Loire Valley Boating Holidays. Our two bases in the Loire and Nivernais regions give access to three canals and the Yonne River. You have a wide choice of cruise itineraries to select from and tons to discover. The peaceful waters are easy to navigate and are ideal for leisure cruising. There are lots of historical sites along the way to explore and the waterways take you through the excellent wine producing regions of Sancerre and Pouilly that makes some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc.

Plagny is a small commune on the Canal Lateral à la Loire (Canal that runs along the Loire). There’s easy access to our base where you will find a cafe nearby. For provision shopping we suggest popping into the town of Nevers that’s about a 10 minutes drive away. This busy town has lots of shops & eateries and rich cultural history.

Plagny is at the intersection of two canals that are considered to be the prettiest and most popular destinations to take a boating holiday. Heading south will guide you on to the Canal du Nivernais from where you can discover the villages of Decize where you can moor on the town quay and take a short stroll into the centre. The canal will also take you through the villages of Cercy-la-Tour and Chatillon-en-Bazois that have plenty of mooring close to the village centres. Heading in the opposite direction from Plagny will take you on the viaduct over the Loire River towards one of the best wine making regions of France. The village of La Charité-sur-Loire has some of the finest Romanesque architecture and its priory is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Both towns of Sancerre and Pouilly sur Loire are accessible from the canal if you have a bicycle. They’re worth the visit to discover the home of these two excellent tipples.

The boat hire base at Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses is close to the town centre and ideally located for your essential shopping before you start your adventure. It’s a picturesque little town with cafes and restaurants and worth a visit. Starting your cruise on the southbound route will take you through the town of Briare over the canal aqueduct designed by Gustave Eiffel, where you’ll find some good mooring spots and accessible to the centre on foot. It’s a good pit stop opportunity to do some shopping or/and drinking a quick/slow refreshing “pression”. Continuing south will take you through Chatillon-sur-Loire that has some lovely beaches and then onto Sancerre. If you choose the northern route from Rogny, the Canal du Loing will take you to the bustling town of Montargis – known as the Venice of Gâtinais. There’s a network of canals, 17 bridges and delightful waterside dwellings. There are lots of restaurants, shops and cafes and the town’s speciality is the delicious Praline – caramelized almonds (may contain nuts!). They make perfect gifts to thank the neighbours for keeping an eye on your house while you’re on your hols (and cheaper than a bottle of Sancerre!)

The Loop. If you have time to take a longer cruise we recommend the wonderful “Centre of France loop” cruising on the Nivernais, Bourgogne and Val de Loire: 3 weeks of exceptional canal boating!

Local tourist office

The Loire Valley tourist office website is worth visiting when you are preparing your holiday with some great local advice, tips and useful information www.loirevalley-france.co.uk

The Canal du Nivernais’ website is also worth a visit www.canal-du-nivernais.com with some useful tips