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Canal du Midi

From Toulouse to Carcassonne along the Canal du Midi in 4 days

Self-guided cycle tour along Canal du Midi: from Toulouse to Carcassonne in 4 days.

Difficulty level: easy. The itinerary is flat along the canal, but hilly as soon as you divert from the canal. The route takes you on the boat hauling path of the canal and quiet country roads. The stages are 30 to 49 km long, which means 3 to 5 hours biking at a slow pace (10km/h). The boat hauling path being still a dirt singletrack on several portions (after Castelnaudary), it is sometimes bumpy to ride.

Reviews (28) :
4.68 / 5
Reference M0402
  • Itinerant trip
  • 4 days
  • Easy
  • From April 15th to October 15th
  • Minimum age 9 years old
GPSGPS-app available
399€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • This 4-day cycle tour along the Canal du Midi rallies two major milestones of the canal : Toulouse, the Ville Rose and Carcassonne, the medieval fortress. You ride quietly sometimes on cycle paths or the hauling path along the canal, sometimes on low-traffic country roads. You will cross the Lauragais, a large fertile plain surronded by hills that flourished on the 15th and 16th centuries thanks to pastel trade, which also brought prosperity to Toulouse. The village churches with their characteristic fortified bell towers are a heritage of this rich past. You ride through Castelnaudary, the proud capital of cassoulet, and the charming abbey of Saint-Papoul before arriving in Carcassonne at the foot of the impressing medieval fortress.

    Day 1

     
     

    Toulouse - Montesquieu-Laurageais area

    Bike
    ~30km
    You leave Toulouse on a cycling path along the Canal du Midi and enjoy riding out of the city away from cars, lulled by the soft sound of the water. You reach the first villages of the Lauragais, an area where the landscape is dotted with typical flat bell towers like in the village of Montesquieu-Lauragais.

    Day 2

     
     

    Montesquieu-Laurageais area - Castelnaudary

    Bike
    38km
    You leave the canal to ride on a nice overhanging road offering magnificent views on the canal and countryside. You reach the Cathar village of Avignonet-Lauragais before passing by Port Lauragais and the watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean sea. You then head towards Castelnaudary, where you will be warmly welcomed with a tasty cassoulet on the nice port.

    Day 3

     
     

    Castelnaudary - Carcassonne

    Bike
    49 ou 45km
    Today’s route diverts you from the canal till the charming medieval village of Saint-Papoul, famous for its nice Benedictine abbey built in the 8th century. After the tour of the abbey, you keep on cycling through the countryside to Bram, where you reach again the canal. You can make a detour to the village, an ancient fortified circulade where you can still admire the circular pattern of the streets even if the walls no longer exist. You cycle further on the hauling path to Carcassonne.
    The itinerary becomes bumpy and narrow at some parts. Be careful to the roots during this stage.

    Day 4

     
     

    Day-trip from Cascassonne

    Bike
    24km
    The stage of the day is a short loop tour through the outskirts of Carcassonne. It takes you first around the unmissable medieval city of Carcassonne and then to the Lake of La Cavayère, where you can enjoy a swim or a relaxing moment on the beach. On the way back, you enjoy the marvellous views on the medieval fortress on top of the local vineyards!
       

    Cité of Carcassonne 3h

    9,50 € / adult
  • Accommodation
  • Category B

    You stay in hotels with *** standards or bed & breakfasts selected for their style and quality. Breakfast is included.
    * Example of the type of accommodation
  • Bikes, luggage and documents
  • Bikes

    On your arrival day, we provide you with:

    • a touring bike adjusted to your size or a tandem
    • equipped : front rack pack with an integrated file compartment, saddlebag, helmet (on demand), reflective vest, repairing toolkit with patches etc.

    We also provide you with the appropriate equipment for your children : baby seat, bike trailer or trailer bike depending on their age and size.

    Electric bikes are also available for adults (+1m55).

    You can of course also bring your own bikes, in this case a reduction will be applied (see the Tarif tab)


    Luggage


    For this trip, bikes are equipped with 2 waterproof saddle bags with a capacity of 10 to 20L each to transport your luggage. Do not forget to put your items in a soft travel bag to be able that you can roll it up in your saddle bags.

    For more comfort, you can choose to add luggage transport in your booking:
    (see rate in "Prices")

    • We transport your luggage from one accommodation to the next using a private vehicle.
    • Your luggage is directly delivered in your accommodation before you arrive.
    • We provide a saddlebag for the things you shall need during the day.(included in your bike rental).
    • We advise to take an extra set of clothes with you if you expect to arrive before 5p.m. at your accommodation.

    Our word of advice : as we know from experience, we strongly recommend you to avoid wearing a backpack during your cycling trip.


    Travel documents

    A cycling holiday is the best way to explore a region and discover its culture, landscapes and local traditions.

    Your tour is self-guided to give you the freedom to ride at your own pace. You will be provided all the information you need to enjoy the itinerary and its points of interests.

    We can provide you with travel documents in paper format (for a supplement of €15 for printing and postage), which include:
    • a roadbook with maps that we drew at the easiest scale to follow on a bike
    • a roadbook with step-by-step description giving the direction to follow at each intersection and highlighting the points of interest

    Example of a map and of a step-by-step description


    Our GPS App

    For this trip, you can also use our smartphone app featuring GPS guidance (without extra fee).

    You will find in the app all the information given in the map and step-by-step roadbooks. You will be located on the itinerary with the GPS device of your phone. The route and directions to follow will be both viewable on the screen of your phone and announced aloud. As you ride along the itinerary, you will be given information about visits, restaurants, services and useful alerts on the way.

    -> You need to have a smartphone and download Le Velo Voyageur app on your Apple or Android store before the trip. All details concerning the downloading and the use of the application will be given after we have confirmed the booking and the balance is paid. Once the trip is downloaded, the GPS guidance can be used off-line.
    Main features:

    One way trip

    To get to the departure point:

    • By plane: many airlines fly to Toulouse. A regular shuttle is going to the city center every 20 min. It takes 20 to 45 min to get to the city center depending on traffic.
    • By train: because of the geography, trains going to Toulouse are not high speed. As a conseguence, it is quite a long train ride to get there: 5h30 from Paris, 4h from Marseille, 4h30 from Lyon and 2h from Bordeaux. To plan your trip, https://www.sncf-connect.com/.


    Parking

    If you are driving to Toulouse, you need to know that secured car parks in the city center of Toulouse are very expensive.

    To find a parking spot : www.parkopedia.com

    To get back to the starting point:

    Trains take you back to your starting point if you wish. Regional direct trains (duration about 1 hr) are riding regularly. These trains take bikes without surcharge. You can buy your ticket on the spot.

    To plan your journey : https://www.sncf-connect.com/.


    Meeting time:

    The bicycles are to be picked up at the rental agency. We recommend you to arrive at around 10am to enjoy your day fully without rushing and be able to do the visits on the way. We advise to book an extra night before in Toulouse if your travel plans make you arrive later.

    If you chose luggage transport, you must arrive before 9.30am to drop off your luggage. Bikes pick up point and luggage drop off point are located close to the train station (Saint-Agne) and will be given in your travel documents.

  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

    prev next
    1 2
    28 bike travelers reviews 4.68 / 5

    Faire du vélo sans prise de tête !

    On the 2024-08-13 by Annabelle
    Si comme moi vous aimez les voyages itinérants mais moins tout le côté organisationnel en amont. Je vous conseille vivement ce service ! Tout était conforme à ce qui était présenté dans les brochures, aucune mauvaise surprise ! Petit conseil : bien se renseigner sur les itinéraires chaque jour en fonction de la météo et les adapter si besoin.

    Lovely 4 days cycling le Canal du Midi and area

    On the 2024-06-08 by Taylor F
    Overall, we enjoyed our trip with VeloVoyageur from Toulouse to Carcassone very much! The bikes provided by Le Petit Cyclo as well as the helmets, front and back panniers and locks were in good shape and perfectly suited for the terrain. Although cycling along Le Canal du Midi was beautiful we knew we would tire of the terrain so prior to arriving, had developed routes that lead us in to the surrounding hills and villages (with the permission of Velo Voyager to do so). It was so worth it! Luggage transfers went well! Accommodations and breakfasts arranged were unique and all were pleasant and more than adequate. There was a bit of a surprise 5 km route around the lake by Carcassone on the circular tour that was more like mountain biking - could be a problem for some but could be bypassed if people were forewarned! Overall - very pleasant way to travel for those who like to cycle and explore using a self guided format.

