Renting a boat without a licence on the Canal de Bourgogne
8 h€ 250-450 Calm
Cruising the Canal de Bourgogne on a liveaboard or day-boat without a licence, between Tanlay, Tonnerre and Venarey-les-Laumes, for a day or longer.
Along the two hundred and forty kilometres of the Canal de Bourgogne, several rental bases offer small canal boats and day-boats that require no licence. The boat is handed over after a briefing of about an hour at the pontoon, covering steering, lock-keeping, mooring and safety. A temporary pleasure craft certificate is then issued. Liveaboard models generally sleep four to ten people, with a fitted kitchen, bathroom and cabins. Day-boats are smaller and ideal for a simple trial day over a few kilometres.
Budget around €250 to €450 for a day-boat day, and €1,200 to €2,500 for a week on a liveaboard depending on the season. The navigable season runs from April to October, with a pleasant quietness in June and September. The canal passes through Tanlay and its château, Tonnerre, Ancy-le-Franc, then winds up towards Pouilly-en-Auxois and its underground tunnel, one of the longest on the French waterway network.
Checklist
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Réservation et caution prévues
Pièce d'identité pour chaque adulte
Gants légers pour les écluses
Provisions pour la durée du trajet
Chaussures antidérapantes
Itinéraire et horaires d'écluses imprimés
Choose a rental base on the Canal de Bourgogne, for example Tanlay, Tonnerre or Venarey-les-Laumes, then book online.
Arrive at the base at the stated time, complete the full briefing and do a trial run before signing the pleasure craft certificate.
Leave the pontoon, take the canal at a reduced speed and work through the first lock following the instructions given.
Moor up opposite a village, get the bikes out if they are provided and head to a local wine cellar or market on foot.
Get back on the canal, work through the locks at a relaxed pace and soak up the scenery of vineyards and forests.
Return to the base or agreed stop, top up the fuel if requested, then hand the boat back within the posted hours.
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For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Plan for five to eight locks per day as the Canal de Bourgogne has a great many of them.
- Check VNF lock timetables, as some close early in the shoulder seasons.
- Ask for a base that includes bikes so you can reach villages set back from the canal.
- Choose June or September to enjoy easy mooring spots in the ports.
- Slip a head torch into your bag for the Pouilly-en-Auxois tunnel if your route takes you through it.
Variations
- - Opter pour une semaine en habitable Tanlay vers Dijon pour traverser le canal en aller simple.
- - Choisir un day-boat sur un petit tronçon près de Tonnerre pour un premier essai sans dormir à bord.
- - Combiner le bateau avec une journée dégustation à Chablis tout proche.
- - Prévoir un week-end de trois jours, suffisant pour goûter aux écluses sans s'épuiser.
by PlayTryBe team