Home » All our cycling trips » Canal des Deux Mers » The Canal du Midi by bike from Montpellier to Toulouse

The Canal du Midi by bike from Montpellier to Toulouse

Price per person

From 845€

Type of stay

Bicycle trip

Location

Montpellier, Carcassonne, Toulouse - France

Duration

7 to 10 days

Difficulty

Departures

Every Sunday from March 16 to November 01. Other days with supplement (if less than 4 people)

Capacity

Minimum 2 persons

Reference

Cyclo 24

Your stay

The Canal du Midi by bike. From Montpellier to Carcassonne or Toulouse

The Canal du Midi is certainly the most beautiful canal in Europe. Moreover, having been built in record time in the 17th century (1666-1681), it is the oldest canal in the world, and served as the model for all canals built subsequently. Cycling on the Canal du Midi takes you through some 240 km of superb scenery. In all, there are 64 locks, the most spectacular of which is the Fonséranes lock near Béziers, where 9 locks enable boats to climb a vertical drop of around 30 m – a real feat of engineering at the time!

This bike tour takes you along the towpath in the shade of thousands of century-old plane trees, sheltered from traffic. You’ll discover the Languedoc vineyards on small back roads, as well as many picturesque villages. Culture and art lovers will be delighted.

This tour starts in Sète, a port city and the 2nd largest fishing port in the Mediterranean, then passes through Agde, founded by the Greeks, with its Romanesque cathedral fortified in basalt, then on to Béziers with its cathedral, old town and Roman bridge over the Orb, stops at Narbonne, with its archiepiscopal palace, Gothic cathedral and Roman ‘horreum’, and ends at Carcassonne, whose old town is famous for its impressive double wall, the largest in Europe (a UNESCO World Heritage site).

And if you add three days, the Canal du Midi will take you to the pink city of Toulouse, via Castelnaudary, the undisputed capital of Cassoulet. You’ll also discover the Lac de Saint-Ferréol, the world’s first reservoir, built by Paul Riquet to ensure a steady supply of water to the Canal du Midi. Last but not least, this cycling tour is also a gastronomic tour, as we’ve selected the best restaurants at each stop to help you discover the fine cuisine of Languedoc.

You'll enjoy :

The entire Canal du Midi!
The medieval Cathar city of Carcassonne, a UNESCO world heritage site
A swimming break at Lac de Saint-Ferreol, a historic site in a green setting
The diversity of Occitanie’s landscapes
The charm of old lock houses

Back to travel

Daily program

Day 1 - Arrival in Montpellier

Individual arrival in Montpellier

Day 2 - Montpellier to Sète

9:30 am: Pick up your bikes and tour documents. Pedal along the Lez from the beautiful city of Montpellier on a cycle path through a bird sanctuary to Palavas and the Mediterranean Sea. Then along the Rhône-Sète canal through the Camargue and on to Frontignan-Plage and Sète.

Day 3 - Sète to Béziers

Follow the coastal road to Agde, where you can visit the old town and cathedral, then follow the Canal du Midi to Béziers.

Day 4 - Béziers to Narbonne

Visit Béziers and take the bridge over the River Orb to the Fonséranes locks.

Continuing on roadsides and footpaths, you pass Ensérune, a Celtic oppidum, and the imposing Gothic church of Capestang. Continue along vineyard paths towards Narbonne.

Day 5 - Narbonne to Homps / Olonzac

Narbonne, with its archiepiscopal palace and Gothic cathedral, is a must-see in the middle of your tour. Walk along the Canal de la Robine and over footpaths to the Canal du Midi and the small village of Homps. Stay in a B&B **** or a 4**** hotel in La Redorte.

Day 6 - Homps / Olonzac to Carcassonne

Today you continue to follow the Canal du Midi until you reach the fascinating, historical city of Carcassonne, the famous medieval walled town with its 2 circular walls and a huge medieval fortress, the largest one in Europe (World Heritage Site).

