List of canals in France
This is a list of the navigable canals and rivers in France. For reference purposes, all waterways are listed, including many that have been abandoned for navigation, mostly in the period 1925-1955, but some in later years. Although several sources are used and listed in the references below, an important source of up-to-date information on French waterways is Inland Waterways of France, by David Edwards-May, and its online version, . Other sources using the same public information are the historic publishing house Berger-Levrault, Hugh McKnight, David Jefferson, Editions de l'Ecluse 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. 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 name | Waterway Ref. | Navigability, and alternative name | From | At | To | At | Length | Number of locks | Map |
| Aa | Aa River | Upstream 2 km and 1 lock disused | Saint-Omer | North Sea | Gravelines | 28.8 | 2 | N | |
| Adour | Adour River | Dax | Anglet | 66 | SW | ||||
| Aff | Aff River | Glenac | La Gacilly | 7 | W | ||||
| Aire | Canal d'Aire | Canal de la Deûle | Bauvin | Canal de Neuffossé | Aire-sur-la-Lys | N | |||
| Aisne | Aisne River | 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 | Rhone | Arles | Fos-sur-Mer | 31 | 1 | SE | ||
| Aulne | Aulne River | Part of Canal de Nantes à Brest, includes 18 km of canal | Landevennec | 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 River | 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 River | 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 River | Le Guindal nr. Bourbourg | 21 | 3 | N | |
| Bourgogne | Canal de Bourgogne | Yonne | Migennes | Saône | Saint-Jean-de-Losne | 242.1 | 189 | C | |
| Boutonne | Boutonne River | No connection with Charente, gated sluice structure with no lock | Saint-Jean-d'Angély | Charente | Tonnay-Charente | 30 Atlantic Ocean | 4 | W | |
| Briare | Canal de Briare | Canal du Loing and Canal d'Orléans | Montargis | Loire and Canal latéral à la Loire | Briare | 54.2 | 32 | C | |
| Brienne | Canal de Brienne | Canal de Saint-Pierre | Garonne | Toulouse | Port de l'Embouchure | Toulouse | 1.56 | 2 | S |
| Brouage | Canal de Brouage | Canal de la Charente à la Seudre | Hiers-Brouage | 2 | 1 | W | |||
| Bruche | Canal de la Bruche | Disused, cycle path on former towpath | Bruche | Soultz-les-Bains | Ill | Strasbourg | 20 | 11 | E |
| Caen | Canal de Caen à la Mer | Canal Maritime de Caen | Port of Caen | Caen | English Channel | Ouistreham | 14 | 1 | NW |
| Calais | Canal de Calais | Aa River | Ruminghem | Strait of Dover | Calais | 30 | 3 | N | |
| Centre | Canal du Centre | Canal du Charollais | Canal latéral à la Loire and Canal de Roanne à Digoin | Digoin | Saône | Chalon-sur-Saône | 112.1 | 61 | C |
| Charente | Charente River | Angoulême | Fouras | 167 | 21 | W | |||
| Charente-S | Canal de la Charente à la Seudre | Canal Bridoire | Charente | Rochefort | Seudre | Marennes | 39 | 5 | W |
| Chatillon | Embranchement de Châtillon | Loire | Châtillon-sur-Loire | Canal latéral à la Loire | L'Etang | 4 | 3 | C | |
| Chelles | Canal de Chelles | Lateral canal, part of River Marne | Marne | Neuilly-sur-Marne | Marne | Vaires-sur-Marne | 8.5 | N | |
| Cher | Cher River | Noyers-sur-Cher | Larcay | 54.2 | 14 | C | |||
