Canal de Garonne and Canal du Midi used to be the shipping connection between the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sean. From the elegant, historic wine city of Bordeaux you follow the canal to the “pink” town of Toulouse. Cycling in a very relaxed way along almost car free routes through the magnificent typical South France countryside.
From Toulouse you follow the footsteps of the famous French "Canal architect" Paul Riquet. A relaxed, well marked track takes you through the agricultural area of Lauragais and the vineyards of Minervois. The ingeniously constructed winding "Canal du Midi", included in Unesco’s heritage, is your umbrageous guide. In Toulouse or Castelnaudary, enjoy a regional Occitan specialty made with dried beans, usually white, and meat: Cassoulet.
There is a lot to be enjoyed on the way along this large scale ‘water work’: antique boats, dozens of oval shaped locks of various sizes, age old villages, gastronomic surprises and beautiful towns like Carcassonne.
Today you travel to Bordeaux by train, plane or car and settle in at your comfortable centrally-located hotel. Easy connections using public transport (tram or shuttle) are available. Be sure to get there early to leave time to explore Bordeaux, a very pleasant town on the banks of the River Garonne.
After breakfast you head to the bike rental shop to pick up your bike. Your first route takes you quickly out of town, via a cycling path on the right bank of the Garonne. In Latresne you turn north, to follow a converted railway. At the Romanesque abbey in La Sauve you turn southward on quiet tarmac lanes to reach the town of Cadillac.
Challenge: 46.8km, 367m ascent, 362m descent
You start off again on winding inland lanes, to avoid the busy road between Cadillac and Saint Macair. You will have to do some ascents, but a rewarding landscape awaits: impressive estates, vineyards and tiny typically-French villages. After a visit to the Bastide de St Macair, you cross the Garonne to the beginning of "la véloroute des Deux Mers" - your cycling route "between two seas". Accommodation tonight at a charming chambre d'hôtes in Meilhan-sur-Garonne.
Challenge: 45km, 794m ascent, 748m descent
Today you follow the Canal de la Garonne, cycling on the flat from Meilhan-sur-Garonne all the way to Agen. Enjoy the shade of ancient plane trees and take time to make small detours along the way. Savour a cup of coffee on the beautiful village square in Damazan, with its fortress and historic arcades. Another stop could be Tonneins, worth the 10km detour for its lovely square on the banks of the Garonne and a wide choice of restaurants, cafés and shops.
Challenge: 69.8km, 385m ascent, 387m descent
After leaving the city of Agen, you will continue along the canal to Valence d'Agen, this is another beautiful town, with curious round washhouses. Your last section is peaceful once again, as you fully enjoy the scenery on your way to the historic town of Mossaic, a UNESCO world heritage site and important stop on the "Chemin de Saint Jacques" coming in from Geneva, with the 11th-century Abbey of St Pierre and its stunning cloister.
Challenge: 47.1 km, 277m ascent, 258m descent
Via the beautiful Pont-Canal du Cacor you cross the river Tarn and reach Castelsarrasin with its small port and 13th century Abbey of Belleperche. In the shade of old planes you now follow an uninterrupted, quiet track to the centre of Toulouse. The last km short of this ‘pink’ town are somewhat noisier. There’s a lot to see on the way: the water slope in Montech, the special Ponts-Jumeaux and the junction of 3 canals. After Grisoles with its brick houses you reach the historic Castelnau-d’Estrétefonds. From here you can, if you wish, cover the last 25 km of this ‘Canal de la Garonne’ route by train.
Challenge: 69.7km, 271m ascent, 189m descent
Leave town via the Paul Riquet bridge and cycle along the Canal du Midi, with its typical river barges. You cycle into the pastel coloured country of Lauragais. Take a break in Avignonet, the centre of the battles during the Albigenic crusades with its many medieval remains, statues of crusaders and enormous churches. At the foot of the Montagne Noire you find the highest point of the canal (190 m). This is the Narouze watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. You go down to Castelnaudary maybe to enjoy an authentic’ cassoulet’ later on.
Challenge: 64km, 100m ascent
Surrounded by The Montagne Noire in the east and the Pyrenees in the south west you cycle via an original, thousand- year- old tow path, to the river port of Bram. Brick gives way to stones and cornfields to vineyards. You pass age old villages and waterworks that are evidence of Paul Riquet’s ingenuity, such as the Bétel and Lalande lock. Also stop at the Cugarel mill, the Villepinte dam and the Rebente aqueduct. Finally you reach Carcassonne, consisting of the medieval upper town ( Unesco heritage) and the Bastide Saint-Jean situated somewhat lower.
Challenge: 43km, 50m ascent
After fabulous Carcassonne, you go back to the peaceful quiet of the ‘Canal’ surrounded by impressive sycamores/planes. Admire the bridge at Orbiel, the overflow for excess canal water in Argendouble and the 12th cent church in the river port of Trèbes. The very doors of this church, supported by 320 oak consoles, are worth a visit. If you can, stop in the Gallic village near Marseillette and take a walk to Capendu with its Roman chapel. Through undulating wine country, you reach your destination.
