Canal and River Cruises

Like Britain, France has numerous canals that provide the opportunity to have a relaxing tour through the countryside. There are also numerous river cruises.

The most famous is the Canal du Midi which is 241km long, running from Toulouse to Sète. The Canal de Garonne branches off the Canal du Midi and flows west to the Bay of Biscay near Bordeaux.

The Burgundy areas is rife with cruising waterways. According to the Lonely Planet guide to the canals of France:

Canal boating between Bourgogne vineyards really can’t be beat. Burgundy's 1200km of placid waterways include the Rivers Yonne, Saône and Seille and a network of canals, including the Canal de Bourgogne, the Canal du Centre, the Canal Latéral à la Loire and the Canal du Nivernais....

You can rent a self-drive boat to explore the Canal du Nivernais © Christophe Boisvieux / Getty Images

Adventure Life is a comprehensive site for all types of cruises. Some highlighted cruises are in the Midi, the Lire, Champagne, Alsace & Lorraine, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. (They are a travel provider, so their selections may be biased.)  European Waterways also provide a selection of cruises in France.

Places to Go

I am very interested in touring the historical war sites in Normandy - see my Normandy blog site.

Other sites to see:

Nîmes and the Pont du Gard

Loire Valley - castles!

Lyon (food capital of France!)

Various canal & river tours - check that out

Paris - primarily for the museums and food

The Champagne region, perhaps

Try to see the Château de La Rochefoucauld in south-western France which is an excellent castle and has a magnificent staircase designed by Da Vinci staircase.

 

Pont du Gard

Nîmes Roman Arena

Paris

Things to see on my next trip to Paris (see accommodations below):

Found on Facebook, five free excellent museums: Musée Gustav Moreau, Musée de l’Homme, Musée de Cluny, Musée des Arts et Métiers, and Bourse de Commerce. Some non-free museums: Orangerie, Petit Palais, and Musée Carnavalet. And glamorous buildings to visit: Jacquemart-André, Banquet de France, Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Bibliotèque Richelieu, and La Sorbonne.

See my page of must see sites in Paris that includes cafés, restaurants and historical sites.

Some alternatives to popular touristy locales:

Rather than the Champs Elyses try Rue de Charonne or Rue Montorgueil for shopping.

Rather than St. Germain try Canal Saint Martin for cafés and bistros.

Seen on Western Traditionalist Twitter page is the Palais Garnier theatre. Home of the National Opera, I'd not heard of this and surprised it is not more well known.

To see what is on in Paris during each month of the year visit the Paris Insider Guide.

Visit the largest flea markets in the world (7 hectares or 17.5 acres): Le marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen. Hours year round are Friday 8:00 - 12:00; Saturday & Sunday 10:00 - 18:00; Monday 11:00 - 17:00. Getting there: Subway take line 13 (Garibaldi stop) then line 4 (Porte de Clignancourt stop) and finally line 14 (Saint Ouen stop). Bus: take line 85 (Marché aux Puces stop) or line 95 (Porte de Montmartre stop). Tramway take line T3b (Porte de Clignancourt stop). See the market guide here.

A restaurateur in Belgium that I talked with recommended two eateries to visit in Paris: Harry's New York Bar (now Harry's Bar), 5 rue Daunou, and La Coupole, 102 Bd du Montparnasse.

See the 15 Best Patisseries in Paris article.

The great series, Remarkable Places to Eat, has a good video on Paris.

See this TimeOut article on The 10 Best Food Markets in Paris.

A nice restaurant I visited near the Gare du Nord is Pedzouille l'Table, 66 rue du Faubourg Poissonniere. The Charolais steak was very good and the suggested wine to accompany it was excellent.

The oldest patisserie in Paris is La Maison Stohrer, established in 1730. Located at 51 rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris. Recommended by Sandrine Voillet in her video Sandrine's Paris.

For pastry and chocolate lovers the Salon du Chocolate is an exhibition and competition for all things chocolate. In 2024 it is being held at the Porte de Versailles, Paris from October 30 to 3 November 3.

ACCOMODATIONS

Recommended on The Join Us in France Travel Podcast (#482) was the hotel 9Confidentiel, 58 Rue du Roi de Sicile, 4th arr., 75004. Nearest metro - Saint-Paul (line 1). $530/night. Located very close to Notre-Dame Cathedral (750m). In the area are the Bastille (1.2km), Les Halle (1.4km), Louvre (1.9km), Jardin des Tuileries at Place de la Concorde (2.6km).

Paris hotel recommended by Rick Steves close to Eiffel Tower, Hôtel du Champs de Mars, 7 rue du Champ de Mars, 75007 Paris.

In 2024, I stayed at Libertel Gare du Nord Suede, near, obviously, the Gare du Nord (and the Gare de l'Est). Small but well appointed rooms with a small balcony about a 10 minute walk from either train station. 106 Blvd. Magenta. +33 1 40 36 10 12.