| Clignon | Canal du Clignon | Canal de l'Ourcq | Neufchelles | Montigny-l'Allier | 1.2 | 0 | N | ||
| Colmar | Embranchement de Colmar | Canal de Colmar | Colmar | Rhin | Neuf-Brisach | 22.6 | 3 | E | |
| Colme | Canal de la Haute Colme | Disused, drainage only | Aa River | Watten | Canal de Bergues | Bergues | N | ||
| Colme | Canal de la Basse Colme | Disused, drainage only | Aa River | Bergues | Hondschoote | N | |||
| Deule | Canal de la Deûle | Canal d'Aire | Bauvin | Lys | Deûlémont | 35.8 | 3 | N | |
| Dordogne | Dordogne River | Saint-Pierre-d'Eyraud | Castillon-la-Bataille | 118 | SW | ||||
| Doubs | Doubs River | See also Canal du Rhône au Rhin | Verdun-sur-le-Doubs | Pontoux | 5.5 | E | |||
| Durance | Canal de Craponne | No. Sixteenth century irrigation | Durance | La Roque-d'Anthéron | Mediterranean Rhone | Etang de Berre Arles | circa 50km | S | |
| Dunkerque-E | Canal Dunkerque-Escaut | Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut | North Sea | Dunkerque | Escaut | Bouchain | 189 | 14 | N |
| Erdre | L'Erdre River | Nort-sur-Erdre | Nantes | 27.7 | 1 | W | |||
| Escaut | Canal de l'Escaut | Canal de Saint-Quentin | Cambrai | Haut-Escaut | Mortagne-du-Nord | 58.7 | 11 | N | |
| Etangs | Canal des Étangs | Original name of canal now incorporated in Canal du Rhône à Sète | Sète | Aigues-Mortes | 49 | S | |||
| Faux-Remparts | Canal des Faux-Remparts | River arm reserved for passenger boats | Ill River | Strasbourg | Ill River | Strasbourg | 2 | 1 | NE |
| Furnes | Canal de Furnes | Canal Nieuport-Dunkerque | Dunkerque | Furnes | 13.3 | 1 | N | ||
| Garonne | Garonne River | Gironde | Bec d'Ambès | Canal lateral a la Garonne | Castets-en-Dorthe | 79.4 | SW | ||
| Garonne | Canal de Garonne | Historic name Canal latéral à la Garonne | Garonne | Castets-en-Dorthe | Canal du Midi and Canal de Brienne | Toulouse | 193.6 | 53 | SW |
| Gironde | Gironde River | Garonne | Bec d'Ambès | Atlantic Ocean | Le Verdon-sur-Mer | 70.5 | W | ||
| Givors | Givors canal | Long abandoned and mostly infilled | Rhône | Loire | 56 | 99 | E | ||
| Henri | Canal Henri IV | Historic name, branch of Canal de Briare | Loire | Briare | Canal de Briare | Briare | 3 | C | |
| Herault | Hérault River | Bessan | Mediterranean | le Grau d'Agde | 12 | 1 | S | ||
| Huningue | Canal de Huningue | Rhine | Huningue | Niffer | E | ||||
| Ill | Ill River | Ostwald | Strasbourg | 9.9 | 1 | NE | |||
| Ille | Canal d'Ille-et-Rance | Rance estuary | Dinan | Vilaine | Rennes | 84.8 | 47 | NW | |
| Isle | Isle River | Laubardemont | Dordogne | Libourne | 31.1 | SW | |||
| Jonction | Canal du Jonction | Part of the La Nouvelle branch of the Canal du Midi | Canal de la Robine | Moussoulens | Canal du Midi | Port de la Robine | 5 | 7 | S |
| Kembs | Kembs-Niffer Branch Canal | Grand Canal d'Alsace | Kembs | Canal du Rhône au Rhin | 13 | 0 | E | ||
| Lalinde | Canal de Lalinde | Disused since early 1960s, partially restored | Dordogne River | Tuilières | Dordogne River | Mauzac | 15 | 9 | SW |
| Landes | Canal des Landes | Étang de Biscarrosse | Bassin d'Arcachon | 15 | SW | ||||
| Lens | Canal de Lens | Lens | Canal de la Deûle | Oignies | 8 | N | |||
| Lez | Lez River | Lattes | Palavas-les-Flots | 5 | 1 | S | |||
| Loing | Canal du Loing | Seine | Saint-Mammès | Canal de Briare and Canal d'Orléans | Montargis | 49.5 | 19 | N | |
