Canal Du Midi Self Guided Bike Tour

Carcassonne to Béziers - 2 Options

The Essential Tour

This bike tour along the Canal Du Midi goes from Carcassonne to Béziers and includes Narbonne as well.  You will be cycling along the Canal Du Midi, the Canal de la Jonction, and the Canal de la Robine.  Three canals in one trip.  Spend a night in Carcassonne as well, to visit the Unesco World Heritiage site of the walled city.

The tour follows the Canal Du Midi downstream and goes in the direction of the prevailing winds!

Come cycle the Canal Du Midi with Relax Bike Tours, the only bike touring company actually located on the Canal Du Midi.  Using the highest quality products available along with the most detailed route maps, this will be a pleasure for both young and old alike.  We are a registered travel agency, as required by French law, giving you extra peace of mind.  We offer many bike tours along the Canal Du Midi.

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DURATION: 5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS  | LEVEL: MODERATE  |  CUSTOMIZABLE: YES  |  TYPE: SELF-GUIDED

POPULAR BESPOKE OPTIONS

Extra day in Homps to cycle to Minerve.
Extra day in Carcassonne.

Extra day in Narbonne to cycle to the beach.

Have bikes delivered in Castelnaudary and start from there.

DEPARTURES

Every day.

DISTANCE

119 Km via Narbonne

109 Km via Mirepeisset

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(photos are non-contractual)

Bike Tour by Day - Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Day 1:  Carcassonne

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Arrival by car, train, or airplane directly into Carcassonne.  You will have plenty of time to visit the medieval Cité of Carcassonne.  The Cité is the largest medieval castle in the world, and its cobbled streets, drawbridges, and narrow streets are said to have inspired Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty.

OPTION: Start in Castelnaudary instead.

Day 2:  Carcassonne to Homps ~39 Km

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

You have some time in the morning to explore the castle of Carcassonne if you have not done so yet.  Start your bike tour along the Canal Du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Cycling is easy on the ancient towpaths with no traffic.

Day 3:  Homps to Narbonne ~45 Km

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Continue along the Canal Du Midi heading East.  Have a relaxing lunch in the beautiful town of Le Somail right along the Canal Du Midi.  Continue cycling past the canal junction.  You have enough time today to explore part of the canal that goes towards Narbonne.  Along the way is the Amphoralis Museum, an open air museum situated on the site of an old Roman pottery site.  Here the Romans fabricated the famous amphora that they used to transport wine all across the Mediterranean Sea.

Day 4:  Narbonne to Béziers ~35 Km

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Cycle along paved county roads back to the Canal Du Midi.  Visit the Malpas Tunnel, the only tunnel on the Canal Du Midi.  Shortly after you will pass by the famous Nine Locks of Béziers, the masterpiece of the Canal Du Midi.  These locks offer a fantastic view of Béziers, the birth place of Paul Riquet (the builder of the Canal Du Midi).  Cycle over the Orb aqueduct to enter the oldest city in France, Béziers.

Day 5:  Béziers

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Discover all that Béziers has to offer, its covered market, its magnificent cathedral (you can even climb its tower; but first wake the "guard" who is always asleep!), or the bustling Allées Paul Riquet.

Béziers has an airport with frequent flights to UK, Germany, Paris, Norway, etc.  Béziers also has a train station with frequent connections to Paris, Narbonne, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Toulouse, Barcelona, etc.

OPTION: Keep your bikes one more day and cycle from Béziers to Agde or Sète along Canal Du Midi, and return by train in the afternoon!  You can also cycle to one of the many nearby beaches and spend a few hours on the beach.  Excess luggage can be left in our store so you can travel as light as you want.

Alternative Tour - Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Day 2:  Carcassonne to Puichéric (alternative route) ~ 32 Km

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Take your time to visit the old cite of Carcassonne this morning.  Start cycling in late morning to reach Trebes for lunch.  Trebes is about 14 km away and has a plenitude of restaurants to choose from, all overlooking the canal.  Spend the night in a château classified as an historic monument.

Day 3:  Puichéric to Mirepeisset (alternative route) ~ 33 Km

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Keep following the Canal Du Midi.  You will have time today to take it easy, cycling past Le Somail.  Le Somail was founded by Paul Riquet and served as one of the overnight stays for passengers on the mail boat.  Le Somail is picture perfect and is a good place to have lunch.  It is also home to a very large bookstore that has a small English book section as well.

Day 4:  Mirepeisset to Béziers (alternative route) ~ 44 Km

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Cycle along the Canal Du Midi from Mirepeisset directly to Béziers.  Pass by Capestang and visit its imposing cathedral.  Make sure to stop at the tourist office here as it houses the best Canal Du Midi souvenir shop along the entire route.  Visit the famous Nine Locks in Béziers and the Malpas Tunnel, both on the Canal Du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Optional Days - Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Day 3:  Rest day in Homps (optional circle bike ride to Minerve ~32 Km)

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Today you have the chose of going for a swim in the hotel pool or the nearby lake.  For the more sportive persons, there is the option of cycling to Minerve and back.  This will require a bit of climbing.  The trip to Minerve will be on county roads.  There is a taxi service that can take you and your bikes to Minerve if you wish (not included; book yourself or with our assistance; pay taxi driver yourself).

Day 4:  Rest day in Narbonne (optional bike trip to the beach ~40 Km or  ~65 Km)

Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

Explore the small city of Narbonne.  Visit the cathedral and its museum.  Have lunch in the Halles or one of the many great restaurants in the city center.  Today also includes two optional bike rides to the beach.  You can continue along the Canal de la Robine to either Port Nouvelle or Gruissan.  Port Nouvelle has a train station so you could take the train back to Narbonne with the bikes, or vice versa depending on wind directions.  Gruissan is closer by and is more beautiful, but has no train station so you have to go back the same way you came.  There is also an extreme option of ~65Km circle ride around the La Clape mountain back to Narbonne (GPS phone app required).

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Whatʼs Included - Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

What’s Included:

• 4 nights accommodation in 3* hotels and B&B's, some with pools
• breakfasts everyday
• Luggage transport from hotel to hotel each day
• Bike rental: Comfortable premium quality hybrid bike with panniers
• Technical support (not including flat tire)

Optional: (not included)

• Extra days of bike touring

Not Included:

• Your trip between here and your home, before & after the tour
• Your travel and health insurance
• Your private costs, souvenirs, gifts, telephone, minibar, etc

Bike Tour Gallery* - Self guided Canal Du Midi Bike Tour - Bespoke

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*images are non-contractual

Booking - Inquiry

Cycling tours in the south of France.

To take the first step to this bike tour, please contact us by email. We will email you in a few hours about availabilities and all the next steps to confirm your booking.

You can also email us at relaxbeziers@gmail.com