Cruising French Waterways

by Hugh McKnight

Overview

Cruising French Waterways has rapidly become the leading descriptive guide to the astonishingly varied network of rivers and canals that penetrate almost every region of France. Winner of the Thomas Cook Guide Book Award, it is full of fascinating information on the history and commercial activities of each area, as well as the historical sites, chateaux and scenic attractions of the many villages and towns which await discovery by water.

Practical details include the maps and guides available for each area, maximum craft dimensions, bankside facilities, moorings, repair yards, shops, restaurants, fuel and water sources, waterways museums and wine regions. Beautifully illustrated, the fourth edition covers all recently restored waterways and explains newly introduced requirements for licenses and personal qualifications.

'So comprehensive, it is now the standard work on the waterways of France' Waterways
'Handsome... beautifully illustrated' Sunday Telegraph

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472903235
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	08/01/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	1
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Hugh McKnight is the foremost authority on the European waterways, with more than 30 years experience of exploring the network of rivers and canals of France.
Hugh McKnight is the foremost authority on the European waterways, with more than 30 years experience of exploring the network of rivers and canals of France.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	iii
	Maps
	Canals and Rivers of France	vi
	Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgian Connections	19
	Paris Canals	68
	Canal du Rhone au Rhin (Strasbourg section)	110
	Strasbourg Waterways	115
	River Sevre Niortaise	222
	Canal Transaquitain	233
	Access to Mediterranean Beaches	261
	Introduction	1
	Afloat in France	4
	Choosing a Boat	7
	Craft Dimensions	11
	Hire Craft, Hotel Boats and Passenger Vessels	13
	Waterways Museums	13
I	Pas-de-Calais, Somme, and the North	17
1	La Liaison au Grand Gabarit - Dunkerque to Belgium via Valenciennes	17
2	Canal de Calais	24
3	River Aa	26
4	River Lys	26
5	Canal de la Deule	27
6	Canal de Roubaix	28
7	River Scarpe	29
8	Canal du Nord	30
9	Canal de la Somme	31
10	Canal de St-Quentin	37
11	Canal de la Sambre a l'Oise	42
12	River Sambre	44
II	Seine and Champagne	46
13	River Seine	46
14	Canal Lateral a la Marne	61
15	River Marne	62
16	Paris: Canals St-Martin, St-Denis, and de l'Ourcq	67
17	Canal Lateral a l'Oise and River Oise	74
18	River Aisne and Canal Lateral a l'Aisne	78
19	Canal des Ardennes	81
20	Canal de l'Oise a l'Aisne	84
21	Canal de l'Aisne a la Marne	86
III	Franche Comte, Alsace, Lorraine and the Ardennes	88
22	Canal de l'Est (Branche Sud)	88
23	River Meuse (Canal de l'Est - Branche Nord)	93
24	Canal du Rhone au Rhin	102
25	River Rhine and Grand Canal d'Alsace	111
26	River Ill and Strasbourg	114
27	Canal de la Marne au Rhin	117
28	Canal des Houilleres de la Sarre and River Sarre	125
29	River Moselle	127
IV	Brittany and the Loire Country	134
30	River Rance	134
31	Canal d'Ille et Rance	134
32	River Vilaine	138
33	Canal de Nantes a Brest	142
34	Canal du Blavet	149
35	River Loire	151
36	Rivers Maine and Mayenne	158
37	River Oudon	162
38	River Sarthe	163
V	Burgundy and Bourbonnais	166
39	Canal du Loing	166
40	Canal de Briare	170
41	Canal Lateral a la Loire	172
42	Canal de Roanne a Digoin	178
43	Canal du Centre	179
44	River Cher and Canal de Berry	181
45	River Yonne	184
46	Canal du Nivernais	188
47	Canal de Bourgogne	194
48	River Saone	202
49	Canal de la Marne a la Saone	214
50	River Seille	218
VI	The Atlantic Coast	221
51	River Sevre-Niortaise	221
52	River Charente	225
53	River Dordogne	231
54	Canal Transaquitain	232
55	River Adour and Adjoining Waterways	233
VIII	The Rhone Valley, Gascony and Languedoc	234
56	River Rhone	234
57	Petit Rhone	243
58	River Garonne	244
59	Canal Lateral a la Garonne	246
60	River Lot	250
61	River Baise	256
62	Canal du Midi	259
63	Etang de Thau	275
64	Canal du Rhone a Sete	277
	Appendices	283
	Guides and Maps	283
	General Reading	284
	Periodicals	284
	Bibliography	284
	Glossary of Waterways Terms	285
	Index	287

Editorial Reviews

Winner of the Thomas Cook guide Book Award, the new edition of this volume (first published in 1984) is organized by region and covers the history and commercial activities, historical sites, chateaux, scenic attractions, local customs, landscape and, of course, the safety and conditions of the canals of the entire network of the inland waterways of France. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

One of the most complete guides to cover the approximate 5000 miles of waterways. ...plenty of maps and guides for each individual area, as well as the maximum dimensions for vessels. It gives an in-depth look at the bankside facilities, including where you will find good moorings and repair yards.

It will tell you where you can take on fuel and supplies, as well as suggest the better restaurants, points of interest and shops of all kinds... where to find museums and other sites of interest to boaters.

And what voyage on the French waterways would be complete without a guide to the wines and the areas within the wine regions?

In the center of the book you will find some great color photos taken along the various routes and just looking through them is enough to give anyone the itch to make the trip... this guide will tell you everything you need to know about the area.

Latitudes & Attitudes

I recommend this fine book to anyone who has ever considered a voyage to Europe.

Living Aboard

One of my retirement goals is to cruise the canals of France in a rented barge. When I go to France, I will take the latest copy of this guidebook, which provides details about restaurants, museums, shops, historic sights and scenic attractions along the waterways.

The Ensign

Packed with detail cover to cover, Cruising French Waterways spares no effort to explore the depth and beauty of the scenic French countryside.

Midwest Book Review