Boat rental in Burgundy - Franche-Comté offers an exceptional waterway experience in the heart of a region rich in heritage. Navigate a diverse network of waterways, from small rivers like the Yonne and Doubs to majestic ones such as the Saône, Loire, or Seine, as well as numerous canals. This region, the nerve center of French waterways, will charm you with its vineyard landscapes, renowned gastronomy, and unique historical heritage, all accessible without a license.
Quick access : Waterways - Boat rental prices - Activities during your cruise - Rental bases - License-free navigation - Most beautiful stops in the region
Waterways of Burgundy - Franche-Comté
Burgundy - Franche-Comté offers a unique diversity of waterways:
- Peaceful rivers: the Yonne, Doubs, Seille
- Majestic large rivers: the Saône, renowned for its legendary calmness
- Rivers: the Loire and Seine at their beginnings
- Various canals: lateral canals, junction canals, with their remarkable engineering works
This region sits at an exceptional hydrographic crossroads: its rivers flow either into the Mediterranean via the Saône then the Rhône, into the Atlantic via the Loire, into the English Channel via the Seine, or into the North Sea via the Rhine-Rhône Canal.
You'll discover all types of river infrastructure: canal bridges, tunnels, lock ladders, long 120 km stretches without locks, testifying to human ingenuity in mastering waterways over the centuries.
To help you find your way, we've divided the region into three distinct sub-regions:
- The Burgundy Canals mainly composed of canals including: Burgundy Canal, Nivernais Canal, Loire Lateral Canal, Roanne to Digoin Canal, Central Canal.
- The Saône Valley mainly composed of calm rivers including: The Saône, The Seille, Pont de Vaux Canal.
- Franche-Comté composed of rivers and canals including: The Petite Saône, Rhine-Rhône Canal.
Boat Rental Prices in Burgundy - Franche-Comté
The price of a boat rental in Burgundy - Franche-Comté varies according to several criteria:
- Boat size: from 2 to 12 people
- Season: high season (July-August), mid-season (May-June, September) or low season (April, October)
- Rental duration: full week (7 nights), mini-week (4 nights) or weekend (3 nights)
- Comfort level and equipment of the boat
For a week in low season, expect to pay between €400 and €1,200 for a 2-4 person boat, and up to more than €3,000 for an 8-12 person boat in high season.
For a short stay, you'll need to budget between €400 and €900 for a one-cabin boat up to more than €1,500 for a larger vessel.
Certain discounts or promotions can often significantly reduce these prices.
Additional options such as cleaning service, bicycle rental, or pets may be added to the base price.
You can search for real-time rates and availability of our fleet's license-free boats yourself, but don't hesitate to contact us for a personalized quote based on your budget, rental dates, and number of passengers. We'll select the best offers at the best rates on available boats according to your criteria.
Tourist, cultural and sporting activities during your cruise in Burgundy - Franche-Comté
Burgundy - Franche-Comté is a true paradise for epicureans and culture lovers:
- Exceptional gastronomy: taste the AOC Bresse chickens, Charolais beef, Franche-Comté cheeses, and the famous Dijon mustard. River products such as pike, zander, and crayfish are also featured on regional restaurant menus.
- Prestigious vineyards: explore world-renowned wine estates (Chardonnay, Gamay, Pommard, Beaune) with tastings in local cellars.
- Religious heritage: visit Cluny Abbey, once the most powerful Benedictine abbey in the West, Cîteaux Abbey, the ecumenical community of Taizé, and Vézelay, starting point of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.
- Historic sites: discover the prehistoric remains of Azé and Solutré, the Gallic sites of Alesia and Bibracte, and the many castles that housed great figures such as Vauban, Colette, Lamartine, and Madame de Sévigné.
