A river runs through it

The Canal du Rhône au Rhin stretches 237km through the east of France, but we had decided to spend a leisurely trip travelling just 55km, following the River Doubs between the cities of Dole and Besan

A slow train journey through southern France shines a light on one of Europe’s early engineering masterpieces, the Canal du Midi, and the historic cities that thrived on its waters

Brittany in winter can be wild, wet and windy and not an obvious choice for spending the off season on board. But southern Brittany in particular has many charming advantages, as Detlef Jens found out

From the Douro to the Danube, river cruising will take you to the very heart of a destination

Take the train for a laid-back tour of the Côte d’Azur’s glitzy cities and lesser-known towns, jumping off to buy a slice of pissaladière, visit a museum or dip your toes in the sea.

If the name of this picturesque corner of southwest France conjures up the rustic ‘black wines’ of tradition, then look again: times have been changing, and wine styles with them, in the homeland of Malbec