    Fiona

    On the 2023-10-13 by Fiona
    A lovely trip. Started in Toulouse which was a lovely city to explore. The canal was beautiful lined with magnificent poplar trees for most of the way. Was good at times leaving the canal to see the villages and views of the Pyrenees. Our final destination Carcassone was well worth staying an extra day to explore the fortified city. Accommodation arranged was all to a high standard. Loved our cycling ☺️

    Tania and Aron (from USA)

    On the 2023-07-14 by Tania
    Our bike trip was an overall fantastic experience. The staff was patient and accommodating to some last-minute changes we needed to make. The route itself is gorgeous and the accommodations were lovely and well located within the cities.

    Riding along the canal with friends

    On the 2023-06-13 by Mina
    excellent fun time

    4 day canal du midi

    On the 2023-06-12 by Mulkerrins
    Overall a very good trip.

    SUPER EXPERIENCE

    On the 2022-09-30 by Yvette
    Super expérience,beaux paysages,hébergements de qualité,Mention spéciale pour "le grand bassin" à Castelnaudary. Aventure dépaysante où l'on avance à son rythme,au fil des paysages.

    Formidable

    On the 2022-09-21 by Andrew
    ..

    Absolument ravis

    On the 2022-08-24 by catherine
    Nous sommes partis 4 jours pour descendre le canal du midi de toulouse à carcassonne. C'est une première expérience réussie. Tout était parfait : les vélos, les itinéraires, les hébergements, les repas. Nous sommes rentrés ravis et cerise sur le gateau : la fête du cassoulet à castelnaudary. C'est un voyage bucolique où le temps passe au rythme du pédalage. Nous sommes prêts à repartir.

    CANAL DU MIDI

    On the 2022-07-07 by GERARD
    De Toulouse à Carcassonne, 4 jours très agréable. Le parcours est facile en longeant le canal. Les suggestions de visites sont pertinentes et très bien expliquées. Seule la partie Bram / Carcassonne est un peu plus difficile car moins praticable. Les prestations d'hébergement sont parfaites, nous avons été très bien reçus par nos hôtes.

    une bonne expérience

    On the 2021-09-15 by Nils
    pour une première fois dans ce type de voyage,nous avons apprécié le sérieux et le professionnalisme du vélo voyageur,tant au niveau de l'organisation initiale que des hébergements,et leur réactivité en cas de problème(casse du dérailleur sur un de nos vélo personnel avec mise à disposition rapide d'un vélo de location)

    Circuit Moyen

    On the 2021-09-01 by Jacqou
    Services Hôteliers Excellent, mais outils logistiques très moyen et aucun contact avec représentant de Velo voyageurs sur place.

    Un séjour dépaysant et ressourçant !

    On the 2021-07-12 by rilou
    Séjour de 4 jours très bien pensé avec un parcours sympa et progressif ainsi que des vélos de bonne qualité. Le choix des chambres d'hôte/hébergements nous a conquis à chaque étape lorsque nous arrivions en fin de journée. Merci pour cette escapade que nous ne sommes pas prêts d'oublier :-)

    Parfait pour une première expérience

    On the 2020-10-23 by Axel
    Super séjour pour une première expérience de rando à vélo en couple. Organisation au top. Le parcours proposé permet de rompre la monotonie du canal par de petits détours dans l'arrière pays. La principale difficulté a été un très fort vent de face, mais ce sont les aléas de la météo, et le vélo voyageur n'y peut pas grand chose ;) Expérience à réitérer sur un autre parcours, avec peut être des vélos perso moins lourds.

    Une bien belle expérience...

    On the 2019-08-08 by Les cyclistes liégeois
    Partis à quatre pour parcourir le Canal du Midi, nous nous sommes laissés guider par le roadbook pour découvrir cette belle région. A peine descendus du vélo, nous étions déjà repartants pour rééditer l'expérience dans une autre région mais avec la même organisation. Rien à redire tant sur le choix du parcours et des hôtels que sur la qualité des vélos fournis.

    top classe

    On the 2019-06-01 by Boubou 1970
    Top classe

    Un agréable séjour

    On the 2019-05-05 by Noéline
    La descente sur le canal du midi entre Toulouse et Carcassonne a été une jolie découverte et très bien orchestrée par Le Vélo Voyageur. Le parcours est tranquille le long du canal, et s'éloigne de temps en temps pour visiter les villages alentours. Les vélos de location sont de bonne qualité et très agréables, bien qu'un peu lourds. Seule la boucle du dernier jour ne nous a pas trop plue et a été trop physique pour nous.