| Loire M | Loire maritime | Nantes | Atlantic Ocean | Saint Nazaire | 52.5 | W | |||
| Loire | Loire River | Maine River | Bouchemaine | Nantes | 84.9 | 0 | W | ||
| Loire lat | Canal latéral à la Loire | Loire and Canal de Briare | Briare | Canal du Centre and Canal de Roanne à Digoin | Digoin | 196.1 | 37 | C | |
| Lorraines | Lorraines Branch | Disused, no navigation | Canal latéral à la Loire | Allier River | 3 | 0 | C | ||
| Lot aval | Navigation interrupted at Fumel dam, project pending | Garonne | Nicole | Albas | 120 | 19 | S | ||
| Lot central | Luzech | Larnagol | 74 | 17 | S | ||||
| Lot amont | La Roque-Bouillac | Flagnac | 12 | 3 | S | ||||
| Lys | Lys River | Leie | Aire-sur-la-Lys | Halluin | 66.5 | 8 | NE | ||
| Maine P | Petite Maine | Sèvre Nantaise | Château-Thébaud | 6 | W | ||||
| Maine | Maine River | Mayenne | Angers | Loire | Bouchemaine | 11 | 1 | W | |
| Manche | Canal de Vire-et-Taute | Navigation interrupted at dam, project pending | Vire | Saint-Fromond | English Channel | Carentan | 12 | NW | |
| Marans LR | Canal de Marans à la Rochelle | Sèvre Niortaise | Marans | Atlantic Ocean | La Rochelle | W | |||
| Marans M | Canal maritime de Marans à la mer | Sèvre Niortaise | Marans | Sèvre Niortaise | Charron | W | |||
| Marne lat | Canal latéral à la Marne | Marne | Epernay | Canal de la Marne au Rhin | Vitry-le-Francois | 66.7 | 15 | NE | |
| Marne | Marne River | Haute-Seine | Charenton-le-Pont | Canal latéral à la Marne | Dizy | 183.4 | 18 | N | |
| Marne-R | Canal de la Marne au Rhin | Canal de la Marne à la Saône and Canal latéral à la Marne | Vitry-le-François | Rhine | Strasbourg | 313 | 154 | NE | |
| Champagne | Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne | Historic name Canal de la Marne à la Saône | Canal latéral à la Marne | Vitry-le-François | Saône | Heuilley-sur-Saône | 224.2 | 114 | E |
| Marseille | Canal de Marseille au Rhône | Historic name, no navigation through Rove tunnel | Rhône | Arles | Mediterranean Sea | Marseille | SE | ||
| Mayenne | Mayenne River | Maine | Angers | Mayenne | 122.5 | 45 | W | ||
| Meaux | Canal de Meaux à Chalifert | Canal de Chalifert | Marne | Meaux | Marne | Chalifert | 12 | 3 | N |
| Meuse | Canal de la Meuse | Canal de l'Est North Branch | Givet | Troussey | 272.4 | 59 | NE | ||
| Midi | Canal du Midi | Canal des Deux Mers | Port de l'Embouchure | Toulouse | Etang de Thau | Sète | 240.2 | 64 | S |
| Mignon | Canal du Mignon | Sèvre Niortaise | La Grève-sur-Mignon | Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon | 11 | 2 | W | ||
| Montech | Canal de Montech | Montauban Branch | Canal de Garonne | Montech | Tarn River | Montauban | 10.9 | 9 | S |
| Morin | Canal du Grand Morin | Grand Morin | Canal de Meaux à Chalifert | 12 | 0 | N | |||
| Moselle | Canal des mines de fer de la Moselle | CAMIFEMO, now incorporated in high-capacity Moselle navigation | Moselle River | Metz | Moselle River | Thionville | 30 | 4 | NE |
| Moselle | Moselle River | Apach | Neuves-Maisons | 152 | 15 | NE | |||
| Nancy | Embranchement de Nancy | Canal de la Marne au Rhin | Laneuveville | Canal des Vosges | Richardmesnil | 10.2 | 18 | E | |
| Nantes | Canal de Nantes à Brest | Loire and Sevre Nantaise | Nantes | Canal du Blavet | Pontivy | 184 | 104 | W | |
