travelling by barge throught the canals

My husband and I rented a barge in southern France some years ago, and it was the most memorable experience we've ever had. We rented through Locaboat.com; they have boats all over France and in many European countries. Another company to try is Aquitaine-navigation.com. We picked up our Locaboat in Agen and travelled a short distance down the Canal Latéral à la Garonne and then on to the River Baise. If you rent through Aquitane, they have a base in Buzet and you can just start with the River Baise, which was the prettiest part of the trip. It was peaceful and beautiful, with lovely small towns that are so welcoming of tourists, because they seldom see them! We spent a night in Buzet and had the most incredible meal of our 4-week French vacation. We went in mid-September, and some days we had the river practically to ourselves. Weather was beautiful ... a little cool in the mornings, with the mist coming off the river, and warming up to shorts & t-shirt weather by afternoon. You'll have such fun navigating and opening the locks and docking ... we were apprehensive at first but by the end we were looking forward to the next lock. I hope someday to repeat this trip with my children & grandchildren.

Note: I just edited this to correct the name of the canal.

Hi, We did a one week barge trip from Boofzheim to Hesse Sept 2009, rented from le Boat. We were 6 adults. It was a fabulous trip. This year we are renting apt in Bologna but next year we plan to do a 11-14 day barge trip in either Burgundy or Champagne. Alsace was wonderful we spent two nights in Strasbourg and the boat lift at Arzviller is remarkable. The locks are very easy to navigate. Our experience with le Boat was perfect. I think you will have a wonderful time wherever you choose to go.

Check out rentals on Canal du Midi. I've seen it from the banks and it's beautiful. Several boat companies operate; their websites show one week trips between Castelnaudary and the Mediterranean; going East is said to be the best way.

When planning where to go, bear in mind that you will be going there at 4mph. And you will probably have to return the boat to where you rented it. An alternative, is to CYCLE along the canals. No hills - no traffic - and two or three times the speed. Plenty of B&Bs en route.

Roger

<<One should post only what one has experienced.>>

lol I posted exactly what I experienced. No need for anyone to get worked up about it just because it doesn't happen to square with one's own view. But I will add that there were no long queues waiting to go through at the Ecluses de Fonserannes--maybe half a dozen boats on the upstream side and none on the downstream. I think the Brit and one other boat in the lock with him were the last ones heading up the canal. That was late June. You tube has videos of Canal du Midi and the other canals. They all look great. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpuU9ztPXYI&feature=fvw

Use locaboat and stay off of the Canal du Midi - - it's bumper boats in the summer. Burgundy is okay, so it the run from Montpellier to the Rhone. I think locaboat dropped the run that starts/ends in Dinan, but that's the absolute best route - - maybe somebody else has it. Not so sure about nine folks, check carefully or get two boats - - it'll still be cheaper than hotel rooms for that size of crowd. Boats and locks are a cinch to operate.

<<stay off of the Canal du Midi - - it's bumper boats in the summer>>

Not the case this June. We walked beside the Canal du Midi several times at Capestang and Beziers, and drove beside it as well. Often there were no boats in sight. I talked to a Brit at the Ecluses de Fonserannes at Beziers while he was taking his boat through the locks. He and his family were having a wonderful trip. Sure made me want to do the same thing.

"I've seen it from the banks" and 'we walked beside the Canal du Midi" is a bit different from having taken a sailboat (with cradeled masts) from the Atlantic to the Med along the Canal du Midi, having rented a pinechette on the Canal du Midi (as well as most of the other French canals) and having criss-crossed the Canal du Midi more times in the last fourty years than the law allows. Admittedly, I'm a boat nut, but I spent last week knocking ice off a canal boat in England just so I could duck the crowds. Bumper boats is bumper boats. One should post only what one has experienced.

Ed's post caused me to re-count the head count. Ed, you said to consider 2 boats for 9 people. Its not 9; its 9 adults and 5 kids, 18-10 as I read it.

I will admit to knowing far more about British canalboats than French, however even much larger as they are 9 adults plus 5 pre-teens and teenagers = 14 souls.

Those of you with first hand knowledge of the French boats, time to chime in.

Or, mary from sacramento, ca - = - have I misunderstood the numbers you posted?

Sorry if I sounded a bit confusing.. there will be a total of 9 folks all together.. 4 adults and 5 kids ages 18-10.. thanks for asking for clarification