Canal du Midi
GPS-app available
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).
Reference
M0401
- Itinerant trip
- 5 days
- Easy
- From April 1st to Oct 15th
- Minimum age 9 years
GPS-app availableFrom
Prices
479€ / pers.
- Itinerary
- Accommodation
- Bikes, luggage and documents
- 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 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.
- 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
-
- Practical information
- 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/.
- Reviews
-
Download
the trip description
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.
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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
Bikes
On your arrival day, we provide you with:
We also provide you with the appropriate equipment for your children : baby seat, bike trailer or trailer bike depending on their age and size.
On your arrival day, we provide you with:
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")
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:
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.
To get to the departure point:
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.
.
Memory of the trip
12 bike travelers reviews
4.25 / 5
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!
