Canal midi

We were thinking about it. The advice given to us was go "downhill". Going uphill is hard because you have to throw the line a long ways up. And if you miss on your first 10 tries it is wet & slimy

Have fun

I can’t say whether Toulouse is a good starting point, but whichever way you go, Toulouse is wonderful and well worth 3-4 nights.

Twenty whole years ago, we rented from a company in Béziers, at the eastern end of the Canal du Midi. They rented out English narrowboats, so we were on a very different craft than the many big boats flying Netherlands flags that had come from their country, and that passed us on a regular basis. There was a strike that week by the workers who operated the locks along the canal, so we would have to operate them ourselves. We traveled pretty slowly, and never reached any locks that required changing the water level to continue onward. We’d thought about boating as far up as Carcassonne, but didn’t make it that far by boat. After we returned the boat several days later at Béziers, we visited Carcassonne by land. The rental outfit got rid of their narrow boats a few years later, and I don’t think they’re operating any longer, but there appear to be many other rental companies operating out of Béziers.

We’re actually getting to France this coming summer by flying in to Toulouse, but we don’t plan to do any boat travel this time.

There are several companies that rent boats without a license to navigate the Canal du Midi, they have bases located in different locations along the canal. Toulouse is not where the majority of rental companies are (there are some, but especially for short rental periods of a few hours), for rentals of several days it is better to go further towards the East along the canal, to Montpellier and the Etang de Tau

Below you will find a link with a lot of information, maps, travel times.
It's in French, use an online translator.

https://www.leboat.fr/croisiere-fluviale/france/canal-du-midi/guide-voyage

More information here (in English)

https://www.tourismecanaldumidi.fr/en/discover/canal-du-midi-side/

If you have a car you can also go to the Montagne Noire where the canal water supply systems are located (les rigoles du canal), it is very pleasant for short hikes.

In the town of Revel there is the Canal du Midi museum, next to Lake Saint Férreol. (I sometimes go swimming there in summer)

The museum:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ndHMfQotizTPmYoh8

The lake:

https://tourism.auxsourcesducanaldumidi.com/lake-saint-ferreol

To visit Albi without a car the best is to take the train from Toulouse, it's around 1 hour by train.
It's about 45 minutes by car via the A68 motorway (toll €1.70). Note that it is not easy to park in the center of Albi.

I have not been on the canal west of Castelnaudary, but going east, there is not much to see before Bram. If I were planning a trip, I would concentrate on the area of the canal between Bram and Béziers. If you could plan a bit of your tip to enter the Étang de Thau, even to maybe Marseillan, that would add even more interest.

I have traveled both with the canal flow and against and I find absolutely no difference. However, I would recommend that you travel with binoculars (to be able to see what is happening at the next lock and plan accordingly), and gloves to help with handling the ropes.

Have you considered alternatives to the Canal du Midi? Several years ago we had a wonderful week on the River Baise. There were lots of locks, which were actually a fun part of the adventure. Except for the initial set of locks to get onto the river (which had a lock operator), they were all electronically operated (no need for gloves) — just a key card I wore on a lanyard around my neck.

It was so peaceful & scenic — riverbanks lined with trees and bike paths (you could rent a bike to bring on your boat). Lots of birds, very few other boats — especially compared with the Midi, which I have heard can look like bumper cars, with long waits at locks. Scenic little towns to explore along the way, with wonderful food.

We rented our boat from Locaboat, started on the Garonne Canal in Agen, then turned into the River Baise. Highly recommend this route.

Thanks for the info everyone. Very helpful.

Do you have any suggestions about rental companies and boats?
Crew of 4.

The three largest canal boat rental companies in France are:

http://www.leboat.com/

http://www.canalous-plaisance.fr/

http://www.locaboat.com/

As experienced boaters you may know this, but just in case, look carefully at the boat diagrams before selecting one. Ours said it would sleep six, but two of those “beds” were on benches around the kitchen table.

Also, one feature we forgot to check was outdoor seating on the boat. We rented one of the old Penichettes, and envied people with a small outdoor table & chairs.

Have fun!

This may or may not apply, but our narrowboat rental included some bicycles for recreational riding along canal paths, or for potential biking onto a town after mooring up canalside. The bikes were terrible; rusty chains that came loose, sticking and non-functional brakes, worn seat material were the immediate problems. They’d been lashed to the roof of the boat with bungee cords, and must have been exposed to sun and rain at all times, never protected. We’ve had lodging that came with complimentary bikes, too, and they have usually been inadequate. If you’re interested in bikes for your Canal du Midi cruise, don’t automatically expect too much from the boat company, or check the condition of their bikes before you launch.

Helpful stuff from you all. Here are a couple more basic questions - sorry, we are new to this.

1. Where does the electricity come from? On our boat we have solar panels, plus alternator charge when the engine is running, plus we can plug into shore power. How is this handled on a rental boat? When happens if the batteries get depleted?
2. Is there a holding tank for grey/black water waste? Are there pump-outs along the way?
3. I assume all kitchen equipment is provided. We have found it is usually worth bringing decent knives when travelling. Any comments?
4. Our experience with small boats (ours is a 32 foot tug) is that a boat with two cabins is actually only good for one couple unless there are small children along. So if we have four adults (one couple plus two friends) I am thinking three cabins and bathrooms would be workable. Any comments ?

I am sure I will have more questions as we get into planning.
Thanks
Peter

1. Electricity comes from either your engines generator/alternator or from shore power (if it is available). You will need to ask your rental company about solar panels and onboard batteries. Generally, if you are not running the engine or connected to shore power, you have no electricity. It is not the end of the world, flashlights fill any void.

2. There is a grey water tank, maintenance of which is the responsibility of the rental company.

3. Kitchen equipment is provided but no consumables such as coffee, salt, butter, or any food item. Bringing your own knife would be a function of how much food prep you want to do and how long you will be on the boat.

4. Many people rent boats with an extra bedroom just as you have described. It is a function of budget and personal space required. I have rented boats with 4 cabins and we have been 8 people. We have always had a very enjoyable experience.

Husband and I visited 72 countries, some multiple times. Many fabulous experiences. Our trip on the Midi from Carcassone on leboat ranks in the top 5. Went in May, boat we rented had 2 master suites with living/kitchen in the middle. We received an extremely detailed boat manual which listed towns, water, gas, electricity, chateaus,locks etc, etc. Rented bikes gals went ahead, shopped and made sure we were either past the lock (especially with a lock keeper who took lunch) or able to wait while we ate. Essential to bring heavy duty gloves for the slimy ropes if you do the locks. It was the most fabulous trip, Carcassone was magical and the Canal just delightful.

To decide: configuration of the boat, number of locks you want to deal with, length of trip, additions to your trip, season.

Join Us in France has a nice episode about Canal du Midi touring.

https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/episode-22-canal-du-midi/