Rental bases where to embark for your river cruise in Burgundy - Franche-Comté
Several strategically located departure bases allow you to embark on your river adventure:
- Saint-Jean-de-Losne: France's largest river port, ideally located at the junction of several waterways
- Pontailler-sur-Saône: perfect for exploring the Saône valley
- Scey-sur-Saône: starting point to discover Haute-Saône
- Dole: excellent base for navigating the Rhine-Rhône Canal
- Louhans: to discover the Seille and Bresse
- Auxerre: ideal for exploring the Yonne and Nivernais Canal
Each base has reception facilities, secure parking for your vehicle during your cruise, and a team that will provide you with all necessary information before departure.
License-free navigation in Burgundy - Franche-Comté
Navigation in Burgundy - Franche-Comté is accessible to everyone, even beginners:
- No license required: our boats are designed to be piloted without a license
- Initial training: before boarding, our team provides comprehensive training
- Passing through locks: most locks are automated or managed by lock keepers, with operating hours generally from 9am to 7pm
- Navigation speed: limited to 6-8 km/h, for peaceful and safe navigation
- Mooring: possibility of free mooring along the banks or in marinas
The diversity of Burgundian waterways allows adaptation to all levels: beginners will appreciate the Saône for its width and calmness, while the more experienced can venture onto narrower canals and their lock ladders.
The most beautiful stops on your cruise in Burgundy - Franche-Comté
Set your course along the Doubs for Besançon, take a tour of the city and complete the loop via the tunnel carved under the hill. Dock at the port of Saint Paul and set off in search of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vauban citadel before taking a casual stroll through the streets of this City of Art and History and capital of the Franche-Comté region.
Saint Jean De Losne sits at the intersections of the Rhône Canal and the Rhine, the Marne Canal and the Rhine, and the Burgundy Canal and the Saône and has naturally become France's largest river port. Immerse yourself in the fishing village vibe, and don't forget to try a pochouse (river fish stew) while you're here!
The Burgundy canal that links the Saône to the Seine via the Yonne had no choice but to run through Dijon, the capital of the Burgundy region. The city may serve as a useful departure point for wine enthusiasts headed for Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Beaune, Pommard or Puligny-Montrachet, but there is certainly more to Dijon than vineyards alone. Visit the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, designed by Mansart, along with many other monuments, and be sure to check out one of the 500 restaurants to which the metropolitan area of Dijon is home.
It would be difficult, of course, to talk about Burgundy without mentioning Beaune and its Hospices. Beaune was of course the long-standing home of the Burgundy Parliament before it was transferred to Dijon, and this magnificent city has certainly maintained its past pride in still being the wine-making and gastronomic capital of Burgundy.
Louhans, the town of the 157 arches, is the capital of the Bresse Bourguignonne region of Burgundy, boasting culinary specialities that include Bresse chicken and other spring chicken dishes, tête de veau veal broth and frogs. Be sure to catch the Monday-morning agricultural market that has taken place here since the 13th Century.
Nevers. A special junction has been created to enable visitors to dock at the foot of this town, which is also part of the national network of Cities of Art and History, before heading off to visit France's oldest pottery works, still in operation today. Just a little further along the river you will come to Plagny - the ideal base from which to visit the nearby Magny Cours racing circuit and the Ligier museum - how's that for a gear change!
The eternal city of Vezelay is home to the famous Sainte Marie-Madeleine basilica, a UNESCO-listed Humanity World Heritage Site, and was one of the departure points for those embarking on St. James's Way, itself also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gallic capital Lyon, located to the far south of Burgundy, is waiting to welcome you with open arms. It is commonly said that Lyon is bathed by three rivers - the Saône, the Rhône and the Beaujolais. Lyon is also home to the famous bouchons - traditional Lyonnais restaurants - and traboules - small walkways passing through the city's houses and buildings and providing access to the heart of the old town, renowned for its silk workers and merchants. If nature is more your thing, take a walk along the left bank of the Rhône, which has been superbly developed in the style of a modern agora, to the Parc de la Tête d'Or.
Photos: FPP