Disclosure: We were invited on a press trip with Le Boat, all opinions are my own.
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The Canal du Midi
The Canal du Midi is a major feat of construction, which was partly designed by Leonardo da Vinci. It connects Toulouse in the South of France to Étang de Thau beside the Mediterranean Sea. Allowing passage of ships along the Canal de Garonne (Garonne River) from Bordeaux (Atlantic ocean) to Toulouse, connecting to the Canal du Midi. The construction of the canal allowed France to transport cargo from the West coast on the Atlantic down to the Mediterranean Sea, without need for passing through the straits of Gibraltar on the Mediterranean Coast.
Built by Pierre-Paul Riquet it took over 30 years to construct the canal. As the Canal had to rise to a significant height there are 86 locks to get along the Canal du Midi to the Mediterranean. There was no other canal quite like the Canal du Midi in the 17th Century. So many people used it as inspiration for design of improving canals around the rest of Europe and even in the USA. The Canal du Midi was also inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 for it’s outstanding engineering and design.
Castelnaudary to Carcassonne
We travelled along the Canal du Midi from Castelnaudary to Carcassonne and back. There isn’t truly much to see at any of the villages and towns between these two points. However, for this journey is more about the canal journey itself.
You will find a total of 23 locks between the two towns, which can make it fairly busy each day. We spent 3 days travelling each way to Carcassonne and back to Castelnaudary. The locks take a little getting used to, but as you start off with 4 locks coming out of Castelnaudary basin, you have to quickly work it out!
It’s a pretty route with the banks of the canal du Midi lined with plane trees, although we did notice many had been cut down recently due to a fungal disease. However, they have been replanting other trees in their place. It takes a long time to travel along the canal, so although you may feel like you have been travelling for ages, it’s probably only a 10 minute drive along the road by car!
Learning Process
By the time we were half way through the first day we were like a well oiled machine. Quickly tying up our boat into each lock, then moving forward along the canal to the next. Driving is easiest at the wheel on top of the boat, but does take a little getting used to. We managed well with just the two adults and two children, however, we did see groups of 5-6 adults struggling as they weren’t sure what they were doing in the locks. I do feel that this is perhaps due to them not having any common sense, rather than it being difficult (our kids understand how it all worked!).
We did have an issue where the lever on the top deck stopped working. After calling out the maintenance team it was all fixed in just 1 1/2 hours from ending the call! Very efficient, they don’t leave you stuck for long.
The Canal du Midi water is dirty (waste is dumped in the water) and not suitable for swimming in. So if you are looking for a canal holiday that allows you to go in the water then choose a different canal!
Carcassonne
The main tourist attraction on this section of the canal from Castelnaudary is Carcassonne (the rest of the stops are small villages). The medieval citadel is incredibly impressive. I recommend spending at least a day in Carcassonne if possible. You can park in the basin for around 20 Euros per night with electric and water.
The medieval city fortress is free to enter, with plenty of souvenir shops and restaurants. However, you do have to pay to enter the castle and walk along the walls. It’s not too expensive and I definitely recommend it for the views!
The rest of the time you can spend navigating along the little lanes of the medieval city, imagining what it would be like to live here in the past.
Shopping
Most of the small villages are within walking/biking distance of the canal. So you can stop off to visit and pick up supplies or go out for dinner. We only visited Bram and Carcassonne, as we had plenty of supplies from our shops there. My main worry was always whether we had enough drinking water. So it’s best to buy this before you leave at Castelnaudary and have it delivered to the boat.
You can find details of exactly where you can stop and the shops available at different villages on the Canal du Midi map you will be given when you check-in. We particular enjoyed visiting the small village of Bram, a medieval village that is just a short walk along a dusty path. You arrive under a beautiful stone bridge and it’s a good place to stop if you want to hook up to electric or visit the restaurant on the canal. There is a lovely patisserie in the town centre, so a popular place to stop and stock up at the small shop or buy delicious bread and pastries. There is also a small museum in Bram, but this wasn’t open when we visited.
Le Boat
There are several Le Boat bases along the Canal du Midi. We started at Castelnaudary and finished back at the same base. However, you can also do one-way trips, which makes more sense for longer trips. It’s one of the oldest canals in the world and there are plenty of Le Boat bases along the route to hire boats.
Le Boat have a wide range of boats available to hire from their bases. We were given the Mystique boat, which I’ve described in detail below. As Le Boat are a main provider of inland water holidays you’ll notice that most boats along the canal belong to them! There are a few other companies too, but the majority of boats we passed were also from Le Boat. One of the main selling points of Le Boat holidays is that there is no experience necessary and no licence required. Which, is very true, however if you don’t want to damage your boat I suggest listening carefully at your briefing!
