Stage Options
Dimensions, distances, timings and lock numbers, PDF Download Sets and Breil Printed Guides
A Calais-Reims
Route Stage A – Calais to Condé-sur-Marne
Stage A :: Calais to Condé
C. de Calais – Dunkerque Escaut – C. du Nord – Aisne – A à la Marne
Passage Planning
400km – 67 locks – 4 days min.
Normal Limits
Draught 2m – Air Height 3.45m – Width 5.05m
FW ‘Waterways in Detail’ pages for this stage
- Canal de Calais
- Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut
- Canal du Nord
- River Oise and Canal latéral à l’Oise
- River Aisne and Canal latéral à l’Aisne
- Canal de l’Oise à l’Aisne
- Canal de l’Aisne à la Marne
FW ‘Routes Through’ PDF format downloads for this stage – bundled set
28€ Add to basket
Breil ‘Hands On’ navigation guide books with detailed waterway maps
Editions du Breil : 15 Nord Pas-de-Calais
Canals du Calais, Aa, Bergues, Furnes, Bourbourg, Dunkerque-Escaut, Escaut, Roubaix, Espières, Rivers Scarpe and Lys
This newly surveyed and created Breil guide complements guide # 20 Picardie, to the south, covering the traditional Calais waterways network access route.
The Departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais have a dense network of approximately 500 kilometers of waterways.These rivers and canals, frequented for centuries by boats of all sizes, also offer boaters routes that are just as exciting as the “tourist canals” of central and southern France.
2023 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
25.50€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 20 – Picardie
Canals du Nord, Escaut, Sensée and St Quentin. River Oise and Oise Canals. River Aisne and Aisne Canals. River Somme.
This newly surveyed and created Breil guide expands and incorporates the previous #13 Oise and #15 Somme guides. It also replaces the northern part of the previous #08 Champagne-Ile de France guide (the southern part has been updated within guide #19 Marne).
2015 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
25.50€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 19 – Marne
River Marne, Marne Lateral, Aisne à la Marne, Entre Champagne et Bourgogne
The complete Marne to Saone (Champagne) route, plus the Aisne-Marne canal that joins the route at Condé-sur-Marne. Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2011 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
B Seine-Marne
Route Stage B – Le Havre/Honfleur to Condé-sur-Marne
Stage B :: Seine to Condé
Le Havre/Honfleur – Seine – Paris – Marne – Marne Lateral
Passage Planning
600km – 28 locks – 4 days min.
Normal Limits
Draught 1.8m – Air Height 3.7m – Width 5.05m
FW ‘Waterways in Detail’ pages for this stage
- Lower Seine (Seine Aval)
- River Marne
- Canal latéral à la Marne
FW ‘Routes Through’ PDF format downloads for this stage – bundled set
22€ Add to basket
Breil ‘Hands On’ navigation guide books with detailed waterway maps
Editions du Breil : 21 – Seine
Tidal river (Le Havre to Rouen), lower Seine to Paris, Paris including the Saint-Denis, Saint-Martin and Ourcq canal, upper Seine and Petite Seine to the navigation limit.
This newly surveyed and created Breil guide covers the complete river from the tidal estuary up to Rouen, then the non-tidal Lower Seine to and through Paris. The Parisian canals St-Denis and St-Martin are included, as is the Ourcq (which is only navigable for small craft). Above Paris the guide covers the Upper Seine to Montereau (junction with the River Yonne) and the Petite Seine to Marcilly. A very comprehensive navigational guide.
2016 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
25.50€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 19 – Marne
River Marne, Marne Lateral, Aisne à la Marne, Entre Champagne et Bourgogne
The complete Marne to Saone (Champagne) route, plus the Aisne-Marne canal that joins the route at Condé-sur-Marne. Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2011 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
C Calais-Paris
Route Stage C – Calais to Paris
Stage C :: Calais to Paris
C. de Calais – Dunkerque-Escaut – C. du Nord – Oise – Seine – Paris
Passage Planning
400km – 37 locks – 3 days min.
Normal Limits
Draught 2.2m – Air Height 3.45m – Width 5.75m
FW ‘Waterways in Detail’ pages for this stage
- Canal de Calais
- Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut
- Canal du Nord
- River Oise and Canal latéral à l’Oise
- Lower Seine (Seine Aval)
FW ‘Routes Through’ PDF format downloads for this stage – bundled set
30€ Add to basket
Breil ‘Hands On’ navigation guide books with detailed waterway maps
(Unfortunately, there is currently no navigation guide available for the northernmost Nord/Calais region)
Editions du Breil : 15 Nord Pas-de-Calais
Canals du Calais, Aa, Bergues, Furnes, Bourbourg, Dunkerque-Escaut, Escaut, Roubaix, Espières, Rivers Scarpe and Lys
This newly surveyed and created Breil guide complements guide # 20 Picardie, to the south, covering the traditional Calais waterways network access route.
The Departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais have a dense network of approximately 500 kilometers of waterways.These rivers and canals, frequented for centuries by boats of all sizes, also offer boaters routes that are just as exciting as the “tourist canals” of central and southern France.
2023 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
25.50€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 20 – Picardie
Canals du Nord, Escaut, Sensée and St Quentin. River Oise and Oise Canals. River Aisne and Aisne Canals. River Somme.
This newly surveyed and created Breil guide expands and incorporates the previous #13 Oise and #15 Somme guides. It also replaces the northern part of the previous #08 Champagne-Ile de France guide (the southern part has been updated within guide #19 Marne).
2015 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
25.50€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 21 – Seine
Tidal river (Le Havre to Rouen), lower Seine to Paris, Paris including the Saint-Denis, Saint-Martin and Ourcq canal, upper Seine and Petite Seine to the navigation limit.
This newly surveyed and created Breil guide covers the complete river from the tidal estuary up to Rouen, then the non-tidal Lower Seine to and through Paris. The Parisian canals St-Denis and St-Martin are included, as is the Ourcq (which is only navigable for small craft). Above Paris the guide covers the Upper Seine to Montereau (junction with the River Yonne) and the Petite Seine to Marcilly. A very comprehensive navigational guide.
2016 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
25.50€Add to basket
D Loire-Saône
Route Stage D – Paris to Chalon-sur-Saône
Stage D :: Paris to Chalon
Paris – Seine – C. du Loing – C. de Briare – Loire Lateral – Centre**
Passage Planning
500km – 156 locks – 7 days min.
Normal Limits (* risk)
Draught 1.8m* – Air Height 3.5m – Width 5.05m
*Restricted (or **closed) in dry years
FW ‘Waterways in Detail’ pages for this stage
- Upper Seine (Haute Seine and Petite Seine)
- Canal du Loing
- Canal de Briare
- Canal latéral à la Loire
- Canal du Centre
FW ‘Routes Through’ PDF format downloads for this stage – bundled set
36€ Add to basket
Breil ‘Hands On’ navigation guide books with detailed waterway maps
Editions du Breil : 21 – Seine
Tidal river (Le Havre to Rouen), lower Seine to Paris, Paris including the Saint-Denis, Saint-Martin and Ourcq canal, upper Seine and Petite Seine to the navigation limit.
This newly surveyed and created Breil guide covers the complete river from the tidal estuary up to Rouen, then the non-tidal Lower Seine to and through Paris. The Parisian canals St-Denis and St-Martin are included, as is the Ourcq (which is only navigable for small craft). Above Paris the guide covers the Upper Seine to Montereau (junction with the River Yonne) and the Petite Seine to Marcilly. A very comprehensive navigational guide.
2016 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
25.50€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 02 – Loire-Nivernais
Yonne – Loing – Briare – Loire Lateral – Centre – Nivernais
The Bourbonnais route, from Fontainbleu-St-Mammes to Chalons-sur-Saône. Plus the Canal Roanne à Digoin and the Canal de Nivernais. Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2019 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
E Marne-Saône
Route Stage E – Condé-sur-Marne to Chalon-sur-Saône
Stage E :: Condé to Chalon
C. entre Champage et Bourgogne –
R. Saône
Passage Planning
375km – 131 locks – 4 days min.