| Neufosse | Canal de Neuffossé | Mostly incorporated in Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut | Aa River | Arques | Canal d'Aire | Aire-sur-la-Lys | N | ||
| Nieppe | Canal de la Nieppe | Abandoned | River Lys | Thiennes | River Lys | Merville | 23 | 4 | N |
| Nivernais | Canal du Nivernais | Loire | Decize | Yonne | Auxerre | 174.1 | 110 | C | |
| Nord | Canal du Nord | Canal de la Sensée | Arleux | Canal latéral à l'Oise | Noyon | 95.1 | 19 | N | |
| Nouvelle | Embranchement de La Nouvelle | Canal du Midi | Port de la Robine | Mediterranean | Port-la-Nouvelle | 36 | 13 | S | |
| Oise A | Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne | Canal latéral à l'Oise | Abbécourt | Canal latéral à l'Aisne | Bourg-et-Comin | 47.8 | 13 | N | |
| Oise lat | Canal latéral à l'Oise | Janville | Canal de Saint-Quentin and Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne | Chauny | 33.9 | 4 | N | ||
| Oise | Oise River | Conflans-Sainte-Honorine | Janville | 104.4 | 7 | N | |||
| Orleans | Canal d'Orléans | Loire | Orléans | Canal du Loing and Canal de Briare | Montargis | 15 | 2 | C | |
| Oudon | Oudon River | Segré | Le Lion-d'Angers | 18 | 3 | W | |||
| Ourcq | Canal de l'Ourcq | Canal Saint-Martin and Canal de Saint-Denis | Paris | Port-aux-Perches | 108.1 | 10 | N | ||
| Pommeroeul | Canal de Pommerœul à Condé | Escaut | Condé-sur-l'Escaut | Canal Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes | Pommerœul | 6 | 2 | N | |
| Pont | Canal de Pont-de-Vaux | Saône | Fleurville | Pont-de-Vaux | 3.5 | 1 | E | ||
| Rance | Rance Maritime | Saint Malo | Dinan | 22.6 | 2 | NW | |||
| Rhone | Canal du Rhône au Rhin | Strasbourg | Rhin | Rhinau | 36 | 13 | NE | ||
| Rhone | Canal du Rhône au Rhin | Historically named 'South Branch' | Saône | Saint-Symphorien-sur-Saône | Rhine | Niffer | 237.2 | 112 | NE |
| Rhone | Haut Rhône | Anglefort | Lyon | 140 | 1 | E | |||
| Rhone | Rhône River | Lyon | Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône | 310 | 13 | SE | |||
| Rhone | Canal du Rhône à Sète | Rhône-Sète Canal | Rhône | Beaucaire | Etang de Thau | 71 | 1 | S | |
| Rhone | Petit Rhône | Rhône | Fourques | Mediterranean Sea | Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer | 59 | S | ||
| Roanne | Canal de Roanne à Digoin | Canal latéral à la Loire and Canal du Centre | Digoin | Roanne | 55.6 | 10 | C | ||
| Robine | Canal de la Robine | Part of La Nouvelle branch of Canal du Midi | Canal de Jonction | Moussoulens | Mediterranean Sea | Port-la-Nouvelle | 31.6 | 6 | S |
| Roubaix | Canal de Roubaix | Deûle | Marquette-lez-Lille | Canal de l'Espierres | Leers | 20 | 12 | N | |
| Saint-D | Canal Saint-Denis | Ourcq Canal and Canal Saint-Martin | Paris | Seine | Saint-Denis | 6.7 | 7 | N | |
| Saint-M | Canal Saint-Martin | Seine | Paris | Canal de l'Ourcq and Saint-Denis Canal | Paris | 4.6 | 9 | N | |
| Saint-Q | Canal de Saint-Quentin | Canal latéral à l'Oise and Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne | Chauny | Scheldt | Cambrai | 92.6 | 35 | N | |
| Sambre | Sambre River | Canal de la Sambre à l'Oise | Landrecies | Sambre | Jeumont | 54.2 | 9 | N | |
| Sambre O | Canal de la Sambre à l'Oise | Currently not navigable pending restoration works | Canal de Saint-Quentin | La Fère | Sambre | Landrecies | 67.2 | 38 | N |
| Saone | Petite Saône | Canal des Vosges | Corre | Grande Saône | Saint-Symphorien-sur-Saône | 158.7 | 19 | E | |
