Licence-free canal boating holidays in France and Europe
Discover the canals and rivers on a houseboat with CrisBoat
Navigate the most beautiful rivers by hiring a licence-free river boat! Crisboat offers a huge range of destinations in France and Europe to help you find the river cruise that will best fulfill your expectations. We will advise you on choosing the best boat for your project.
Is this your first river cruise? Don't worry, it's licence-free, easy to navigate and you don't need any previous experience!
Do you have any questions about cruising on an canal or river, about our destinations, or how to pass through a lock ? Check out our FAQ section to find all the answers you need. We're sure you'll be convinced to embark on a boating holiday with your family or friends !
Our destinations in France
Canal du Midi / Camargue
Houseboat and licence-free boat hire on the Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Burgundy Nivernais
Ideal region for a licence-free boat cruise through vineyards, wild and isolated landscapes.
Franche-Comté
Navigate by licence-free boat through vineyards, postcard landscapes and gastronomy!
Mayenne and Anjou
One of the most beautiful waterways in France to discover by licence-free boat
Brittany
Discover the folklore of Brittany, its traditions and the legend of King Arthur.
Alsace
A licence-free boat rental, with gastronomic stops and bike rides along the canals.
Lot
With its fascinating valley carved into the rock the Lot is the most picturesque river
Charente
Discover the river Francis I called the most beautiful in his kingdom.
Aquitaine
Go boating without a licence-free in Aquitaine and discover the land of gastronomy!
Ardennes
Cruise down the river and admire the surrounding Vosges mountains
Travelling with CrisBoat
Crisboat has more than 90% of the French fleet of self drive river boats. Entrust us with your desires and your availabilities and we will shape your holidays on the water. Located in the heart of the Vienne, Crisboat is the leader in self driver river boat rental in France. Discover our team, made up of 6 experts ready to take up the challenge to design the cruise that will meet your expectations.
Satisfaction: 4,5 / 5
Our current offers
Discover our best licence-free houseboat offers. Houseboats can accommodate from 2 to 12 people, so whether you're a family, a group of friends or a couple, you're bound to find the right houseboat for your crew to enjoy an unusual holiday on the most beautiful canals and rivers in France and Europe. All our houseboats are classified according to ranges: essential, standard, comfort and premium, so it's up to you to find the one that suits you best!
CrisBoat, the licence-free houseboat rental specialist
Since 1999, Crisboat has been offering houseboat hire for 2 to 12 people, with no need for a special licence. Logically referred to as "licence-free boats" or "licence-free houseboats", these craft offer a fantastic opportunity to discover a region through its waterways, with family or friends. Whether on the Canal du Midi, in Burgundy, in Franche-Comté, in Brittany, on the Lot, in Alsace, in Aquitaine, in Mayenne, in the Ardennes, on the Charente, or even in Europe, we offer you the chance to hire houseboats that can be sailed licence-free and require no previous experience.
Since CrisBoat started out, more than 95,000 people have been able to discover the fabulous canals and rivers of France by hiring a houseboat. We work in partnership with local rental companies to offer our customers a very wide choice of houseboat hire and river cruises for an introduction to river tourism. We offer houseboat hire for a weekend, from late Friday afternoon to Sunday evening (or Monday morning at 9am in some cases), for a mini-week (Monday to Friday) or for a full week (departures possible on any day of the week, including Sunday except Tuesday and Thursday). We can also put together a tailor-made offer on request.
Looking for an unusual holiday? Get away with your family or friends and navigate the canals and rivers of France and Europe, and enjoy a taste of slow tourism in the heart of nature or passing through towns of character such as Carcassonne. Introduce yourself to the pleasure of navigating by being your own captain on the most beautiful licence-free houseboats available for hire.
The different fleets at CrisBoat
The fleet Essential
These boats are of traditional design and quite old, yet they allow you to discover river cruising on a shoestring budget. Most of them have electric toilets and a 220V socket (works on shore power). Some of them are also equipped with an outside cockpit and a terrace.
Examples of equipment : *
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Two steering positions
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220V socket
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Electric toilets
The fleet Standard
Boats with all the necessary comforts. They have bathrooms with showers and electric toilets. Most have a terrace and an outside steering position so that the whole crew can enjoy the sun and the magnificent scenery during the cruise.
Examples of equipment : *
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Two steering positions
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Bow thruster
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220V socket
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Electric toilets
The fleet Comfort
Comfortable, recently built and designed boats. Most have a private bathroom for each cabin and offer comfort features such as a bimini, microwave, air freshener or flat-screen TV with DVD player.
Examples of equipment : *
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Two steering positions
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Bow thruster
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Flat-screen TV
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Microwave
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220V socket
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Electric toilets
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Bimini Top
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Air cooler
* Equipment given as an indication.
Equipment may vary depending on the boat.
The fleet Premium
Elegant, comfortable and spacious boats with top-of-the-range facilities. Each cabin has its own private bathroom and toilet. Among the equipment available are air conditioning, a bimini, bow and stern thrusters (to make manoeuvring easier), a built-in plancha and sink on the deck, and an internal 220V circuit, so you always have a 220V socket available on board.
Examples of equipment : *
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Plancha
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Two steering positions
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Continuous 220V electricity
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Bow and Stern Thruster
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Air-Conditioning
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Microwave
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Dishwasher
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Electric toilets
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Bimini Top
Customer reviews for CrisBoat
Cris Boat Blog
What do you bring on a river cruise?
A Greener River Cruise with HVO Fuel
