Canal du Midi: Carcassonne to Sete, the South of France and the Sea
6 nights from €1795
4.5Cycle the Canal du Midi to the stunning Mediterranean coast
Cruise the Canal du Midi by bike from incredible Carcassonne to spectacular Sete on the Mediterranean coast. Beginning in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Carcassonne, a medieval city restored by the famous architect Viollet-le-Duc and celebrated for its grand castle and quaint cobbled streets, you'll embark on an unforgettable cycling trip along the renowned Canal du Midi.
Along the route to Sete, you'll make stops at several key locations like Narbonne and Beziers, historical sites which offer fascinating insights into the authentic southern French lifestyle. Park up your bicycles on the blissful beaches of Cap d'Agde, and soak up the splendid scenery that makes the South of France one of the country's most prized assets.
Daily Program
Day 1: Arrival in Carcassonne
Arrive in captivating Carcassonne, a wonderful place to start your trip! Your hotel is located right at the base of the walls of this grand medieval city. Drop your luggage in the hotel and head out to explore. You'll be provided with orientation and bike set-up in the early evening, and there are plenty of options for excellent dining spots, including a number of restaurants within the city walls. As this UNESCO World Heritage Site is so intriguing, you may like to add an extra night to your trip - ask us for rates.
Overnight in Carcassonne.
Day 2: Ride along the Canal du Midi
32 miles/51 km, elevation gain 490 meters
Leaving Carcassonne, you'll come to the village of Trebes as you cycle along the quiet canalside bike path. As you ride, you can watch the amateur and professional boat operators gliding past and nagivating the canal locks. Continue south of the canal to reach the charming village of St. Pierre des Champs, following flat to rolling terrain. Dinner is included tonight.
Overnight in Lagrasse.
Day 3: Cycle to Narbonne
40 miles/64 km or 43 miles/69 km, elevation gain 545 meters or 405 meters
Today's route takes you to the commune of Narbonne where you can visit its impressive Gothic cathedral and old town. The cycling route briefly veers off the Canal du Midi in order to reach Narbonne via the Canal de la Robine. Today's ride features flat to rolling terrain with some trail sections.
Overnight in Narbonne.
Day 4: Ride to Beziers
24 miles/38 km, 203 meters
The cycling route today heads into the blissful countryside, following small country roads until you reach the beautiful town of Beziers, famous for hosting the Feria in August, a festival which draws thousands each year to watch events like bullfighting. Beziers is also known for the St. Nazaire Cathedral and the regrettable plight of the Cathars, all of whom were murdered in a purge by the Catholic crusaders in July 1209. You'll cycle some additional kilometers to reach your quiet, charming hotel, enjoying flat to rolling rural terrain following sections of the Canal du Midi trail.
Overnight in Beziers.
Day 5: Beziers to Cap d'Agde
19 miles/31 km, elevation gain 65 meters
Leaving Lignan and Beziers far behind, you'll cycle to the sublime seaside resort of Cap d'Agde on the blissful Mediterranean Sea. You'll first pedal past Agde, with its historically important trading port. Once called 'Good Fortune' (from the Greek 'Agathe Tyche'), Agde became an important trading point between Marseille and Spain during the 3rd century. Cap d'Agde is known for its stunning sandy beaches, so take some time out for a dip in the azure waters of the Mediterranean or to stretch out under the sun.
Overnight in Cap d'Agde.
Day 6: Cap d'Agde to Sete
17 miles/27 km, elevation gain 90 meters
Today's ride is a relatively short one along the coastal area between the Thau Lagoon and Mediterranean Sea. Today you will have the chance to visit Caves Richemer, a nice stop between land and sea, where you will have a wine tasting. The tasting will be accompanied by tasting oysters and toasts with fish rillettes made with dry white wine from the winery's "Terre & Mer" selection. It is a great opportunity to find out more about the "Terret blanc", a grape variety that the Richemer winery is dedicated to working with, as the wines from the "Terret blanc" are beautifully married with the sea food from the local Thau lagoon.
Arriving in Sete, you'll discover a beautiful city of typical southern French districts, crossed with canals lined with colorful houses overlooking the water. Soak up the blissful atmosphere here and perhaps learn a little about George Brassens, a popular French singer born in Sete in 1921. Dinner is not provided tonight, so take a stroll into the city and wander into one of the many enticing eateries. For a longer ride today, please enquire prior to your arrival.