Day 7 - Departure from Carcassonne or extension to Toulouse

Extension to Toulouse (3 nights)

Day 8 - Carcassonne to Castelnaudary

If you’ve booked the extended tour to Toulouse, continue along the Canal du Midi, where you’ll catch a glimpse of the Montagne Noire, and pass through peaceful villages under plane trees to Castel-naudary, the undisputed capital of cassoulet.

Day 9 - Loop from Castelnaudary: Lac St. Ferréol

Leave the Canal du Midi and follow country roads to reach the strategic point of the Canal des Deux-Mers project: Lac St Ferréol, built in the 17th century as a reservoir for the Canal. Further on, you’ll come across the central market hall of the Revel bastide. Return to Castelnaudary.

Day 10 - Castelnaudary to Toulouse

Continue along the Canal to arrive in Toulouse, a pink city on the Garonne River that’s a must-see, as are the riverbanks.

rates

Price per person

	March 16 to April 05 / Sept. 21 to Nov. 01	April 06 to June 21 / Sept 07 to 20	June 22 to Sept. 06
From Montpellier to Carcassonne (7 days – 6 nights) : From Montpellier to Toulouse (10 days – 9 nights) :	845 € 1265 €	975 € 1395 €	1025 € 1445 €

Price includes :

6 to 9 nights with breakfast in 3 and 4-star hotels and bed & breakfast (double room)
Meeting with our local correspondent
Route book (with map and directions)
GPS track files on request
Luggage transfer at every stage
7/7 technical support

Supplements

	Montpellier to Carcassonne	Montpellier to Toulouse
Touring bike (helmet not supplied) : Electric bike (helmet not supplied) : Half-board formula : Non-Sunday departures (less than 4 people) :	110 € 250 € 270 € (6 dinners) 80 € à 120 €	160 € 320 € 380 € (9 dinners) 100 € à 150 €

Further information

We take care of transporting your luggage every time you change accommodation, so you can travel light and enjoy your day’s hiking.

Leave your luggage at the reception desk of your accommodation before departure.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll meet them at the reception desk of your new accommodation or directly in your room.

Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (maximum 23 kg) + 1 carry-on.

Your travel file corresponds to the documents or files you receive prior to your trip (generally one month before) and/or on arrival at your first accommodation.

It includes :

A welcome letter with key practical information:

Baggage transport times
Details of delivery and collection of rental bikes if required
Your local contact and emergency telephone number(s)
Any additional information

Travel logbook including map with route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical information

Any necessary vouchers to be given to the service provider(s)

On request and depending on the tour:

Download the “Evazio” application onto your smartphone for GPS navigation with visual (reading the route on your smartphone screen) and/or spoken guidance. The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no Internet connection is required.
Loan of a GPS device with pre-recorded tracks
Send GPX tracks of each stage for use with your own navigation device

On this tour, we can provide you with a choice of the following, upon reservation:

A VTC bike adapted to the ride and the route

Velo Canal du Midi UNISEX

An electric bike adapted to the route

VAE Canal du Midi UNISEX

With equipment :

Bag 1

Repair kit

Anti-theft device

1 rear bag
1 repair kit
1 anti-theft device
1 charger (for electric bike)

For younger children, depending on age and size, we can offer

Children's bikes

Bicycle follower

Trailer

Second trailer

A child’s bike
A baby seat
A trailer
A follower bike

The bike is adjusted to your size and delivered to the first accommodation.

At the end of the tour, the bike must be left at the last accommodation with its equipment. We’ll take care of collecting them.

This tour is offered in the “superior” category

Hotel categories :

Comfort: The tour features mainly 2 and 3-star hotels (or equivalent comfort level) and bed & breakfasts.
Superior: The tour features mainly 3- and 4-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort) and charming bed & breakfasts.
Luxury: The tour features mainly 4- and 5-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort).

For the duration of your stay, our telephone assistance service is available: