Canal du Midi

Cycling France along a beautiful canal

map Canal du Midi

Route

Tour profile / level 2

Easy to moderate - Cycling along the canal on renovated towpaths as well as on paved, little-traveled side roads.

Itinerary 8-days-tour:

Day 1: Toulouse
Individual arrival in Toulouse until late afternoon. Information talk and bike handover (if booked). Due to the reddish stone of many buildings, Toulouse is also called "ville rose". A sight is the Basilica St-Sernin de Toulouse, a culinary specialty, is the duck breast with green beans.

Day 2: Toulouse  Castelnaudary, approx. 60 km
The Moulin de Cugarel proves to this day why Castelnaudary was once called the "city of mills". The town is also known for its hearty bean stew "Cassoulet".

Day 3: Castelnaudary – Carcassonne, approx. 40 km
The lower town of Carcassonne presents itself to you with the Saint Louis bastion. In the House of Memories you will learn a lot about the life of the Cathars.

Day 4: Carcassonne – Olonzac, approx. 45 km
Olonzac is the center of the winegrowers in the Minervois, Homps was the shipping port. Vines everywhere, the Montagne Noire and the Corbière in sight, here you practice doing nothing at the Canal.

Day 5: Olonzarc/surroundings  Narbonne, approx. 45 km
Destination of your journey today is Narbonne, you change to the Canal, drive along the Canal de la Robine towards the Mediterranean Sea. Great buildings of the Middle Ages are the unfinished cathedral and the palace of the archbishops. Another highlight is "Les Halles", it was awarded as the most beautiful market hall in France.

Day 6: Narbonne – Béziers, approx. 45 km
You drive via Capestang to Béziers, passing the famous Canal tunnel.  Béziers, once a rich wine metropolis, is the birthplace of Paul Riquet, the builder of the Canal du Midi. The archbishop’s palace watches over the city, the attraction on the canal are the Neuf Écluses, the Nine Locks.

Day 7: Béziers – Sète, approx. 65 km
The further you cycle, the saltier the air becomes. The cycle path leads directly along the sea towards Sète, the largest French fishing town on the Mediterranean, also called "Little Venice of the Languedoc" because of its many canals. Here you can combine an evening walk with a good meal, the origin of the town is Italian - the cuisine too.

Day 8: Sète
Individual return journey or start of your extension.

Itinerary 10-days-tour:

Day 1: Toulouse
Individual arrival in Toulouse until late afternoon. Information talk and bike handover. Life in Toulouse takes place in cafés and along the Garonne at the old harbor, the Toulousains meet on the Place St. George for tapas. There is much to see: the Basilica of St. Sernin, the Place du Capitole or the Augustin Museum.

Day 2: Toulouse  Castelnaudary, approx. 60 km
Castelnaudary is the largest port on the Canal du Midi, here even the largest wine freighters could turn around. French people take long ways to pay culinary tribute to the city of the hearty bean stew "Cassoulet".

Day 3: Castelnaudary  Mirepoix, approx. 50 km
Up to Bram you follow the Canal du Midi, then it goes towards the Pyrenees. On an old railroad line converted for cyclists, the path climbs moderately, you roll through railroad tunnels, over viaducts and bridges to Mirepoix, an enchanting bastide from the Middle Ages.

Day 4: Mirepoix  Carcassonne, approx. 60 km
Back through the Ariége countryside, a quiet and meditative agricultural landscape with rolling hills, to Carcassonne. There the imposing Cité awaits you, the largest fortified city in Europe, you have arrived in the heart of the Cathars.

Day 5: Round trip to Montolieu, approx. 40 km
The beautiful book town is located on the edge of the Montagne Noire, here you will find 15 antiquarian bookstores with over 200,000 books. The former royal textile manufactory was put under monument protection, many artists have a studio here today.

Day 6: Carcassonne  Olonzac, approx. 45 km
Olonzac is the center of the winegrowers in the Minervois, Homps was the shipping port. Vines everywhere, the Montagne Noire and the Corbière in sight, here you practice doing nothing at the Canal.

Day 7: Olonzarc/surroundings  Narbonne, approx. 45 km
Destination of your journey today is Narbonne, you change to the Canal, drive along the Canal de la Robine towards the Mediterranean Sea. Great buildings of the Middle Ages are the unfinished cathedral and the palace of the archbishops. Another highlight is the "Les Halles", it was awarded as the most beautiful market hall in France.