Overnight in Sete.
Day 7: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
Don't want the adventure to end? Consider taking a cycling day tour in Paris or Provence.
Hotels
These are sample hotels and may vary by availability.
The accommodations on this tour are 3- and 4-star hotels.
Carcassonne: Hotel Montmorency
Lagrasse: Hostellerie les Corbières
Narbonne: Hotel La Residence
Bézier: Café Hôtel XIX
Cap d'Agde: Hotel Les Grenadines
Sete: Le Grand Hotel
Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.
Bikes
Standard touring bike
The SCOTT SUB SPORT 20 (or equivalent)
Features a sporty “trekking” geometry that is suitable for trips of all distances. Equipped with a Shimano 27-speed transmission and integrated front and rear lights, this bike is ready for any adventure.
Electric bike
SCOTT SUB TOUR ELECTRIC-RIDE 30 Unisex (or equivalent)
Enjoy all the fun of cycling in an electric version. The SCOTT Sub Tour eRide 30 assists you on all your rides, whether in town or in the countryside, thanks to its 500 Wh Bosch battery.
Available sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L
Accessories
Equipment included with your bike rental
- Helmet
- Odometer
- Water bottle
- Lock
- Pannier and handlebar bag
- Repair kit (2 spare tube, tool kit, tire levers, patch kit, pump)
Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals (Look Ke, Shimano SPD-MTB, and Shimano SPD-SL pedals. are available on request). If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.
Helmet:
A helmet is included with your bike rental; however, we recommend that you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene reasons.
Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.
Surface and terrain
You will enjoy rolling countryside and some short climbs on this tour. Most of the tour takes place on paved routes or packed routes, including trails along the Canal du Midi.
How to get there
Tour start
Nearest airport: Carcassonne Airport
Nearest train station: Carcassonne
Tour end
Nearest airport: Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport
Nearest train station: Sete
If you fly into Paris, you can catch a train to Carcassonne in 5 hours 20 minutes. At the end of the tour, the train from Sete to Paris takes about 4 hours. Flights to/from Beziers and Montpellier are also possible.
Reviews
- ★★★★★ Dee and Portia
This trip was a fantastic fit for us
This was our first bike tour in France; we will definitely be back for more. In general, the tours and experience were as advertised. Actually, the experience exceeded my expectations. Each of the stops were interesting in their own right, and Carcassonne was a great place to start. We loved the aesthetic of the canals and boats. We saw towns and back country that we never would have seen by car or train. The riding was spectacular. We were very pleased that 95 percent of the riding was on backroads and along the canal trails. We had very good food. I was worried about the one dinner that was included in the tour at an inn in a small village. It ended up being one of our favorite meals.
Hotels were perfectly fine (the trip was two years ago, so I don't recall the details). The bags and portering worked well at each location. The first day reception and bike and map training were also on point. The map app worked great. I was really glad I had ear buds. We really didn't have to reference the maps much along the way because you get verbal prompts from the app when the path changes or veers in another direction.
Yes, there are some climbs, as advertised, through a couple of passes. I was a happy for the exertion, my partner was happy with the e-bike!
About us: We are a couple from the US, fit, 52 and 61 at the time of the trip. We did a self guided tour. One of us was on a regular trail bike, one was on an electric trail bike. We have traveled in France many times.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Margaret
Beautiful arrangements, somewhat difficult cycling
Carcassone is stunning. All of the hotels were good to excellent. The terrain is quite varied. The cycling was more difficult than I expected -- there are some serious climbs on the first two days, and most of the route is on public roads so you have to deal with cars. The tour company did their best to avoid traffic but they can't create a bike path where there is none. Fortunately, French drivers are used to bicyclists. I would recommend this trip to experienced cyclists but not to newbies.
The preparatory material was good. We were given printed maps and also an app for our phones. Both were good but the app was great because you could use it while you were on the bike, and it gave you an audible warning if you got twenty meters off the trail. The app also kept track of the percentage of the daily ride you had covered, and had a few more features. This was the first time I'd had an app and I really appreciated it.- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 counting this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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