France has 2700 miles of inland waterways and a network of canals that link to the main rivers, connecting the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. In central France a series of summit level canals link the Loire, Seine and Saone providing routes from Paris to Lyon and to the Rhone valley. In southern France, The Garonne river, Canal de Garonne and Canal du Midi make it possible to travel from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.
Seine Basin
The Seine Basin contains rivers and canals providing a network radiating out from the city of Paris. The River Marne flows through the Champagne-Ardennes region of northern France where many of the great battles of European history were fought. The canalised River Yonne is one of the most important rivers in Burgundy passing through Clamecy to Auxerre, Joigny and onto Sens before flowing into the Seine at Montereau. The Canal de l’Ourcq begins at Bassin de la Villette in Paris and continues for 108 km into the woodlands northeast of Paris. The Marne-Rhine Canal in north-eastern France connect the river Marne in Vitry-le-François with the Rhine in Strasbourg. The Canal du Loing connects the Seine (at Saint-Mammès) to the Briare Canal near Montargis. The Canal du Nord connects the Canal latĂ©ral Ă l’Oise at Pont-l’ÉvĂŞque to the SensĂ©e Canal at Arleux and climbs over the Vermandois Hills of Picardie in northern France.
Central France
In central France, a series of summit level canals link together three major river systems, those of the Loire, the Seine and the Saone. These navigable waterways provide three inland waterway routes from Paris to Lyon and on to the Rhone valley: Canal de Bourgogne, Canal du Nivernais and the Canals of the Centre. The Loing, Briare, Lateral a la Loir and Centre Canals were built to enable the wine, wood, garden produce, pottery and ceramics of Burgundy and the Loire to reach Paris.
Southern France
In southern France, The Garonne River, Canal de Garonne and Canal du Midi form a 370 mile system of navigable waterways. The canals make it possible to travel from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. The Canal du RhĂ´ne au Rhin climbs from the River SaĂ´ne, up the Doubs Valley and into the rugged Jura region, providing a route to Germany and Switzerland.