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Canal du Midi

From Carcassonne to Narbonne along the canals in 5 days

Visit the medieval fortified city of Carcassonne before you set off along the the Canal du Midi. Along the way, you’ll be able to admire the cathar village of Minerve. The Canal de Robine will guide you to Narbonne with its Merchants’ bridge and the unfinished cathedral.

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 24 to 40 km long, which means 2 to 4 hours biking at a slow pace (10km/h). The boat hauling path being still a dirt track on several portions (between Homps and Narbonne), it is sometimes bumpy to ride (narrow path).

Reviews (12) :
4.25 / 5
Reference M0401
  • Itinerant trip
  • 5 days
  • Easy
  • From April 1st to Oct 15th
  • Minimum age 9 years
GPSGPS-app available
479€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • Ride up the Canal from Carcassonne to Narbonne. The cool shade of the trees, the swaying of the barges and the splashing of water of the Canal du Midi flavour your journey. The Canal du Midi also passes through a region rich in history. An amazing trip in Cathar land with its Carcassonne fortress but also the Narbonne Cathedral.

    DAY 1

     
     

    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!

    DAY 2

     
     

    Carcassonne - Homps

    Bike
    40km
    You leave the busy city and enjoy the calm of the canal. Cycle under the plane trees and cypresses, surrounded by vineyards. Enjoy a day outside: the calm nature is only disrupted by the animation of the cute villages. Admire the many works of art, built on the canal between 1666 and 1680, like the aqueduct of Orbiel.

    DAY 3

     
     

    Round trip to Minerve

    Altitude
    ±320m
    Bike
    36km
    You can either choose to explore the nearby lake or visit the fortified Cathar villages in the hinterland like Minerve, which is one of the “Loveliest Villages in France”. You meander through the gorges of the Cesse and stop to admire the breath-taking scenery. The route is much hillier than the canal, but really worth the effort.

    DAY 4

     
     

    Homps - Narbonne

    Bike
    35km
    You continue to ride along the Canal du Midi, quietly enjoying the cool shade of plane trees and pines and the slapping sound of water against the barges.
    Be careful to the roots in this stage. The path become bumpy and narrow.

     
     

    Departure from Narbonne

    You depart after breakfast.
  • Accommodation
  • Category A

    You stay in hotels with ** standards offering all the necessary comfort after a day outdoors. These family hotels welcome you warmly. Breakfast is included.
    * Example of the type of 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.

    Our documentation contains a very detailed description of the itinerary. No matter how you usually navigate, you will find your way thanks to our comprehensive guidance material including:
    • 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


    For this short trip your travel documents will be sent electronically.


    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.
  • Practical information
  • To get to the departure point:

    • By plane: regular flights to Toulouse or Ryanair flights to Carcassonne from London Stanted, Liverpool, Eindhoven, etc. Bus connection every 30 min to the city center of Carcassonne. The bus ticket is valid on the public transport network for an hour.
    • By train: TGV (fast trains) from Paris Gare de Lyon and connection in Lyon/Narbonne/Montpellier to take a regional train to Carcassonne. The duration of the trip is about 6h00. To plan your trip, https://www.sncf-connect.com/.

    Parking

    If you drive to Carcassonne, you can park your car in a secured car park located in the city center, close to your accommodation.

    You can park also your car in the free open public car park located on each side on Pont Vieux.

    To find a parking space : www.parkopedia.com

    To get back to the starting point:

    Regional trains take you back to your starting point if you wish. They are accessible without booking in advance and bicycles are free. You have to buy your ticket on the spot. To plan your trip, https://www.sncf-connect.com/.

    Meeting time:

    On the first day, your bikes will be delivered to your accommodation. You can start at any time that suits you.

    .
  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

    prev next
    1 2
    12 bike travelers reviews 4.25 / 5

    Highly Recommended

    On the 2024-05-21 by TMKC
    A terrific program, with excellent support and everything you need to have a once-in-a-lifetime journey that fits your goals. The trip was fantastic, and Le Vélo Voyageur was incredibly helpful and responsive. The bike was well equipped and maintained, and I had everything I needed for a wonderful vacation!

    Disappointing.

    On the 2023-08-15 by Susan
    While the scenery was beautiful and the accommodations were lovely, the bike and the app were very disappointing.

    super

    On the 2023-07-04 by jean luc
    super séjour organisation top

    Une 1ère expérience...à renouveler!

    On the 2021-08-08 by Nathalie
    De manière générale, nous avons été surpris par la faiblesse des indications tout au long du parcours, par le mauvais entretien des pistes et, parfois, par la nécessité - assez périlleuse et désagréable - d'emprunter des axes très roulants, peu sécures. Une autre, en lien avec les hébergements proposés : tous étaient fort plaisants avec, à chaque fois, un accueil très agréable.

    Très content

    On the 2021-05-21 by THIERRY
    Très bonne organisation du séjour. Tout s est déroulé sans aucun problèmes. Je recommande vivement Vélo Voyageur.

    Très bien

    On the 2019-08-02 by Nathalie
    Organisme très bien, à l'écoute, réactif. Je conseille vivement de partir avec eux les yeux fermés

    Narbonne - Carcassonne

    On the 2017-08-02 by Marie et Stéphane
    Magnifique balade le long du canal du Midi avec la découverte des écluses.

    Enfants et Grands parents

    On the 2016-07-30 by Maurice
    Séjour particulièrement intéressant pour 2 enfants de 13 ans et des séniors (plus de 70 ans).

    Perfect 3-day tour with childern

    On the 2016-07-13 by Elisabeth
    We had a very nice 3 days tour along the Canal du midi from Carcasonne. The route was mainly cycling on towpaths along the canal, but also on a few smaller roads. It was very safe, away from most traffic, for cycling with children. It is also flat, so again friendly for children (and those not as strong as the climbers in Le Tour the France). In the cities (Carcassonne and Narbonne) we mainly walked with the bikes in the city centres. We enjoyed the small hotel with personal service in Homps very much. The city hotels in Narbonne and Carcasonne were ok, we would have preferred smaller hotels/B&Bs with personal service if we had chosen the accommodation. We changed the route the last day, and went to Valras-Plage in stead of Beziers. In Valras-Plage we stayed at hotel Le Chatlet, which we can recommend. Information and assistance up front very good, and we always got fast replies to our questions. We especially appreciate the flexibility. This was our second journey with Le Vélo Voyager, and we will definitely order another journey later!

    Escapade de mai

    On the 2016-05-14 by Claude
    Belle découverte du canal du midi et des villes étapes Carcassonne et Narbonne. Séjour agréable hors période d'affluence avec une organisation bien adaptée. Dommage que la météo (et la température) n'ait pas été toujours de la partie... Bon choix dans les hébergements et restaurants sélectionnés, bien situés.

    A découvrir

    On the 2015-10-26 by Hélène
    Voyage agréable et satifaisant, Bonne organisation . Trés beau temps.

    Aventure merveilleuse!

    On the 2015-10-01 by Geneviève
    Nous n'oublierons pas ce séjour ... Merci!
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