Designated as a unesco world heritage site, it traverses through the languedoc wine region with views of the pyrenees to the south and the black mountains to the north. Its at your discretion whether you wish to tip the lock keeper or not. Anjodi has never been more popular since rick stein brought her to the attention of the world in his very successful bbc tv series french odyssey. Canal du midi, carcassonne, languedoc and bordeaux regions. However, by the following year commerce had almost dried up due to the opening of the bordeaux to sete railway. Our cruising was never far from meeting up with friends on the canal du midi, sharing meals together in different ports, or a drive out together, to visit the market of the day and stock up on supplies. The canal du midi was constructed by 12,000 workers in the 17th century to let cargo barges take a short cut from the mediterranean to the atlantic. For wine and painting cruises, athos is happy to recommend a professional master of wine or a qualified painting instructor to accompany and guide your. Canal du midi cruises hotel barges and selfdrive boats. Sn6 south to north via canal du midi best time marchapril to september early october if your boat has the right draft this is an excellent way to get quickly from the central mediterranean to the english channel some lovely cruising up the west coast of france and a much easier route than the portuguese coast or azores options all to. If you choose to cruise by booking an individual deluxe cabin, youll experience our popular best of the languedoc cruise route. But there is a way of exploring this impossibly romantic region that doesnt occur to most travellers.
Clearwater, fl october 26, 2016 le boat, europes largest selfdrive boating company, announced the availability of its new canal du midi guide, a comprehensive. It meanders between toulouse and sete in southern france for a distance of 240 kilometers 150 miles. Rising in the historic city of toulouse, this is the countrys most famous canal. Canal du midi cruises sail through rolling countryside and canalside vineyards all under the dappled shade of plane trees lining the canal. France is at its best away from the main tourist trails, and canals like the briare, nivernais, burgundy and canal du midi are perfect for exploring some of frances.
There is something very special about the canal du midi, something that simply. Cruise on the enchante on the canal du midi enchante. Canal du midi guide to cruising this architecturally significant canal with tips on where to stop and what to do along the way. This book is a users guide to the whole network, covering all the mastup. Embark on a journey along sections of the canal du midi aboard the enchanting hotel barge, anjodi, famous for taking rick stein on his 400 mile french food exploration in the tv series rick steins french odyssey. Canal du midi cruise, barge trips on the canal du midi. Canal du midi canal boat rentals hire in france 2020. There are four crew members on board, meaning that youll have lots of personal care. As well as indulging in the fabulous cuisine of the. Breathe in the relaxation and warmth and light of the mediterranean, as you navigate along the 300 year old canal du midi, meandering inland, lined with plane trees and cruise under superb arched bridges, linking ancient villages, miles of vineyards and roman fortifications. Boating holidays on the canal du midi are like no other. The canal du midi has been recognized as a unesco world heritage site in acknowledgement of the astonishing feat carried out by its 17th century architect pierrepaul riquet in linking the etang du thau in the south east with the river garonne in toulouse, effectively making it possible to convey goods from the mediterranean to the atlantic. Athos offers canal du midi cruises to suit both couples looking for a romantic french holiday and groups celebrating a special deluxe event or planning the ultimate family holiday. Cruising the canal du midi is all about slowly seeing the sights at your own leisure.
Comprehensive, 100page brochure details cultural, culinary, sports. Four of us recently cruised for 6 days on the enchante. Weve produced a handy pdf guide for this region to give you an overview of all the stops and things. A unesco world heritage site, this canal is defined by its beauty, lined with shady plane trees which often touch to form an arc of green above the. Our canal du midi cruises this 330yearold waterway skirts the sundrenched shores of the mediterranean before meandering inland through ancient villages, roman fortifications and famed vineyards. Cruising on saraphina canal du midi portiragnes plage to homps or reverse sunday transfer to barge near portiragnes we pick you up from your hotel, train station, or local airport and bring you safely aboard saraphina. Every year, hundreds of hire boats ply its emerald green waters, with some making the voyage all the way to the mediterranean coast. Monsieur paul riquet may not be known to many americans but if you cruise the canal du midi once, you will praise him to high heaven. It is the only round lock of the canal du midi and was built using volcanic rock. With our 18 bases along the canal du midi and in burgundy, you have a lot of choice. Canal du midi boat hire midi cruising holidays le boat. We also have a list of mobile apps you might want to download before your start cycling along the canal du midi. The athos du midi has five staterooms with the capacity of a maximum of 10 passengers at a time.