Challenge: 42km, 25m ascent
Follow, after the lock of Argens on the way to Le Somail a winding track along the hillside. Take a break here in the old library. Then cycle along the Canal de la Robine to Capestang with its collegiate church already visible from afar. Here from the tower you see the sea and the nearby 14th cent castle. ’En route’ again you pass Gallo-Roman remains: the village of Poilhes la Romaine and the Oppidum d’Ensérune. Also admire the Malpas tunnel and the nine Foncérannes Locks.
Challenge: 62km, 75m ascent
Although the sea isn’t visible yet you can smell it. The landscape becomes flatter and it’s a mosaic of dunes, swamps and wide lagoons. It’s the habitat of the egret, trotting among horses and cattle. In this coastal region, like the Camargue, you pass the unique ‘Pont bâche du Libron’ and the Agde Round Lock. In Agde with its ‘dark’ cathedral you cross the Hérault heading for the Thau Lagoon. At the lighthouse of Onglous the canal du midi ends. In Marseillan you finally cycle along the beach to Sète and you may catch a glimpse of the traditional water joust ‘Les Joutes’.
Challenge: 50km, 25m ascent
After breakfast, your trip ends in pleasant Sète, the biggest French fishing port on the Mediterranean coast, also known for its beautiful beaches. This authentic town, full of pastel coloured houses with wrought iron balconies, is crossed by several connecting canals and the Thau Lagoon. In the port, you find an abundance of fish restaurants. Everything as fresh as can be. A visit to the covered market is also worth your while. Here everything in the field of food and drink can be bought and is displayed in a marvellous way.
All accommodations are carefully selected because of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services.
We choose comfortable 2*/3* and 4* hotels or B&Bs where all rooms have private en-suite bathroom and every morning breakfast are included. If a hotel is fully booked, then we will book a similar one for you and inform you about the alternative booked.
If you would like to find out more about the star rating system in France, please check out this page.
If you don’t bring your own, you can rent a bicycle from us. Our touring bikes are at least 21-speed gear. You can find all the information regarding our rental bikes below.
You will find your rental bikes waiting for you at your first hotel. The hotel reception staff will give you the keys for your bikes and direct you to the bicycle shed. All bikes are provided with chain locks.
The frame and saddle height are set to your length, although you might want to adjust your saddle to be in the most comfortable position. We also recommend doing a first small test drive of couple of hundred meters to be comfortable with gears, breaks etc. If you have an issue with your bike, you can contact the service provider (name of bike rental in your reservation) directly. And you can always call us on our emergency phone number.
Please note: depending the trip, different models apply.
Our hybrid bikes have at least 21-gears with hand brakes.
The hybrid bikes are very good quality. Depending the trip, different model apply: Scott, Giant, Trek, Koga, ...
Whenever there is a big difference in level of ability, experience the many benefits of an electric bike on your cycling holiday. An e-bike will help you keep up with your fellow cyclists and give you a gentle boost up hills. An e-bike makes a bike trip more achievable. The e-bikes have a small electric engine and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric engine.
The E-bikes are very good quality. Depending the trip, different model apply: Scott, Giant, Trek, Koga, ...
For some trips, we can give you the possibility to rent a Racing bike, more details on request.
For some trips, we can give you the possibility to rent a Tandem bike, suitable for two adults only. More details on request.
For children who are at least 125 cm, we can also arrange bikes (these are 24”or 26” for children that are bigger than 140 cm). The child bikes come with at least 7-gears and hand brakes. The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm.
Please note: for some tours, different models apply.
A tag-along bike is a good option for children between approx. 100 cm and 125 cm, as they can pedal themselves and on their own pace but don’t have to worry about other traffic.
The tag-along bikes cannot be rented for all our tours
Please note: depending the trip, different models apply.
Child trailers can be rented for a maximum of two children who are up to 100 cm (max. 35 KG in total).
Please note: for some tours, different models apply.
All our rental bikes come with a bell.
All our adult bikes come with hand brakes.
For children older than 30 months (max. 22 kg) it is possible to rent a rear child seat. This is also possible with e-bikes.
For some tours, it is possible to rent a GPS device, more details on request.
Helmets are not mandatory in France (if the cyclist is over 12 years old) but strongly recommended. The helmet is mandatory for children under 12 years. If you rent a bike with us, helmets are included. Please advise us, if you bring along your own.
All our rental bikes come with lights.
All our rental bikes come with a lock.
All our rental bikes come with at least a rear pannier and a front card holder to put the roadbook/maps.
The rental bikes come with regular pedals, so no click-in/SPD pedals. On request we are able to supply these pedals on certain trips.
If you wish to bring your own click-in/SPD pedals, please let us knowprior to booking too.
All our bikes come with a quick release system, which makes it very easy to adjust the height of the saddle and the handle bars.
There is one small puncture kit included, which can be found in the pannier. In case a rental bike has another problem, we always advise you to go to a bike repair shop.
Saddles can be adjusted in height.
Our saddles don’t come with a gel cover. If you usually cycle with this, we recommend you carry them with you.
French Bike Tours does not provide water bottles. We can also not guarantee that there are bottle holders on the bikes. You will always receive at least 1x pannier, so you can always store your water bottle in your pannier.
Article 1 Bike Rental Price
The bike rental price is determined by the rates mentioned on the French Bike Tours website at the time of the booking; or as subsequently agreed.
Article 2 Payment
a. The rental price and any other due sums regarding the rental agreement must be paid before the bike is handed over to you.
b. If, for whatever reason, you cannot make use of the bike(s) you have rented, French Bike Tours will not be held responsible for any resulting expenses or damage.
c. In the case of the article 2b, the client remains obliged to pay the full rental price and any other amounts mentioned in the invoice, in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions of Booking, unless the client can prove that his not being able to use the bike was the consequence of a defect that was already present at the beginning of the rental period.
Article 3 Rental Period
a. The rental period runs from the morning of the first cycling day (day 2) to the end of the holiday (last cycling day), as stated in the booking confirmation.
b. Extension of the rental period is possible only after approval by us and according to the (extension) rates as mentioned in article 1.
c. No refunds are possible after the rental period begins. If you return the bike(s) to us before the end of your holiday, the rental agreement will automatically be terminated and you will not get any of your money back.
d. At the end of the last cycling day of your holiday, the bike(s) must be returned to the hotel from where it was/they were issued, no later than the time stated in the booking confirmation.
If you book a one way tour tour you can leave the bike at the last hotel of the trip.
e. If the bike(s) is /are not returned by the return time stated in the booking confirmation, we will continue to charge you rent until such time as the bike(s) is/are returned to us or is/are received by us. In the event of late return, the rates as mentioned in article 1 will continue to apply, plus a fine of €25 per day. We also reserve the right to demand payment for any costs and/or damages suffered by us due to late return of our rental bike(s).
f. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event of late return of our rental bikes, we reserve the right to dissolve the rental agreement without judicial intervention and immediately claim back our bicycles where ever they may be and from whomever has them. French Bike Tours also holds this right in the event that the client does not comply with any of the other conditions stated in this rental agreement.
Article 4 Improper Use
a. The bicycle(s) may only be used for its/their intended purpose and only by the cyclists listed in the rental agreement.
b. The bike(s) must be returned to us in the same (clean!) state in which you received it/them.
c. You must take excellent care of the bicycle(s), as if it/they were your own. You must take every precaution against damage, loss or theft.
d. The bicycle may not be used on the beach; or on sandy paths in the dunes unless a paved path is unavailable.
Article 5 Damage, Loss and Theft
The renter will be held responsible for damages to or loss of the bicycle(s) or parts of it, as well as bicycle keys and chains and locks, for such an amount as is determined by us according to standard market prices. You must understand that you are not insured for damage to the bicycle(s) or for any damages to third parties.
Article 6 Costs During the Rental Period
Any charges and taxes regarding the rental bicycle(s), such as fines and ferry tickets, are to be paid by you. You will also be required to pay all costs ensuing from the use of the bicycle(s) such as parking fees, maintenance and repairs.
11 Nights included
2/3 Star Hotels or 3/4 Star Hotels (supplement applied)
Tourist tax included
Breakfast included, 1 dinner included during the trip (day 3)
Maps and tourist information on all the places of interest
24/7 Bilingual Emergency hotline
Luggage transport to your next accommodations. Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (20 kg maximum)
For time tables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio for all French National trains (SNCF).
We strongly advise you to download the sncf mobile app prior to departure.
If you want to travel on a train with your bike, you can find more information via this link.
Parking informations on request
GPS tracks are available on request
The closest airports to the Canal de Garonne are Bordeaux (BOD) and Toulouse (TLS).
From Paris, you can take the TGV (high speed train) to Bordeaux. 2h15). On the end of your trip you can take a train from Monpellier (direct trains back to Toulouse, the journey takes 2 to 3 hours, you can add 2 to 3 hours for Bordeaux).
For timetables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio for all French National trains (SNCF).
From Paris to Bordeaux (approx. 6h - 590 km/367 mi). Acces to driving routes see the website ViaMichelin.
Amazing cycling along a car free route - next to a beautiful canal - clean quiet and comfortable accommodations - friendly reception - great cafes and restaurants along the route - great food - very pleased - thoroughly enjoy the trip. Fabulous trip - highly recommend it - great value for the money - especially responsive staff-organizers.
Highly recommend booking with this group - was easy to book - great communication with organizers - the route - especially the Garonne canal route is gorgeous - the accommodations were fabulous - clean and quiet - navigation was easy and straightforward.
The B&B in Pomb was particularly lovely - and the proprietors were fantastic - very gracious and generous and the room was fantastic - especially appreciated the pool!! The reception at the Moxy was very helpful Basically all accommodation was clean quiet and staff very supportive.
Pomb was fabulous. Very gracious hosts. Fabulous trip Cycling was wonderful - really enjoyed lack of cars - very beautiful route - amazing food - comfortable clean accommodation - wonderful communication with organizers - highly recommend this tour.
Valerie Marie W.
We had a great trip, so well organised and we loved the hotels we where staying in. Hope to book soon again for 2021!
55, rue Saint Jacques
24540 Monpazier
France
info@french-biketours.com
+33 (0) 5 53 73 08 61
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