Day 8: Narbonne  Béziers, approx. 45 km
You drive via Capestang to Béziers, passing the famous Canal tunnel.  Béziers, once a rich wine metropolis, is the birthplace of Paul Riquet, the builder of the Canal du Midi. The city is dominated by the Archbishop’s Palace, and the attraction on the Canal are the Neuf Écluses, the Nine Locks.

Day 9: Béziers  Sète, approx. 65 km
The further you cycle, the saltier the air becomes. The cycle path leads directly along the sea towards Sète, the largest French fishing town on the Mediterranean, also called "Little Venice of the Languedoc" because of its many canals. Here you can combine an evening walk with a good meal, the origin of the city is Italian - the cuisine too.

Day 10: Sète
Individual return journey or start of your extension.

Services

  • 7/9 nights in rooms with private facilities

  • Daily breakfast 

  • Personal welcome meeting and tour briefing

  • Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel

  • Bike rental insurance

  • 7-day Service Hotline

  • Maps and information material per room

  • Navigation App and GPS Data available

  • For the environment’s benefit: If you use the digital version of our routebook you will get a discount of € 20,- per room as a Thank You gift!

Dates & Prices

Dates

Merkmale

    Season / Period
    Type

    Extras

    Discounts extra bed in double room with 2 full paying adults
    0-5,99 years -100%
    6-11,99 years  -50%
    12-14,99 years -25%
    15-99 years -10%
       
    Additional discounts
    Use of digital routebook instead of printed version -20
          Reduction per room  
       
    Bicycle & equipment 8 days 10 days
    7-/21-speed-bike 99 119
    30-speed bike PLUS 169 189
    E-bike 259 299
          Insurance included for bike rental    
         
    Additional nights
    Séte Cat A (dbl/sgl) 118/222
    Sète Cat B (dbl/sgl) 79/142
    Toulouse Cat A (dbl/sgl) 88/163
    Toulouse Cat B (dbl/sgl) 82/142
       
    Transfer*
    Bus Séte - Toulouse (Monday & Saturday) 125
    Bike transport own bike 39

    *reservation at booking necessary, minimum of participants 6, payable in advance


    Best - Price - Guarantee

    If you would verifiably receive better conditions and/or prices from another tour operator at the time of booking we guarantee at least the same conditions PLUS 1 handlebar bag for FREE!
    All prices per person in EUR

    Accommodation

    Hotel samples

    Category A

    Accommodation is in well-kept 3- and 4-star hotels (French classification) as well as in particularly charming or unique houses. All rooms are equipped with shower/WC or bath/WC.

    Toulouse: Hotel de Brienne
    Castelnaudary: Domaine de la Chapelle
    Carcassonne: Best Western Hotel Le Donjon
    Mirepoix: La Maison de Consuls
    Olonzac: Le jardin d'Homps
    Narbonne: Clarion Suites - Moulin de Gua
    Béziers: Insitu Hotel
    Sète: Le Grand Hotel de Sète


    Category B

    Accommodation is mainly in well-kept 3-star hotels (French classification) as well as in the charming houses Chambre d'hotes - very good hotels, mostly located outside. All rooms are equipped with shower/WC or bath/WC.

    Toulouse: Hotel D’Orsay
    Castelnaudary: Les Clos Fleuri
    Carcassonne: Les Minotiers
    Mirepoix: Hotel l'Aragon
    Olonzac: Eloi Merle
    Narbonne: Clarion Suites - Moulin de Gua
    Béziers: Imperator
    Sète: L'Orque Bleue


    NotePlease be informed that these are hotel samples and therefore subject to alteration! Find Your final hotel bookings at Your hotel list after/at booking.

    Bicycle

    Bicycles inclusive panniers

    7-speed bikes with Shimano NEXUS hub gear OR 21-speed bikes with Shimano ALIVIO chain circuit with light, luggage rack, fenders, service set with tool and spare hose, air pump and number lock.