    Belle expérience à vélo

    On the 2018-11-16 by Mercedes
    Cet été, nous avons choisi de longer le Canal du midi à partir de Toulouse, après avoir fait un premier itinéraire en mai en Bourgogne. Nous avons été satisfait de l'itinéraire le long du canal, nous avons un peu souffert de la chaleur (c'était la semaine du 5 août...) mais globalement belle découverte de la région et un accueil sympa le soir en chambre d''hôtes et l'hôtel à Carcassonne le TOP ! aux portes de la Cité, avec piscine. Merci à toute l'équipe.

    Canal du Midi TOULOUSE- CARCASSONNE

    On the 2018-08-18 by Carole
    Très beau séjour au fil de l'eau, des écluses et des villages à proximité. Très bonne organisation pour un séjour actif tout en étant confortable et reposant dans des établissements de qualité. Je le conseil pour les amoureux du tourisme vert et local propice à l'économie de nos belles régions françaises.

    A great trip from staqrt to finish

    On the 2018-07-09 by Robert
    I would highly recommend using Le Velo Voyageur. My wife and I were very pleased with our cycling vacation. The bikes were excellent - almost brand new. The turn-by-turn directions (supplemented with maps) were flawless. (The only turn we missed was my mistake.) The accommodations they booked for us were exactly what we were looking for. The pacing of the trip was exactly what we wanted and allowed us to explore the villages along the way.

    jours très agréables ente Toulouse et Carcassonne

    On the 2017-09-30 by Alain L
    Première expérience de randonnée à vélo très agréable. Le matériel fourni est d'excellente qualité, la logistique est impeccable et les hôtels, bien que modestes, sont confortables. Nous avons systématiquement été logés dans les chambres les mieux placées et les plus récemment rénovées. Le parcours le long du canal du midi est agréable, surtout pendant la première moitié du tronçon car la qualité du revêtement des pistes cyclables est excellent. Ceci se gâte cependant par la suite, surtout entre Castelnaudary et Carcassonne où le chemin de terre devient étroit et parsemé de cailloux et de racines. Cependant, le fait de pouvoir circuler à vélo sur des pistes dédiées ou des petites routes quasi désertes est extrêmement rassurant. Le choix des organisateurs de nous faire sortir périodiquement du chemin longeant le canal pour aller visiter la campagne et de jolis villages environnants est également bien pensé. Enfin, nous avons beaucoup apprécié la fourniture préalable du fichier GPS de l'excursion pour chargement sur notre Garmin, rendant le suivi de l'itinéraire très facile

    4 day trip

    On the 2017-06-11 by Dean
    This was a great trip and we have many happy memories from it. It was well organised and Velovoyage were very good to deal with.

    Au fil de l'eau.

    On the 2016-10-12 by Rosine
    Cet itinéraire est absolument remarquable tant au niveau de la beauté des paysages ( patrimoine de l'Unesco ) qu'au niveau de l'atmosphère qui règne au bord du canal. C'est une parenthèse enchantée qui déconnecte immédiatement du quotidien et nous plonge dans notre histoire de France. De plus,l'équipe du Vélo Voyageur a la bonne idée de nous dévier un peu du canal ce qui nous permet de découvrir la campagne environnante notamment celle après Castelnaudary qui nous fait croire que nous sommes en Toscane. Merci à Sébastien qui nous a accueilli à notre arrivée à Toulouse et qui a fait preuve de disponibilité et de professionnalisme pour la préparation des vélos.

    Belle balade

    On the 2016-10-02 by Jean-Paul
    Une superbe balade sur les bords reposants du Canal du Midi. Attention toutefois quand on rentre dans l'Aude le chemin devient plus irrégulier avec beaucoup de racines. Par ailleurs les cafés ouverts sont rares en Septembre sur les rives du canal.

    Great trip

    On the 2016-09-27 by Owen
    Excellent trip

    Lovely way to discover France

    On the 2016-09-11 by Stephanie
    Great way to discover regions of France without any stress. The hotels, chamber d hote were lovely and clean. Even when a person from our party left their Kindle behind both Vélo Voyageur and the hotel Albert 1er were really proactive in handling the situation. All the restaurants were of good quality ! Very tasty and close to the hotels if they were not on sight. We all enjoyed it very much!!

    Matériel/Sécurité

    On the 2016-08-13 by Christian
    Belle promenade

    Helena Nguyen

    On the 2016-08-09 by Helena
    It was a very fun trip. We have seen so many beautiful places, from Toulouse to Carcassonne. The whole trip was well organised. We are more than happy to recommend this trip to our friends and families.
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