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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Destination guide
France — houseboats at a glance
194 houseboats are available to book across 18 departure bases. The largest are Argens-Minervois (24), Lattes (23), Lutzelbourg (19). The most common models are Pénichette 1020 (45), Pénichette 950E (26), Pénichette 1180 (23), Pénichette 1500FB (16) — 15 models in all. Built 1984–2025, 9.3–14.9 m long, 1–4 cabins, up to 12 guests. Weekly prices start from €801; every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate for 7 nights, before extras.
Houseboats in France
France has the largest canal-boat fleet in Europe and no licence is needed for any of it. The Canal du Midi from Castelnaudary, Carcassonne, Homps and Le Somail to the Étang de Thau is the classic week; Burgundy (the Canal de Bourgogne and the Nivernais), Brittany (the Vilaine and the Nantes-Brest canal), Alsace, the Charente and the Lot each have their own bases. The boats are pénichettes and cruisers for two to twelve, slow and simple, with locks worked by the crew or the lock-keeper.
The season runs from April to October; a week covers around a hundred kilometres and thirty locks at canal pace. Bicycles, fuel and end cleaning are added at the base.
Where they are based
- Argens-Minervois 24 houseboats
- Lattes 23 houseboats
- Lutzelbourg 19 houseboats
- Scey-sur-Saone-et-Saint-Albin 17 houseboats
- Bram 15 houseboats
Models
- Pénichette 1020 45 boats
- Pénichette 950E 26 boats
- Pénichette 1180 23 boats
- Pénichette 1500FB 16 boats
- Pénichette 1120 13 boats
- Pénichette 1107 12 boats
- Pénichette Neo 11 boats
- Pénichette 935 11 boats
Other boat types in France
Motor boats (843) · Catamarans (113) · Sailing boats (105) · Motor yachts (4) · All boats in France
Houseboats elsewhere
Germany (45) · Netherlands (34) · Italy (10) · Belgium (8) · Ireland (7) · All houseboats