Our briefing was very thorough and the technician made sure we knew exactly how to drive the boat. Along with how to reverse it to park and tie-up before we were allowed to go our own way. If you don’t listen then there’s a good chance you could damage your boat. We saw someone drive straight into a lock when inside it and another crash into the side of a canal bend when driving too fast. It will cost your deposit if you significantly damage the boat! However, most of it is really straightforward and just requires common sense.
Information Pack
You are also given a lack of information when you are handed the boat. The map is basically your bible to where you can stop, shop and for where the next lock is. Annoyingly most of the nature moorings don’t exist, or are too hidden in the vegetation to see during the summer. So it’s best to choose only the main moorings, or if necessary, near the locks if they are closed for the evening. Locks are generally closed for an hour at lunch time and after 7 in the evening during the summer. Your information pack also includes important information such as emergency numbers. If anything happens/you breakdown then it’s best to pull into a nearby mooring or use the hammer and pins to tie up at the edge of the canal safely.
Castelnaudary Base
The Castelnaudary basin is large, so an easy place to practice driving the boat if it’s your first time. The staff at Le Boat are all very helpful and you can ask any questions you need to know.
They also recommend that you get shopping delivered to your boat. Which would make more sense if you are planning on buying a lot of water. It’s only a 10 minute walk to the shops if you would rather walk there.
Mystique Boat
We had the Mystique boat, which is bigger than what we had expected as we were luckily upgraded before arrival. One of the good things about our particular boat was that it had a generator. This meant that we didn’t need to be connected to electric every night to charge up devices or heat the water for the shower. So we spent several nights parked at moorings by the edge of the canal without electric hook-up.
The Mystique has a double bedroom at the front of the boat and 2 bedrooms at the back with 2 singles in each. The sofa can also turn into a double bed if required. In the centre of the boat is the kitchen, complete with fridge/freezer, microwave, gas cooker and hob. Plus a sitting area and inside drivers seat/steering wheel. On the upper deck are built in table and chairs plus the main steering for the boat. It’s much easier to see where you are moving when entering and leaving locks from the top of the boat. There is also a canopy that can be put up over the upper deck for shade when you are stopped. Don’t drive the boat with the canopy up as it’s taller than most bridges you will go under!!
It’s the perfect sized boat for a family holiday, with it costing around £2579 for a week trip from Castelnaudary to Carcassonne return in October, based on 8 people sharing at £322 per person.
What Kind of Holiday Is A Canal Holiday?
A canal boat holiday really depends on the canal you choose to travel on. For us it was mostly about travelling through locks (there’s a lot!) and enjoying the canal trip. However, on canals with less locks (think flat areas like Netherlands) you will want to choose a route that has some interesting stops. As it could get boring otherwise!
Personally I would choose another canal holiday that has quite a lot of locks, as this was part of the fun for us. However, if you like a leisurely float along a canal without worrying about locks then perhaps choose a canal with few locks. Le Boat operate in 9 different countries, so there are plenty of options to choose from!
Is A Canal Boat Good For Kids?
Yes! It was great fun for all of us! The kids had great fun enjoying sailing down the canal and watching other boats driving along too.
We could do the ropes with just two people, but the kids really wanted to help and so they also threw the ropes to secure our boat in the locks, held them tight and coiled ropes on the boat at the end of the day. With the kids help we had the whole entering and leaving locks down to a fine art, with everyone knowing what their job was.
For younger kids you can also grab kids life jackets to wear whilst on the boat, adult ones are already on board . However, ours are a bit older and more careful when moving around the boat, so we didn’t use them.
Read more about other fantastic French holidays with kids:
- Spend a week cruising along the Canal du Midi in a canal boat, navigating the locks and exploring.
- Explore Puy du Fou, France’s award winning historical theme park!
- Find out what to do in Bordeaux with kids this year!
- Enjoy a multi activity holiday with the family in the French Pyrenees.
- Stay close to the sea at Cote d’Argent campsite in air conditioned homes, with a great pool area for kids.
- Spend 48 hours in Paris with the kids, there is a lot to see!
- Climb the Eiffel Tower with the kids, find out what to expect!
- Stay at the Novotel Gare Montparnasse in Paris, a great family hotel
- Enjoy a skiing holiday for beginners in France, find out where to go!
- Stay in Les Roc De Tours apartments in the Haute Savoie region of France whilst skiing.
- Get the authentic French ski resort experience at Grand Bornand.
- Explore the beautiful ski resort of Areches-Beaufort, with it’s many runs that are excellent for newbies as well as experienced skiers.
Other French Trips You May Enjoy
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