Up to -30% on return cruises and -55% on one-way cruises in March or April 2024- offer valid on a selection of boats for bookings before confirmed before April 2d.

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Licence-free canal boating holidays in France and Europe

Info, Advice, Booking :
+44 3300 272 177

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

Canal du Midi / Camargue

Houseboat and licence-free boat hire on the Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Burgundy Nivernais

Burgundy Nivernais

 

Ideal region for a licence-free boat cruise through vineyards, wild and isolated landscapes.

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Franche-Comté

Franche-Comté

 

Navigate by licence-free boat through vineyards, postcard landscapes and gastronomy!

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Mayenne and Anjou

Mayenne and Anjou

One of the most beautiful waterways in France to discover by licence-free boat

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Brittany

Brittany

 

Discover the folklore of Brittany, its traditions and the legend of King Arthur.

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Alsace

Alsace

 

A licence-free boat rental, with gastronomic stops and bike rides along the canals.

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Lot

Lot

 

With its fascinating valley carved into the rock the Lot is the most picturesque river

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Charente

Charente

 

Discover the river Francis I called the most beautiful in his kingdom.

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Aquitaine

Aquitaine

 

Go boating without a licence-free in Aquitaine and discover the land of gastronomy!

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Ardennes

Ardennes

 

Cruise down the river and admire the surrounding Vosges mountains

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Travelling with Cris Boat

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.

Who are we?
Customer
Satisfaction: 4,5 / 5
20 years of experience
Wide choice of boats and destinations
Voyager avec Cris Boat

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 Cris Boat

Essential

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 : *

  • 220 Volt Socket 220 Volt Socket
  • Two Steering Positions Two Steering Positions
  • Electric Toilets Electric Toilets
See our offers
Standard

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 beautiful scenery during the cruise.

Examples of equipment : *

  • 220 Volt Socket 220 Volt Socket
  • Two Steering Positions Two Steering Positions
  • Electric Toilets Electric Toilets
  • Bow Thruster Bow Thruster
See our offers
Comfort

The fleet Comfort

These boats are comfortable, newly built and designed for a successful family holiday. Most have en-suite bathrooms for each cabin and many are equipped with bimini's, microwaves, air fresheners and flat screen TV/DVD players.

Examples of equipment : *

  • 220 Volt Socket 220 Volt Socket
  • Two Steering Positions Two Steering Positions
  • Electric Toilets Electric Toilets
  • Bimini Bimini
  • Microwave Microwave
  • Air freshener Air freshener
  • Bow Thruster Bow Thruster
  • Flat Screen TV Flat Screen TV
See our offers
Premium

* 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 : *

  • Two Steering Positions Two Steering Positions
  • Electric Toilets Electric Toilets
  • Bimini Bimini
  • Microwave Microwave
  • Continuous 220V electricity Continuous 220V electricity
  • Plancha Plancha
  • Dishwasher Dishwasher
  • Air-Conditioning Air-Conditioning
  • Bow and Stern Thruster Bow and Stern Thruster
See our offers

Customer reviews of Cris Boat


Cris Boat Blog

Ecluse

Cruising in winter, possible or not?

Find out why you can't go river cruising in winter! Bases, locks, boat maintenance, we explain it all.
Read more

What extras and options to choose for the perfect river cruise

Not sure which extras to choose? Need more information? We'll explain everything so you can easily make your choice.
Read more

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