The Rhône river is one of the major rivers of Europe, the only inland link between the English Channel/North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It rises in the Swiss Alps.

If you look at the map of the waterways of France, you will see a “tree” of rivers and canals that make up the bulk of the inland waterway network. The dozens of waterways in the north, from the mouth of the Seine on the left to the Rhine on the right, are the branches; the Rhône is the straight, solitary trunk that brings boat traffic south to the Med.

Rhône river is described in detail in EuroCanals Guide: Southwestern France.