Portsmouth-based market leaders Crown Blue Line, whose self-drive canal cruisers are available for charter on Rick’s route between Bordeaux and Marseilles as well as other top, scenic waterways across Europe and the UK, reported over 150 requests for brochures within a period of three days and with calls continuing to come in at record rates.

Crown Blue Line’s MD Mathew Prior said: ‘It’s one of the best kept secrets in travel that canals in France tend to be very beautiful, wide and flow through the best bits of both town and country, and this makes it a wonderful way to enjoy wine cellars and waterside restaurants as you explore a region. Rick Stein made a great choice to go canal cruising and this will open it up to a much wider audience.’

With eight more episodes to go, scheduled weekly on Wednesdays on BBC 2 at 8.00pm, many more British holidaymakers are now expected to try the French canals next year, sampling the foods, wines and scenery introduced by Rick Stein as he cruises southwards on the Canal Latéral à la Garonne and Canal du Midi to the Med and then east on the Canal du Rhône.

Chartering your own cruiser with Crown Blue Line requires no previous boating experience and accommodation onboard typically comprises a large and airy saloon, a suite of comfortable double or twin cabins, a number of modern shower rooms and toilets, a fully-equipped galley and a spacious upper sun deck area with table and chairs for alfresco dining. A week on a Crown Blue Line boat starts from £560 for a ‘Capri’ sleeping two plus one from September 23rd onwards (£186 pp), rising to £2840 for a ‘Grand Classique’ sleeping 10 in August (£284 pp) but with a 20% discount currently on offer on all self drive cruisers along the Canal du Midi throughout August – worth £568 on a ‘Grand Classique’ for example.

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