    30-speed bikes PLUS: ideal for sporty cyclists and those who love a lot of comfort. The wheels have a comfortable gel saddle and a 30-speed gear for more accurate, faster shifting. Other highlights include the Shimano hydraulic disc brakes for improved braking performance and particularly gentle suspension.

    All bikes are equipped with a rear rack pannier (saddle bag) and a handlebar bag/per room.


    E-bikes | Electric bikes | Pedelecs

    By popular demand, we have now invested in a considerable number of e-bikes, much favoured by cyclists who love the great Outdoors, but prefer to let the bike take the strain. With an electro bike every bike tour is a breeze! The shiftable, low noise electric drive of our modern E-bike relieves you of some of the work and increases the pedal force up to 3 times. Acclivity can be handled easily.

    Please note that it is not possible to attach handlebar bags to the newer models of our e-bikes due to the additional fixed speedometers and wider handlebars.

    IMPORTANT: please reserve e-bikes early as they are only available in very limited numbers.

    Useful

    Arrival - Parking - Departure

    Arrival by plane

    Airport: Toulouse (TLS), Montpellier (MPL), Béziers (BZR)
    There are >>transfer buses from the airport in Beziers to the centre. Afterwords take the train to Toulouse (price approx.. € 30,-, duration: approx. 90 min, direct connection).


    Arrival by car

    Parking house near the hotel, approx. € 15,- per day


    Arrival by train

    Train station: Toulouse
    The train station in Sète is approx. 1,5 km away of the starting hotel.
    Current train connections and prices you will find >>here


    Transfer

    Bustransfer from Séte to Toulouse € 125,- per person (only on Monday+Saturday). Transfer of own bike € 39,- extra. payable in advance, reservation at the time of tour booking is necessary, maximum 6 participants.

    Videos

    Travel stories

    4,9 of 6 Stars | 6
    Beautiful scenery. Great variety of hotels and dinners ...J.Z. 05/22
    4,9 08.11.2023 | John M. Canal du Midi

    Midi-Canal Tour Sept 28 to Oct 10

    Over all we really enjoyed our trip. My wife's and my bicycle worked well. We did have one flat on the trip and as we only had one extra tube, we were glad we did not get another flat. Perhaps each traveller should have an extra tube. We found our ...
    • Overall satisfaction 5
    • Booking handling 5
    • Travel documents 5
    • Per-Tour information 4
    • Accomodation 5
    • Board 4
    • Luggage transport 6
    • Route description 3
    • On-site assistance 4
    • Route-character 6
    • Bicycle + equipment 6
    • Price-performance ratio 6
    more
    4,9 03.10.2022 | John A. Canal du Midi

    Canal du Midi 24 Sep 2022

    We were very satisfied with most aspects of this tour. The local representative was very helpful and friendly. The gears on the e-bike we were provided with were not well adjusted. We exchanged the bike on the third day. The rear derailleur gears on the ...
    • Overall satisfaction 5
    • Booking handling 5
    • Travel documents 5
    • Per-Tour information 5
    • Accomodation 5
    • Board 6
    • Luggage transport 6
    • Route description 4
    • On-site assistance 5
    • Route-character 6
    • Bicycle + equipment 4
    • Price-performance ratio 3
    more
    4,9 24.05.2022 | Janny Z. Canal du Midi

    canal du Midi May 2022

    Beautiful scenery. Great variety of hotels and dinners The bike tracks were not always optimal; large sections are just small dirt tracks . We often had to decide on alternative routes .to make it in time . The very first day was too long from Toulouse ...
    • Overall satisfaction 5
    • Booking handling 5
    • Travel documents 5
    • Per-Tour information 4
    • Accomodation 6
    • Board 5
    • Luggage transport 6
    • Route description 4
    • On-site assistance 5
    • Route-character 3
    • Bicycle + equipment 6
    • Price-performance ratio 5
    more
    5,5 24.06.2018 | Philip G. Canal du Midi

    Canal de Midi 2018

    One small point some of the paths required mowing . Grass was so long it was up to our knees.
    • Overall satisfaction 5
    • Booking handling 6
    • Travel documents 5
    • Per-Tour information 5
    • Accomodation 6
    • Luggage transport 6
    • Route description 5
    • On-site assistance 5
    • Route-character 5
    • Bicycle + equipment 6
    • Price-performance ratio 6
    more
    load more travel stories

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