Has anyone rented a boat and cruised the Canal du Midi? Do you have any recommendations for rentals or any useful hints?
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2 posts
We chartered through Le Boat and had a great experience with the company and the boat. The person we dealt with gave us some great tips on cruising the Canal. Which part do you plan on doing? My advice is to take it as slow as you can, tie up at as many vineyards as you can and relax! The best restaurant we ate at was Le Chat Qui Peche, directly on the Canal. We tied up just below it and walked to the restaurant. The next am we walked into the little village nearby and bought fresh croissants (a daily necessity) and baquettes. Wonderful! The staircase at Beziers is an amazing experience. There are so many lovely villages along the canal that are definitely worth a visit, even if briefly.
Posted by
Reno, Nevada
1025 posts
The Canal du Midi is wonderful. Slow travel with an eye toward just "being" as you float down (or up) the Canal. I have twice submitted to the charms of the rural south of France and recommend it for groups or for couples who just want to get away from the touristy events.
The biggest attraction is getting to meet European travelers of many stripes whose idea of a vacation is not running full tilt from museum to cathedral to trendy bistro. On one trip we started in Le Somail for an out and back to Carcassonne, and on another we started in Agde, one way to Carcassonne. I agree, the locks in Beziers are amazing, if mildly daunting.
Here is a decent place to rent boats: http://www.southfrance.com/boatrentalsfrance/agde/index.html