France river cruise, Doubs River

The River Doubs rises at Mouthe, near the Swiss border, at an altitude of 937 metres.

It travels a total of 430 kilometres before flowing into the Saône at Verdun-sur-le-Doubs, in Saône-et-Loire. 430 kilometres is ample room for all the loops and meanders this graceful river allows itself to make, and the many landing points that dot its banks. The main towns through which the Doubs flows are Pontarlier, Montbéliard and Besançon in the département of Doubs, and Dole in Jura. All these towns offer river cruises, as do many other villages.

To admire the saut du Doubs waterfall, boats leave from Villers-le-Lac, the town where the river forms the border between France and Switzerland, and travel a few kilometres down the river to reach the falls. From on the river itself, the view over the waterfall is nothing short of breathtaking.

Doubs River Cruise : navigation conditions
The Doubs is navigable all year round, except in periods of flood or when the canals are closed for engineering work.

On certain stretches, the locks have been made automatic: you will need to make sure that you have the procedure explained to you. It is forbidden for rowing boats to go through the automatic locks although they may, with special authorisation from the Waterways Service, use the manned locks.

The Doubs also has numerous sections which are canalised (canal from the Rhône to the Rhine). These stretches contain more locks (38.50m). Vertical clearance is 3.50m and the draught is 1.80m. Speed limit on the river: 10km/h, in canal sections: 6km/h.

Priority and passing rules
The boats sales to the right-hand side of the waterway, like cars on the road, and pass portside to portside. Any overtaking is done in the same way as on the road.
In narrow sections, right of way is given to those travelling downstream (unlike on the road) and, in all cases, pleasure boats must give way to barges and to passenger boats.

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