, Auxerre Cathedral

Decize – Tannay ONE WAY : Canal du Nivernais 99 km ; 72 locks ; 35 hours cruising

Highlights: Exceptional panoramas at Cercy-la-Tour, Pannecot, Chatillon, Mont et Mare

 

 

Cruise in the heart of France. You'll glide through a landscape alive with cultivated valleys, lush grazing pastures and sloping vineyards, with plenty of time to sample the great wines that make the region so famous.
The Canal du Nivernais: The Nivernais winds peacefully between Auxerre and Decize, and is one of the most charming and spectacular canals in France.  Its overgrown banks are populated with towns depicting picture postcard scenery and unspoilt countryside. Spend some time in Sens where you can visit St Stephen's cathedral and glasshouses of tropical plants, or cruise to the renowned cliffs of Saussois, a feast for the eyes and soul.

The Canal Laterale à la Loir
From Briare in the north to Digoin in the south, the Canal Laterale à la Loire follows the route of the river Loire.  Glide along beside the soft rolling landscapes as you take in the magnificent view of vineyard covered hilltops. A visit to the summit of Sancerre is a must, where you can sample the wines in the surrounding cellars.  Cruise down to Digoin, well known for it's potteries, which will lead you into the winding waters of the Canal du Centre and the Canal de Roanne.

One week cruises:

Canal du Nivernais cruises:

-Chatel Censoir to Chitry les Mines and return
98 km / 50 locks

-Chatel Censoir to Auxerre and return: 120 km / 58 locks

Canal du Nivernais and Yonne cruise: Chatel Censoir to Joigny and return: 148 km / 64 locks

Yonne cruise:Migennes to Montreau and return 169 km / 34 locks

Loire cruises:

- Chatillon-sur-Loire to Montargis and return: 122 km / 62 locks

- Chatillon-sur-Loire to Nevers and return: 180 km / 38 locks

One week ONE WAY cruises:

L'Yonne cruise: Chatel Censoir to Migennes cruise: 65 km / 33 locks

Loire cruise: Chatillon-sur-Loire to Decize : 140 km / 26 locks

Two week cruises

Canal du Nivernais and Yonne cruise:

- Chatel Censoir to Sens and return : 216 km / 82 locks

- Migennes to Corbigny and return: 226 km / 120 locks

Loire cruise: Chatillon-sur-Loire to Montereau and return: 280 km / 110 locks

Nivernais canal cruise: Chatel Censoir to Baye and return:! 132 km / 104 locks and 14 lifting bridges

Nivernais Canal, Yonne and Burgundy Canal cruise: Chatel Censoir to Ancy-le-Franc and return: 274 km / 126 locks

Two week cruises One Way:

Canal du Nivernais, Yonne and Loire cruise: Migennes to Chatillon-sur-Loire via Auxerre and Decize: 316 km / 151 locks

Yonne and Loire cruise: Migennes to Chatillon-sur-Loire via Montereau : 198 km / 49 locks

 

Nicols

From Rogny les Sept Ecluses and from Plagny: Land of woods and forests dotted with charming villages, the Loire Valley is an ideal rendezvous for a first inland waterway cruise: Punctuated with remarkable sites such as curiously formed Gréau rocks, or past souvenirs- fortified Moret sur loing, the 7 locks at Rogny constructed under the realm of Henry IV, the Briare canal bridge designed by Eiffel.
Not to neglect the walks among te Morvan hills, or maybe wine tasting in the famous region of Sancerre and Pouilly.

One week return cruise

Rogny, Briare, Sancerre, La charité sur Loire and return; 160 kms, 52 locks

Plagny, Sancerre, Briare and return; 194 kms, 34 locks

Plagny, Decize, Chatillon en Bazois and return; 170kms, 50 locks

Plagny – Dompierre and return;  154 km, 32 locks

One week, one way cruise:

Rogny les Sept Ecluses – Plagny;116km, 34 locks

Three week cruise:

The whole central loop; 553 kms, 214 locks

From Brienon:
On the boarders of the Haut- Nivernais and la Bourgogne, villages perched on the rocky hillsides such as Mailly le Chateau dating back to the Medieval ages will captivate you, and for those who enjoy the sports of rock climbing and fishing there are plenty of opportunies to be explored.