Top 6 places to visit while cruising on the canal du midi in the south of france as the canal du midi celebrates its 350th birthday this year, it skirts the sundrenched shore of the mediterranean before meandering inland through the fabled cathar country. The canal du midi guide helps plan a bucket list vacation for empty nesters wanting to enjoy the french countryside, sipping wine and eating artisan cheese at a relaxed, unhurried pace, away. The 150mile long canal du midi begins at the garonne river in aquitaine, which flows from the pyrenees to the atlantic ocean and ends at the mediterranean sea in sete, located in the languedoc region. Our sunrise cruise into beziers was most enjoyed, a 57km stretch with no locks. Only the busy locks at trebes stay open during the summer months at lunch. Classic cruises on the canal du midi home facebook. We want a bare boat with 2 sleeping cabins at a reasonable co. Our tour guide claire is off in the van somewhere in the countryside.
Southern france canal du midi bike tour france tripsite. The actual route is the gironde into bordeaux and then into the garonne to castets about 53k from bordeaux. Canal boating holiday selfdrive faqs, france page 2. Fully equipped for guided boat trips along the canal du midi. The largest european marina is located here and is a paradise for divers, surfers, and sailors. Our classic canal du midi cruise takes place aboard our pretty 8 passenger vessel anjodi, which has been cruising in the region for more than 25 years. All barges canal du midi barge cruises inspired by the luxury, opulence, and quality of 1920s classic motor yachts, roi soleil plies the canal du midi in dapper and distinguished style. Built in the 1600s with the goal of connecting the two bodies of water for the purpose of transporting wheat, canal du midi is one of the oldest continuously running canals in europe. Canal du midi cruises candid tips by authority howard. Book your tickets online for canal du midi, occitanie. Its around 120 kilometers and you climb 32 locks including the 9 lock staircase at fonserannes. From aquitaine to camargue, a wide choice of waterway cruises to satisfy everyones desires. Cruising the canal du midi le boat australia youtube.
But as you cruise along the canal, you can go past these wonders without even noticing them. It was the brainchild of pierrepaul riquet, a minor noble and tax collector, who succeeded in convincing louis xiv and more importantly, his first minister, colbert of the merits of linking the atlantic and the mediterranean via the garonne. The canal du midi, designed and built by pierrepaul riquet in 16621681, is a. Cap dagde, at the mediterranean sea is your destination today. After a short cruise through the mini camargue and a champagne welcome, your first dinner will be served aboard. Renting a boatcanal du midi fodors travel talk forums. Cycling along the canal du midi leads you past masterpieces of engineering like the lock of agde. With no prior boating experience required, this guide reaffirms what a.
Top 6 places to visit while cruising on the canal du midi. A unesco world heritage site, the canal du midi runs through the. Barge cruise, france cruising the canal du midi in luxury. Cruising on the canal du midi including carcassonne france.
Pdf guides to download free about selfdrive boating, hotel barging, river cruising, the. Barge cruising canal du midi rick steves travel forum. The canal du midi is probably the most popular canal in france. Canal du midi detailed navigation guide and maps french. Whats really like selfchartering on the canal du midi. It doesnt look much at this point but, a few minutes further east, it runs through stunning countryside and is. Start the canal du midi guide at sete where the canal opens onto the mediterranean. Canal du midi my log and some pictures of a recent transit. Home to flora and fauna, rural vistas, and lush vineyards, a canal du midi cruise features a romantic and idyllic waterway, perfect for luxury barging.
Routes between the english channel and the mediterranean. It doesnt look much at this point but, a few minutes further east, it runs through stunning countryside and is lined with regal plane trees. The canal is a waterway constructed by louis xiv to connect the atlantic ocean with the mediterranean, something both the romans and leonardo da vinci. A cruisers guide first edition by bernd w kiessler. Selfguided le boat cruise, france, journal kidtripster. The canal du midi runs for 240km from the river garonne at toulouse via carcassonne to the mediterranean at agde. This colossal construction made a link between the atlantic ocean and the mediterranean sea, and required the work of 12,000 men over fifteen years, from 1666 to 1681. The canal du midi, designed and built by pierrepaul riquet in 16621681, is a remarkable work of engineering, justifying its inclusion in the unesco world heritage list in 1996, and one of the most popular cruising waterways in france. The canal du midi, the most famous canal in the world, together with the medieval city of carcassonne have both achieved unesco world heritage status a tribute to their historic and natural beauty. Two families 4 adults and 4 children aged between 9 and 14 on a le boat magnifique starting in port cassafieres one way up to trebes. It cruised from carcassonne to narbonne in southern france on the canal du midi. A quick look at how to prepare for your upcoming canal du midi bike tour. Linking the atlantic to the mediterranean, the canal du midi runs through beautiful hills in the shadows of the pyrenees. Top 6 canals to cruise in france and guide to french canals.