The French ports treat more than 345 million tons of goods per annum what represents half of the trade foreign of France. Five of the fifteen principal wearing of Europe are in France with Marseilles first port French and Mediterranean, 3rd European port with an annual traffic of 92,4 million tons of goods in 2002; Le Havre, 1st French port for the containers and with the 5th European rank with an annual traffic of 68,12 million tons; Dunkirk in clear progression with an annual traffic of 47,56 million tons; then St-Nazaire 31,7 million tons and Bordeaux 8,96 million tonnes. The coastal traffic is also very significant. France has a significant grid of maritime lines, which connect all these large ports between them and in the other great centres of consumption of Europe

Ferries :
Numerous connections are assured by sea with France
http://www.mer.equipement.gouv.fr/commerce/01_ports_francais/02_fiche_identite/index.htm
(To know the maritime companies and the possible connections, contact the ports directly or consult the Internet site of each of them.)

To sail in France : authorized, fluvial stops, carburetting….
A title of conduct is necessary to pilot in sea the French ships of motor-driven pleasure as soon as the real power of the or motors is superior to 4,5 kilowatts (6 RÉSUMÉ). Three titles exist:
The card sea
The permit inshore sea
The permit sea hauturier
For the navigation on the interior waters, some specific titles exist.
The titles of conduct in sea of the motor-driven pleasure ships don't give the right to pilot that as pleasure. All person driving to professional title a ship of pleasure must have the professional qualification corresponding to his/her/its activity
The regulation on http://www.mer.equipement.gouv.fr/
The Capitainerieses display the bulletins weather report and the forecasting daily for the following days.
On the Internet site of the French federation of veil, you can consult the coefficient of tide, port by port
. http://www.ffvoile.org

The cruises:
You dream to leave in cruise.
Then, why opt not simply for a fluvial cruise in France
WALKS AND CRUISES
That it is for a jaunt of some hours on board of a boat walk, with or without restoration, or a cruise of several days on board of a barge-hotel or a fluvial ship, the beaches of the navigable network and the landscapes will offer themselves to you of one thousand and one ways.
You will be able to live this cruise under a playful and educational aspect at the time of an exit in family to discover fauna and flora.
Passionate of old stones, you will give him a historic and cultural character to fear an original manner the heritage fluvial. This excursions decline themselves under different shapes: with to eat lunch or to dine, cocktail, to taste, animation, with one or several stopovers,
The fleet is constituted of classic units but also of old riggings, of boats to wheels, of gabbers, of steam-powered boats or to the futuristic lines. If however, the simple pleasure of rest and is sufficient you silence, don't hesitate then more!
Immediate embarking!
The barge-hotel is a former unit of trade refitted, in general of a capacity of 12 beds in a decor often luxurious offering a certain "intimacy."
She/it permits to combine the pleasure of the navigation, the discovery of a very rich local heritage (south of France), the discovery of gastronomy and vineyards of international renown (Burgundy).
The fluvial ship, more related to the ships of maritime cruises (capacity of 100 beds on average), furrow three main axes the Rhine, the Rhone and the Seine. He/it offers some benefits high-level on board of floating hotels of which the quality of benefit is equal to the one of a hotel 3 or 4 stars and propose rest and discovery of the territories crossed
The boat walks does cruises of one at some hours, around the port of attachment of the boat, and can offer a space restoration.
.
BOATS ANIMATION
To the difference of the boats to passengers, the boats animation remains to embankment and constitute the tie therefore between the fluvial tourism and the terrestrial tourism.
On these atypical boats, often of the fixed up barges, one always feels on vacation.
They propose a big capacity of reception for the public, night and day, and avoid all problems of resonant nuisances. The boat animation, it is a new dimension of the leisure. These new poles often attract a clientele young and urban, that doesn't sail, but that is interested to the offered services. A tourist passage clientele or business also develops itself, as much that these boats distribute their programs of spectacle extensively by the offices of tourism or on their sites internet.
One especially recovers the boats animation on the major urban fluvial sites that are Paris Lyons and Strasbourg.
If you also want yourselves to offer a new life in an old barge, plan a consequent budget for the purchase and the works of transformation. You will have big care to do all administrative steps, in particular those bound to the norms of security.

For more of info to see these addresses : www.paris-ports.fr
                                                                 www.en-bateau.com