This is a list of the navigable canals and rivers in France. For reference purposes, all waterways, whether navigatable or not, are listed. Many navigations were abandoned between 1925 and 1955, with some in later years.
Sources An important source of up-to-date information on French waterways is Inland Waterways of France, by David Edwards-May (published by Imray Ltd in 2010), and its online version, navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals (French waterways website section). Other sources using the same public information are the historic publishing house Berger-Levrault, Hugh McKnight, David Jefferson, Editions de l'Ecluse (Fluvial magazine) and the series of waterway guides published by Les Editions du Breil, all listed below the table. A comprehensive historic list with 513 entries for French canals is published online by Charles Berg.
List
The list includes two major rivers, the Rhine and the Rhône, that have their source in Switzerland, while others flow out of France into Germany, Luxemburg and Belgium (the Sarre, Moselle, Sambre, Escaut and Lys). Cross-border canals change their name at the border. The canals are listed in order of the Sort name column. Locations given in red are temporary limits of navigation, where continued restoration works are under way or planned.
The Map column should be used in conjunction with the map to the right which may be enlarged, to see the location of the waterway in relation to the overall network.
Below the table are References, grouped together to avoid fastidious repetition, while notes on status, navigability or connections are added under the third column heading 'Navigability'.
Sort nameWaterway (canal or river)Ref.Navigability, and alternative (French) nameFrom (waterway)At (locality)To (waterway or sea)At (locality)Length(km)Number oflocksMap Aa Aa Upstream 2 km and 1 lock disused Saint-Omer North Sea Gravelines 28.8 2 N Adour Adour Dax Anglet 66 SW Aff Aff Glénac La Gacilly 7 W Aire Canal d'Aire Canal de la Deûle Bauvin Canal de Neuffossé Aire-sur-la-Lys N Aisne Aisne Compiègne Vailly-sur-Aisne 57.1 7 N Aisne lat Canal latéral à l'Aisne Aisne Celles-sur-Aisne Canal des Ardennes Vieux-lès-Asfeld 51.3 8 N Aisne-Marne Canal de l'Aisne à la Marne Canal latéral à l'Aisne Berry-au-Bac Canal latéral à la Marne Condé-sur-Marne 58.1 24 N Alsace Grand Canal d'Alsace Lateral canal included for reference, part of river Rhine Rhine Huningue Rhine Neuf-Brisach 53 4 E Ardennes Canal des Ardennes Canal latéral à l'Aisne Vieux-lès-Asfeld Canal de la Meuse Pont-à-Bar 88 43 N Arles Canal d'Arles à Fos Rhône Arles Fos-sur-Mer 31 1 SE Aulne Aulne Part of Canal de Nantes à Brest, includes 18 km of canal Landévennec Goariva 110 46 W Autize J Canal de la Jeune Autize Sèvre Niortaise Maillé 8.5 1 W Autize V Canal de la Vielle Autize Bouillé-Courdault Sèvre Niortaise 10 1 W Baise Baïse Saint-Léger Valence-sur-Baïse 63 21 SW Beaucaire Canal de Beaucaire Part of Canal du Rhône à Sète, no connection at Beaucaire Rhône Beaucaire Aigues-Mortes 51 S Bergues Canal de Bergues No connection at Bergues, Canal de la Colme disused Canal de la Colme Bergues North Sea Dunkerque 8.1 0 N Berry Canal de Berry Restored section accessible from river Cher Selles-sur-Cher Cher Noyers-sur-Cher 12 6 C Beuvry Canal de Beuvry Canal Dunkerque-Escaut Beuvry 0.6 N Bidouze Bidouze Bec-des-Gaves Bidache 17.8 SW Blavet Canal du Blavet Canal de Nantes à Brest Pontivy Atlantic Ocean Lorient 70 28 W Bourbourg Canal de Bourbourg Canal de Furnes and
Port of Dunkerque Dunkerque Aa Le Guindal