| Saone | Grande Saône | Petite Saône | Saint-Symphorien | Rhône | Lyon | 213 | 5 | E | |
| Saone | Canal de la Haute-Saône | Canal de Montbéliard à la Haute-Saône | Botans | Canal du Rhône au Rhin | 9.7 | 5 | E | ||
| Sarre C | Canal de la Sarre | Historically Canal des Houillères de la Sarre | Canal de la Marne au Rhin | Gondrexange | Sarre canalisée | Sarreguemines | 63.4 | 27 | NE |
| Sarre R | Sarre canalisée | Canal de la Sarre | Sarreguemines | Saar | Grosbliederstroff | 12 | 2 | NE | |
| Sarthe | Sarthe River | Angers | Le Mans | 130.3 | 20 | W | |||
| Savieres | Canal de Savières | Lac du Bourget | Haut-Rhône | Chanaz | 4.2 | 1 | N | ||
| Scarpe Inf | Scarpe inférieure | Douai | Mortagne-du-Nord | 36.2 | 6 | N | |||
| Scarpe Sup | Scarpe supérieure | Arras | Corbehem | 23.1 | 9 | N | |||
| Seille | Seille | La Truchère | Louhans | 39 | 4 | E | |||
| Seine NE | Seine–Nord Europe Canal | Canal Seine-Nord - PROJECTED 2024 | Oise | Compiègne | Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut | Aubencheul-au-Bac | 107 | 6 | N |
| Seine M | Seine Maritime | English Channel | Le Havre | Rouen | 105.7 | 0 | NW | ||
| Seine H | Haute-Seine | Paris | Yonne | Montereau-Fault-Yonne | 101 | 8 | N | ||
| Seine B | Basse Seine | Haute-Seine | Paris | Seine Maritime | Rouen | 242.4 | 6 | N | |
| Seine P | Petite Seine | Canal de la Haute-Seine | Marcilly-sur-Seine | Montereau-Fault-Yonne | 67.6 | 11 | N | ||
| Seine C | Canal de la Haute-Seine | Disused, restoration in progress | Marcilly-sur-Seine | Troyes | 44 | 15 | N | ||
| Sensee | Canal de la Sensée | Incorporated in Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut | Escaut | Hordain | Deûle | Douai | 25 | N | |
| Seudre | Seudre River | Saujon | 18 | W | |||||
| Sevre Na | Sèvre Nantaise | Loire | Nantes | Monnières | 21.5 | 1 | W | ||
| Sevre Ni | Sèvre Niortaise | Niort | Atlantic Ocean | Charron | 72 | 8 | W | ||
| Somme | Canal de la Somme | English Channel | Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme | Canal de Saint-Quentin | Saint-Simon | 156.5 | 25 | N | |
| Tancarville | Canal de Tancarville | Canal du Havre à Tancarville | English Channel | Le Havre | Seine | Tancarville | 25 | 2 | NW |
| Vilaine | Vilaine River | Canal d'Ille-et-Rance | Rennes | Atlantic Ocean | Tréhiguier | 137 | 13 | W | |
| Vosges | Canal des Vosges | Historically Canal de l'Est Southern Branch | Moselle | Neuves-Maisons | Petite-Saône | Corre | 121.5 | 93 | NE |
| Yonne | Yonne River | Seine | Montereau-fault-Yonne | Canal du Nivernais | Auxerre | 108 | 26 | N |
See publications listing canals and waterways in France
- Edwards-May, David. Inland Waterways of France. Imray Ltd.
- Voies Navigables France Itinéraires Fluviaux. Editions De L'Ecluse. 2009..
- Jefferson, David. Through the French Canals. Adlard Coles Nautical. p. 275..
- McKnight, Hugh. Cruising French Waterways, 4th Edition. Sheridan House..
- Rolt, L. T. C.. From Sea to Sea, Euromapping.
- "La gestion du Canal de la Bruche" . Conseil Départemental du Bas-Rhin. Archived from the original on 16 September 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- Loire Nivernais Waterways Guide 02. Editions du Breil, Castelnaudary, France,.
- Seine Waterways Guide 21. Editions du Breil, Castelnaudary, France, 2016..