Normal Limits
Draught 1.8m – Air Height 3.45m – Width 5.1m
FW ‘Waterways in Detail’ pages for this stage
- Canal latéral à la Marne
- Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne
- River Saone and Lyon (Grande Saône)
FW ‘Routes Through’ PDF format downloads for this stage – bundled set
22€ Add to basket
Breil ‘Hands On’ navigation guide books with detailed waterway maps
Editions du Breil : 19 – Marne
River Marne, Marne Lateral, Aisne à la Marne, Entre Champagne et Bourgogne
The complete Marne to Saone (Champagne) route, plus the Aisne-Marne canal that joins the route at Condé-sur-Marne. Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2011 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 03 – Bourgogne, Franche-Comté
River Saône (Corre to Lyon) – Seille – Marne à la Saône (southern) – Vosges – Doubs – Bourgogne (southern) – Centre – Rhône au Rhin (to Dole)
The southern section of the Marne/Champagne route from Langres to St-Jean-de-Losne – the complete route from Paris to the Saone is in guide 19 Marne. Plus the complete River Saone, the River Seille and adjacent parts of the Bourgogne, Centre and Rhone au Rhin. Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2017 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
F Saône-Rhône
Route Stage F – Chalon-sur-Saône to Mediterranean
Stage F :: Chalon to Med
R. Saône – R. Rhone
Passage Planning
460km – 16 locks
2 days min. (downstream)
Normal Limits
Draught 3.5m – Air Height 4.9m – Width 12m
FW ‘Waterways in Detail’ pages for this stage
- River Saone and Lyon (Grande Saône)
- Rhône
- Petit Rhone
- Canal du Rhône à Sète and Etang de Thau
FW ‘Routes Through’ PDF format downloads for this stage – bundled set
23€ Add to basket
Breil ‘Hands On’ navigation guide books with detailed waterway maps
Editions du Breil : 03 – Bourgogne, Franche-Comté
River Saône (Corre to Lyon) – Seille – Marne à la Saône (southern) – Vosges – Doubs – Bourgogne (southern) – Centre – Rhône au Rhin (to Dole)
The southern section of the Marne/Champagne route from Langres to St-Jean-de-Losne – the complete route from Paris to the Saone is in guide 19 Marne. Plus the complete River Saone, the River Seille and adjacent parts of the Bourgogne, Centre and Rhone au Rhin. Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2017 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 18 – Rhone
River Saône included in Breil guide 03 – Petit Rhone and Rhone à Sete in Breil guide 07
River Rhone – Petit Rhone – Canal de Bacarin (Arles) – Canal St Louis
Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2017 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
24.00€Add to basket
G Bordeaux-Midi
Route Stage G – Bordeaux to Mediterranean
Stage G :: Bordeaux to Med
R. Garonne – C. de Garonne – C. du Midi – Rhone à Sete
Passage Planning
645km – 118 locks – 5 days min.
Normal Limits (* risk)
Draught 1.5m* – Air Height 3.25m – Width 5.2m
* Suggested max. draught 1.3m
FW ‘Waterways in Detail’ pages for this stage
- River Garonne and Gironde Estuary
- Canal de Garonne
- Canal du Midi
- Canal du Rhône à Sète and Etang de Thau
- Petit Rhone
- Rhône
FW ‘Routes Through’ PDF format downloads for this stage – bundled set
27€ Add to basket
Breil ‘Hands On’ navigation guide books with detailed waterway maps
Editions du Breil : 16 – Gironde
Gironde – Dordogne – L’Isle
The Atlantic Gironde estuary from the sea to Bordeaux, with the River Garonne to Castets-en-Dorthe, also including the navigable lower sections of the Rivers Dordogne (to Gardonne) and l’Isle (to Coutras). Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2019 NEW EDITION Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 12 – Aquitaine
Canal de Garonne – River Baise – River Lot (lower)
The Garonne/canal from Castets to Toulouse, including the side branch rivers Baise and (lower) Lot, the Canal de Montech to Montauban and the River Tarn at Moissac. Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2017 edition. Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
Editions du Breil : 07 – Midi (Entre Deux Mers) Canals
Petit Rhône – Rhône a Sete – Lez – Etang de Thau – Canal du Midi – Canal de Jonction/de la Robine.
The southern canal network from the Rhone through to Toulouse. Including the Mediterranean canal ports of Grau du Roi, Grau d’Agde, Sete/Frontignan and Port la Nouvelle. Plus the side branch canals (but not the Garonne, Lot or Baise). Breil A4 format pilot book (chart-guide) with detailed canal/river information including locks, bridges, depths, moorings, towns and villages and facilities.
2019 NEW EDITION Eng/Fr/De.
22.00€Add to basket
IWF Map and Book
Map - Inland Waterways of France
Excellent and up-to-date map of all navigable French canals and rivers, plus (uniquely) Belgium, Holland and the Rhine. Scale 1: 1 500 000 with clear graphics that note key characteristics for each waterway. High quality durable paper.
Companion to the ‘Inland Waterways of France’ book.
Contact us for special (e.g recorded, insured) delivery services
16.00€Add to basket
Inland Waterways of France - 3 Volume Set
The 2021 ninth edition of David Edwards-May’s Inland Waterways of France takes a new A4 soft cover format, split into three volumes.
Volume 1 – North and Centre
2700 kilometres from the English Channel through Northern France, Picardy and Paris to Central France and Burgundy.
Volume 2 – Northeast and Southeast
2500 kilometres from the north-east (the cross border rivers Meuse, Moselle, Sarre and Rhine) through to the Mediterranean.
Volume 3 – South and West
3000 kilometres in the South (the Midi), the South-West and Western France.
Each volume is in full colour, with detailed maps of junctions and other key sites on the network, overview maps for each waterway, and route descriptions. It is a unique blend of practical information, maps, background historical notes and colour photographs.
