Stopping at a port or a river stop
During your boat trip, you will be free to stop wherever you wish. On navigable rivers you will have the option of stopping at several locations: in the open countryside, at the dock of a marina, or at the pontoon of a river stop.
Touring holidays on a riverboat are ideal for sailing from one village to the next. There are numerous places to stop as most villages along the Rivers of Western France have either a pontoon, a dock, or a small marina.
And should you wish to moor by the fields in the open country, then that’s possible too! Each boat comes with mooring stakes so that you can stop wherever tickles your fancy.
While taking a break along the river route you will be able to stretch your legs with a little walk along the towpath. If you are travelling as a group, some of you will be able to follow the boat by bike, while others take charge of the boat. Children will love the legs of the journey that offer playgrounds such as the river stops at Laval and d’Entrammes or the river stop at La Suze-sur-Sarthe.
These breaks are also indispensable for refuelling the boat. You will also be able to stock up on provisions in the villages’ local shops. Use a stopover for filling up your drinking water or to recharge your batteries at the stops which have water and electricity terminals.
A stopover to explore the surroundings
During your boat trip on the Rivers of Western France, take some time out for a visit of the area surrounding your mooring points. Hop on a bike to explore the vicinity on the nearby green lanes and cycling routes such as the “Vélo Francette”.
Treat yourself to a cultural stop to discover little morsels of heritage such as Solesmes Abbey, Angers castle, the Cité Plantagenêt at Le Mans, the pottery of Malicorne, the gallo-roman thermal baths in Entrammes or the slate mines at Segré.
If you’d rather visit a nature leisure park with the children, then they will love the plant-themed amusement park Terra Botanica, the animal shelter “L’Arche”, the donkey farm at Bois-Gamats or Spaycific zoo.
Spending the night on board
Travel by riverboat is forbidden at night, so you will need to moor your boat before sundown to spend a quiet night in your self drive barge. And how about using this opportunity to have dinner at a restaurant or a tavern at the water’s edge?
If you are getting around on foot during the night, make sure to take a flashlight, especially if you are moored in the countryside. A nightly stopover on the Rivers of Western France is a great moment to share a meal and barbecuing on the boat’s terrace.
At the crack of dawn, you will enjoy the day’s first hot coffee in the middle of the green countryside. You will be able to greet the first joggers and other recreational boats which have set off on the next leg of their journey in the wee hours of the morning.
