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Let yourself be inspired
Let yourself be inspired
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Our canal boats
Our canal boats
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River Trips the blog
Enjoy a boating holidaywith gastronomic delights
France and much of Europe is renowned for its tempting and delicious cuisine, so it’s no surprise that your canal boating holiday can easily be a gastronomic voyage of discovery. Here we share our ideas to help your boating cruise sail you through foodie heaven. Will you choose to taste the richness of cuisine in France’s South-West, sample seafood in Charente, explore famous wine regions, stop at a Michelin-starred restaurant on the Canal du Midi or perhaps enjoy a gourmet getaway in Germany or Portugal?
Rent a boatfor a foodie discovery
Canal boat hire gives you the perfect way to explore the diversity of culinary delights in the numerous regions we recommend. Whether you cruise from Burgundy to the Lot via Alsace or choose to explore Brittany, Charente, Camargue, Germany or Portugal, your voyage can be full of delicious specialties. Plan your stops so you can visit inns and restaurants to sample the fayre or shop in the impressive markets for local ingredients and be your own masterchef.
Whether you take a weekend break or cruise for longer, there’s so much to experience:
- discover the land and climate that produces delicious food and drink
- enjoy regional specialties
- visit vineyards and breweries
- discover the local gourmet markets
- dine in prestigious restaurants
A full menuof foodies activites
Whether you want to taste the famous cassoulet of Castelnaudary, Kouign-Amann cake in Breton or discover the salt marshes of Camargue, you will find a huge choice of culinary treasures to discover during your canal boating holiday.
Every region boasts a specialty or two…or more! In Charente it’s the famous oysters of Marennes Oléron. In the south west, you can discover foie gras with truffle and in the Camargue, enjoy the delicious bread that is Fougasse d'Aigues-Mortes.
Other particularly good regions for culinary cruising are:
With a visit to one of France’s gourmet inns or ‘auberges‘ as they are called, you’ll discover the best of local gastronomy. In the Alsace region, don’t miss a visit to a Winstub – a typical Alsatian bars and restaurant where you can eat flamekueches. These are delicious thin-crust pizzas made with crème fraîche, sliced onions and smoked lardons and traditionally baked in a wood-burning oven.
Seek out some authentic dining experiences in:
France has more than 600 Michelin-starred restaurants. Some are within reach of our canal boat cruise routes, so you can easily plan a visit for a sensational dining experience you’ll never forget. Try La Côte Saint-Jacques in Joigny, Bugundy or La Table de Franck Putelat in Carcassonne on the Canal du Midi.
These are particularly good regions for fine dining experiences:
Red or white, brut or sec - whatever your taste in wines France will satisfy you. With so many vineyards, wineries and cellars within easy reach of our canal boat holidays you can visit them for tours and tastings. Perhaps treat yourself to an oenology class and learn more about the greatest names of Burgundy, Sancerre or Alsatian wines or discover the great wines of Bordeaux.
Must visit regions for wine connoisseurs are:
Choose to rent a boat on one of our waterways holidays outside of France and you won’t miss out on great food and drink.
Take a canal boat cruise from our base Amieira, Portugal and you can discover all the richness of the gastronomy of the Alentejo. In Germany, sail by Mecklenburg and Brandenburg and you will enjoy an abundance of freshwater fish.
Explore these destinations:
What our clientssay
During our holiday we were keen to discover and sample the local food and drink. Thanks to the kitchen on board and ease of reaching local markets on our stopovers, we were able to shop for regional specialties, prepare delicious lunches and enjoy them in the sun on the top deck. Magical!
Julie – 38 years old
Read the reviews
Perfect destinationsfor great food and drink
Food lovers can’t go wrong with any of our boating holiday destinations. Wherever you choose, you can enjoy tasting the typical dishes of the region and explore the local cuisine at your chosen stops.
