see for restaurants in the Herault (Agde etc.) ,the Aude (Carcassonne, Homps etc.) and the Gard (Montpellier, Camargue etc.)departments: just click on one of the places in the list that will appear
Hérault: http://www.cuisine-francaise.com/resto-departement-herault-34.htm Aude: http://www.cuisine-francaise.com/resto-departement-gard-30.htm Gard: http://www.cuisine-francaise.com/resto-departement-gard-30.htm
your second home in the Languedoc....read here
2012: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)

LE SUD ( THE SOUTH OF FRANCE ) LANGUEDOC
Canal du Midi by hire boat
read our holiday report (september) on Canal du Midi ! -click here...(7 pages)

click here for Canal du Midi information
A cruise in the sunshine
The Canal des Deux Mers, between the ocean and the sea was the brainchild of Baron Riquet.
It took fourteen years to build it. Almost nothing has changed since its opening: round and oval locks that work as they used to in the seventeenth century, elegant arched bridges in Roman style, etc... From Agde, a famous little southern town dedicated to agriculture (olives, wine, fruits) and fishing, the canal lazily meanders through a romantic landscape, full of thousand Mediterranean fragrances. Under the sun which filters through the leaves of plane trees, among the shimmering tones of multi-coloured flowers, amid the the profuse song of crickets and grasshoppers, your cruise will be a never ending delight. You will relish in the pleasure of being with your family or friends, of walking or riding on towpaths, of stopping over at historic or gastronomic places, totally losing track of time. These are the memories that you will keep of your cruise on the Midi canal.

Camargue -click here for more Camargue canal information...
The camargue region reveals its beauty to those who know how to take their time. You will dicover the marvellous spectacle of wild nature at a leisurely place. The canal from the Rhône river to Sète runs along the Mediterranean Sea. You will discover la Grande Motte, famous for its pyramid style buildings and its golf course, then le Grau du Roi and Palavas les Flots. You can visit Aigues Mortes (a fortified medieval town). You can cruise towards Avignon, from Carnon to Beaucaire, a charming way to get acquainted with the Provence. You can stop in Saint Gilles and discover its gastronomic specialities. The Camargue region is the perfect cruise for people who like nature, sun and discovery.

suggested routes: from Agde
2012: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
departure day saturday monday friday (depends on boat)
mini week:
Agde-Aigues Mortes-Agde 140 km-6 locks-20 hours
Agde-Capestang-Agde 86 km-24 locks-18 hours
one week:
Agde-Homps-Agde 172 km-34 locks-32 hours
Agde-Narbonne-Agde 146 km-44 locks-30 hours
Agde-Saint Gilles-Agde 208 km-6 locks-28 hours
one way Agde-Carcassonne 126 km-36 locks-25 hours
two weeks
Agde-Carcassonne-Agde 252 km-76 locks-50 hours
Agde-Beaucaire-Agde 246 km-6 locks-40 hours
three weeks +:
Agde-Castelnaudary-Agde 332 km-124 locks-70 hours

from Homps depart. day saturday monday friday
2012: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
mini week:
Homps-Carcassonne-Homps 80 km-26 locks-21 hours
Homps-Béziers-Homps 122 km-8 locks-21 hours
one week:
Homps-Marseillan-Homps 192 km-36 locks-30 hours
Homps-Bram-Homps 128 km-36 locks-32 hours
Homps-Narbonne-Capestang-Homps 70 km-28 locks-25 hours
one way Homps-Carnon : 143 Kms-17 locks-27 hours
two weeks
Homps-Toulouse-Homps 280 km-94 locks-60 hours
Homps-Carnon-Homps 286 km-34 locks-54 hours
two weeks one way
Homps-Bram-Homps-Carnon 271 km - 53 locks - 60 hours

from Carcassonne depart. day saturday tuesday
miniweek:
Carcassonne-Homps-Carcassonne 80 km-26 locks-18 hours
one week:
Carcassonne-Capestang-Carcassonne (eastbound)
166 km-36 locks-30 hours
Carcassonne-Narbonne-Carcassonne 147 km-58 locks-33 hours
one way Carcassonne-Agde 126 km-36 locks-25 hours
two weeks
Carcassonne-Montgiscard-Carcass. 160 km-88 locks-42 hours
Carcassonne-Castelnaudry-Port Lauragais-Carcass. (westbound)
116 km-70 locks-58 hours
Carcassonne-Agde-Carcassonne 252 km-72 locks-50 hours
three weeks+
Carcassonne-Aïgues-Mortes-Carcassonne 400 km-76 locks-70 hours

suggested routes:
depart.days thursday friday saturday monday (depends on boat)
from Carnon (Montpellier beach)
Transfer possible from TGV Montpellier station (11 kms) or Fréjorgues airport
(7 kms)
2012: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
Miniweek
Carnon - Marseillan - Carnon :94 Km - 0 locks - 12 hours
Carnon - Agde - Carnon :114 Km - 6 locks - 16 hours
one week
Carnon - Capestang - Carnon :200 Km - 30 locks - 32 hours
Carnon - Aigues Mortes - Beaucaire - Aigues Mortes - Carnon :142 Km -
2 locks - 20 hours
Carnon - Beaucaire - Sète - Carnon :198 Km - 2 locks - 28 hours
one way Carnon - Homps : 143 Kms - 17 locks - 27 hours
Two weeks
Carnon - Narbonne - Carnon :260 kms - 52 locks - 46 hours
Carnon-Homps-Carnon 286 km-34 locks-54 hours
one way Carnon-Beaucaire-Carnon-Homps: 285 km-22 locks-43 hours
Colombiers (see below)
new base: 7 hours to Agde and 8 hours to Homps

for travel to Carcassonne: visit web pages

http://www.airportdesk.com/airports/europe/france/carcassonne-airport.html
for all information regarding the airport and public transport.

Our base is in the centre of Carcassonne, near the train station.

If you need to stay in Carcassonne we have an interesting link: http://www.lechappeebelle.co.uk/

Colombiers
This base represents the most recent addition to our cruises and the first cruise will embark in the spring of 2012. This small port, noted for its semicircular shape is ideally placed along the Canal du Midi, vibrates to the rhythms of bullfights and rugby. It is several kilometers west of Béziers, wine capital of the Languedoc Region. Close to Béziers, the celebrated locks of Fonsérannes undeniably constitute the most impressive structure along the Canal du Midi. This ladder of locks in succession allows one to rise 21.5 meters in height over the course of 300 meters. Originally made up of 9 locks, only 7 are still in service today

To see : 9 locks of Fonsérannes, Béziers, Canal du Midi, church Saint Silvestre, the pond dried up by Montady-Colombiers, the site of Malpas, Via Domitia, the ancient wine cellar of Chateau.
To know : Along the way Domitienne, on a small headland which overhangs a pond, Colombiers settled down during the centuries, by being not very situated well far from Béziers.
Most important : The port in semicircle of Colombiers

from Colombiers
Mini Week
Colombiers - Port La Nouvelle - Agde : 63 km - 13 locks - 13 hours
Colombiers - Homps : 54 km, 7 locks, 8 hours
One week
Colombiers - Carcassonne : 95 km, 29 locks, 18 hours
Colombiers Carnon : 77 km, 9 locks, 15 hours
one way : Colombiers - Saintes Maries de la Mer - Carnon : 251 km, 10 locks, 55 hours
Two weeks
Colombiers - Castelnaudary - Colombiers: 270 km, 106 locks, 40 hours