One week return cruise:

Brienon , Montereau and return; 188kms, 40 locks

Brienon, Mailly le Chateau and return; 140kms, 70 locks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Locaboat

As you follow the valley of the Yonne and the Canal du Nivernais, you are travelling through a landscape where at each bend or lock new vistas open up, often punctuated by the tower of some little-known but sublime romanesque church. Here, at superb restaurants in Joigny and Auxerre, food and fine Nivernais architecture complement each other like capon and a good Chablis.Irancy, surrounded by vineyards, sleeps around its church which felicitously combines Gothic and Renaissance features. The dramatic location of Châtel-Censoir, a pretty village with 5th century crypt and ancient church vies in splendour with the excursion to glorious Vézelay, its main street lined with medieval bouses and its magnificent Sainte-Madeleine basilica. Friendly, bustling Clamecy retains its ancient dovecots. The canal too makes the most of its verdant setting as it passes the Rochers de Saussois where, if rock- climbing is your thing, you can try your hand at scaling the crags.

One week cruises from Joigny:

Joigny, Auxerre, Vermenton, Clamecy, Cobigny ONE WAY; 136 km; 67 locks; 4hr45 cruising per day

Joigny, Auxerre, Vermenton, Chatel-Censoir and RETURN; 166 km; 68 locks; 5hr30 cruising per day

Ten/eleven day cruises:

Joigny, Auxerre, Chatel-Censoir, Clamecy and RETURN ; 194 km ; 86 locks ; 4hr45 cruising per day

Two week cruises:

Joigny, Auxerre, Vermenton, Clamecy, Baye and RETURN; 288 km; 176 locks; 5hr30 cruising per day

Three week cruise:

Joigny, Sens, Montereau, Moret, Montargis, Briare, Sancerre, Nevers, Decize, Chatillon, Baye, Clamecy, Auxerre, Joigny CIRCLE; 553 km; 214 locks; 5hr30 cruising per day

One week cruises from Corbigny:

Corbigny, Chatillon, Cercy, Decize, Dompierre ONE WAY; 122 km; 63 locks; 4hr15 cruising per day
Corbigny, Tannay, Clamecy, Chatel-Censoir and RETURN; 108 km; 62 locks; 4hr15 cruising per day
Corbigny, Etang de Baye, Chatillon en Bazois, Fleury and RETURN; 80 km; 80 locks; 4hr cruising per day

Two week cruise:

Corbigny, Chatillon, Decize, Nevers, Sancerre, Corbigny ; 350 km; 148 locks; 6 hr cruising per day

Dompierre -sur-Besbre:

Dompierre in Southem Burgundy is a crossroads offering a choice of discoveries. Lining the canal banks are chateaux, abbeys and mediaeval villages.The magnificent Digoin aqueduct takes you on to the Canal du Centre, built in the 18th century to link Roanne to Chalon-sur-Saône. The Canal de Roanne à Digoin leads to Roanne, a synonym for gastronomy al1 over France, but famous too for china and faïence. At Decize the lateral canal meets the Loire, and river bathing is a treat. Salmon and shad swim up here from the distant sea to spawn. Take the Canal du Nivernais and cruise through ravishing countryside to the secret heart of the Morvan, or visit Nevers, steeped in history. Crossing high above the Allier on the Guétin aqueduct, you'll enjoy magnificent vistas across many famous vineyards to pretty villages such as Sancerre and St-Satur.

One week cruises from Dompierre suer Besbre:
Dompierre, Decize, Cercy, Chatillon, Corbigny ONE WAY; 122 km; 63 locks; 4hr15 cruising per day
Dompierre, Digoin, Paray le Monial, Roanne and RETURN; 189 km; 38 locks; 4hr45 cruising per day
Dompierre, Cercy, Chatillon-en-Bazois and RETURN; 170 km; 58 locks; 5hr cruising per day

Ten/Eleven day cruises:

Dompierre, Decize, Nevers, Sancerre, Briare and RETURN; 356 km; 70 locks; 5hr cruising per day

Two week cruises:
Dompierre,Decize,  Cercy, Chitry les Mines and RETURN; 256 km; 128 locks, 4hr  cruising per day
 

Discover France: regions

• Alsace Lorraine
• Anjou
• Aquitaine
• Brittany
• Burgundy canal
• Burgundy Nivernais Loire
• Burgundy Saone and Doubs
• Camargue
• Charente
• Lot
• Midi

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