Waterways Charts, Guides and Pilot Books
These are the key publications that you'll need for exploring, or travelling through, the waterways, rivers and canals.
Waterways Pilot Books and Guides
There are three series of chart-guides that cover the network. Each provides a map of the subject river or canal, kilometre by kilometre, with information (in French, English and German) about locks (width, rise, number of chambers), bridges (air draft), depths, towns and villages; and moorings. Whilst it is possible to travel using just a waterways system map (see below) plus the various navigational signs that warn, instruct, or provide information we think it is preferable to have better information to hand. All that said, all these guides are less than perfect; they could not be otherwise, covering thousands of kilometres of waterway containing features that change from year to year. So, there are inevitably a few mistakes and a few things missed in these publications.
This is our selection, for other books and guides (equally interesting, but perhaps not quite as vital) see our Waterways Books page.
Grehan's Tip: Use a clear plastic top-cut wallet, larger than A4 size, to keep the chart-guide in that you're using. Keeps it dry when it rains and also keeps the book open at the right page for your current position.
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Breil Pilot Books (Guides Fluvial)The newest publisher, based in Castelnaudary on the Canal du Midi. We think these A4 format chart-guides have been very carefully thought-through, by someone who knows the waterways and knows how to provide and lay out information, in colour, clearly and professionally. Compared with the 'old' Navicarte books they feel slightly lighter on detail, but are probably more accurate and certainly look more attractive. The series is not yet complete - there are some significant gaps including the Seine and Rhone rivers. |
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Fluviacarte (Navicarte) Pilot BooksThe original narrow-format chart-guides. Very comprehensive coverage of all the French waterways. Because of their long publishing history Fluviacartes (the new name for Navicartes) have lots of useful detail that has been built up over the years, however they are also (by the same token) prone to have detail that has changed. Some of the guides do not seem to have been updated for a number of years, but the new publisher is addressing that as a matter of priority. Compared to Editions du Breil the layout and style in some editions is dated and less attractive. But they are the benchmark that other guides are judged by. |
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Vagnon/Chagnon Pilot BooksQuite modern, clean design, A4 format. However, although they are well researched and comprehensive we find them very difficult to use in practice. Like all the chart-guides each page covers one section of the waterway but the Vagnon/Chagnon guides do so in a counter-intuitive way that is difficult to comprehend. Not recommended by us. |
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Cruising French Waterways - Hugh McKnightThe best - award-winning - descriptive guide to the varied network of rivers and canals that penetrate almost every region of France. It provides information on the history, architecture, engineering structures, chateaux, historical sites and scenic attractions of each navigation, enabling the reader to identify areas of great beauty and interest. Maximum craft dimensions are provided together with details of bankside moorings, repair yards, shops, restaurants, fuel and water points and appropriate map and guides for each section. This edition includes all recently restored navigations and explains newly introduced licensing and personal qualification requirements. For further information about Cruising French Waterways and to order, click here |
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