The complete set of three volumes of 472 pages covering the entire waterways network
(Volumes are also available individually, see below)
Contact us for special (e.g recorded, insured) delivery services
75.00€Add to basket
Inland Waterways of France - Individual Volumes 1, 2 and 3
Inland Waterways of France - Volume 1 - North and Centre
The 2021 ninth edition of David Edwards-May’s Inland Waterways of France takes a new A4 soft cover format, split into three volumes.
The first volume provides a detailed overview of the waterways extending from the English Channel through Northern France, Picardy and Paris to Central France and Burgundy.
This North-Centre system totals 2700 kilometres of waterways that are as vibrant as ever, and include the new Seine-Nord Europe Canal, now under construction, to be completed by 2028. 200 pages in full colour, with detailed maps of junctions and other key sites on the network, overview maps for each waterway, and route descriptions. It is a unique blend of practical information, maps, background historical notes and colour photographs.
Contact us for special (e.g recorded, insured) delivery services
27.50€Add to basket
Inland Waterways of France - Volume 2 - North-East and South-East
The 2021 ninth edition of David Edwards-May’s Inland Waterways of France takes a new A4 soft cover format, split into three volumes.
The second volume provides a detailed overview of the 2500 kilometres of waterways extending from the north-east (the cross border rivers Meuse, Moselle, Sarre and Rhine) through to the Mediterranean.
126 pages in full colour, with 40 detailed maps of junctions and other key sites on the network, overview maps for each waterway, and route descriptions. It is a unique blend of practical information, maps, background historical notes and colour photographs.
Contact us for special (e.g recorded, insured) delivery services
27.50€Add to basket
Inland Waterways of France - Volume 3 - South and West
The 2021 ninth edition of David Edwards-May’s Inland Waterways of France takes a new A4 soft cover format, split into three volumes.
The third volume providesa detailed overview of the waterways extending throughout the South (the ‘Midi’), the South-West and Western France.
The South and West waterways system totals 3000 kilometres of canals and rivers that are maintained and developed almost exclusively for recreational navigation.
146 pages in full colour, with 40 detailed maps of junctions and other key sites on the network, overview maps for each waterway, and route descriptions. It is a unique blend of practical information, maps, background historical notes and colour photographs.
Contact us for special (e.g recorded, insured) delivery services
27.50€Add to basket
Can I Get Through?
At the Limit – Will I Get Through the Canals?
This one of the most frequent questions that we get asked, from folk whose vessels are just below, at, or slightly beyond the draught, height or width limits. It’s not a question we can easily answer, but these are the pertinent factors –
- How much difficulty are you prepared to overcome?
If your boat is ‘at the limit’ then even if you do successfully make the passage you are more or less bound to meet problems, possibly many times. Lock-keepers and other authorised personnel can be asked to over-fill sections (or the reverse, to help bridge clearances) but this would be to overcome a particular local situation; the entire network could not be travelled like that. The same is true for ‘ploughing through’ shallow sections, as laden commercial barges might do. Can you accept (with equanimity?) making the attempt, but then meeting the insurmountable and having either to turn back or get lifted out and transported? - Channels, locks and bridges
Quoted depths are always ‘dead centre’ of the canal: even if you have some keel clearance you may not be able to move over much, to moor or get out of the way of oncoming vessels. Quoted depths are also usually compromised outside the downstream end of locks where outgoing water scours the canal bed and then deposits that a little further to create a bar. Historic bridges are arched and although VNF’s air height dimensions take practical account of this, wide wheelhouses or fly-bridges may produce difficulties. There is no dimensioned ‘directory’ of bridge arches but the printed guides, such as Breil give some information about the most significant, including tunnels. - Time of Year
A dryer than normal Spring, followed by a dry summer will lead to problems for the reservoirs feeding canals. Available canal depths will be reduced to conserve water and boats will be grouped at locks for the same reason. In recent years the Canal du Centre – route D – has regularly suffered and has sometimes been closed completely by mid-August. All the central, traditional canals south of Paris are sensitive to drought problems, although route E (Marne to the Saône) is reliably the best supplied. - The Fresh Water Factor
You will float about 2.5% lower in fresh water than in salt water, say +40mm for a draught of 1.50m.
Waterway Depths, Heights and Widths – for all key rivers and canals
Videos
Sailing Through France – The Video
^ click on to play, pause or resume ^
Read the complete story of our Sailing Through France journey
Paul and Sheryl Shard, of the Distant Shores sailing adventure travel TV series that is broadcast in 24 languages worldwide, have released an extract from their ‘Through the French Canals’ video. It’s a really excellent taster of what the canals are like and what going through the traditional Freycinet-size locks is like:
