Canal du Midi

Canal du Midi cruise tips & insights
Quick overview
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. It meanders between Toulouse and Sete in southern France for a distance of 240 kilometers (150 miles).

Today, the waterway is used mainly by barging and yachting vacationers.

Best stretch
Select the segment between Carcassonne and Colombiers. It has the highest concentration of stunning vistas and attractions. And you avoid the time-wasting 8-lock Forseranes complex, which lies between Colombiers and Beziers (see map above).

The gratifying barge experience

• Life moving at a slow, relaxed pace (Canal du Midi boats by law travel at walking speed).
• Seeing picturesque villages, chateaus, churches, bridges, farmhouses, and vineyards.
• Biking, hiking, and walking down tow paths and quiet rural roads.
• Exploring medieval Carcassone.
• Dining in charming country restaurants.
• Mingling with cruisemates and friendly locals.

But before you decide to barge, recognize...

• A significant amount of your "cruising and unwinding" time may be spent waiting for locks to open, fill, and drain.
• And lunchtime lock-closings complicate your schedule.
• Unless you're on a full-crew luxury barge, you will do a host of chores including cooking in a cramped galley, making beds, rope-pulling your boat through locks, and more.
• If it downpours, you're stuck inside tight, non-airy quarters.
• And don't even think about swimming in the canal water.

Not a vacation for some people.

When to go
May to September is the prime season with July and August the peak. April and October are nippy, but less crowded and lower priced.

Booking
Most barges are hired through rental agencies, not directly from the owners.

Don't be disappointed - Verify that you boat meets your expecations before you book
Boats vary considerable in variables.
• Lengths - Up to 30 meters (100 feet)
• Widths - Narrow and wide
• Ages - New to too old
• States of repair - Good to bad
• Cruise lengths - 2 to 7 days
• Berths - 4 to 12

Personnel and rates also vary:

• With crew
  Number ranges from one (captain) to four (captain, cook, steward, and tour guide). Typical prices range from US$200 to $800 a day per person. They are usually all-inclusive - food, drinks, shore excursions, but not tips.
• No crew
  Passengers do all the work: Skipper, rope-tow, cook, housekeep, shop, and more. Daily rates average $100 to $300 per person.

Travel upstream or downstream?
Book the latter direction. Going through the locks will be easier and less arduous.

Docking
You can do it practically anywhere. Tie up your boat to a countryside tree or to a village dock.