Wild camping is generally not allowed in most parts of France, but is often tolerated in the wilderness. Canoe rental stations also often offer camping equipment and it is very typical that at the end of a tour you are brought back to the starting point by a shuttle bus. For river paddlers, France has some of the best canoeing spots in Europe Multi-day canoe trips in FranceĮspecially on the popular rivers, numerous campsites have settled, which also specialize in canoe tourism. Beautiful bays, azure waters and steep cliffs, such as those found near Marseille, definitely make for a unique paddling experience in good weather conditions. Especially the Mediterranean Sea in the south is a true paradise for sea kayakers. There are also plenty of opportunities for coastal paddling. The only candidate here is Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French), which the French share with Switzerland. Likewise, the largest lakes in the country cannot compete with other big lakes in Europe. Lake chains are rather not found in France. In Provence, whitewater rivers are waiting, flowing through gorges rarely found in Europe.
Thus, you often have the good weather on a canoe trip also on the side. Many of the popular rivers are located in the south of the country. Compared to the rivers in other countries like Germany, they are often left in their natural state, making a canoe trip a lot more relaxed (less portages ) and natural. It is mainly the beautiful rivers that make the country so attractive among paddling enthusiasts. Loire – An endless natural river Kayaking and Canoeing in FranceĬanoeing enjoys great popularity in France and attracts not only its own citizens but also many tourists who want to explore the country’s beautiful waters during a vacation in nature. We had a bit of trouble finding the stopping point at the end due to there being a stop for another company that also had red cables just beforehand, but it all added to the fun of it really! The shuttles take you back to where you started every hour on the hour and it was a quick trip back.12.
I’m talking seriously fairytale style - picturesque cityscapes, amazing views of at least three Châteaus, beautifully clear waters and lush green forests for miles. We decided to have a floating lunch as we’d packed baguettes and the water was calm.
There were lots of places to stop along the river bank if you wanted to picnic, or you could get off at any of the towns on your way for a break as you pay upfront by the distance you plan to travel and not the time that it takes you. The water moves naturally in the right direction so it isn’t the sort of activity that leaves you with dead arms - you can stop paddling be carried along the river in most parts of you wish. We chose the 9km route which took a couple of hours. The staff were friendly, explained the route to us, got us ready with life jackets etc and a water tight container for our food and cameras and let us get going right away which was great. We had read that we should book a time to depart but didn’t get round to it, so walked in to Le Roque-Gageac and asked if we could just go without reservations. We opted to go on a slightly overcast day, the weather was still hot and the sun shining but there were far less people on the river which was nice. I was a little worried watching the canoes go down the river past our campsite on the very hot days, as it seemed like there were thousands of people camping all at the same time. I have been absolutely petrified of the sea, lakes, rivers or any vast amount of water for as long as I can remember, but had been psyching myself up to do this for weeks before we arrived in Dordogne and I am so glad I did - what a lovely experience!
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