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
2013: 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
2013: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
Week-end
Agde - Sète - Agde : 52 km, 6 locks, 8 hours
Week-end one-way (see conditions)
Agde - Colombiers : 31 km, 12 locks, 8 hours
Mini week
Agde - Aigues-Mortes - Agde : 154 km, 6 locks, 20 hours
Agde - Capestang - Agde : 86 km, 24 locks, 18 hours
Mini week one-way (see conditions)
Agde - Homps : 86 km, 17 locks, 15 hours
Agde - Marseillan - Colombiers : 51 km, 18 locks, 11 hours
Agde - Carnon - St Gilles - Carnon : 148 km, 3 locks 19 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 week one-way (see conditions)
Agde - Carcassonne :126 km, 36 locks, 25 hours
Two weeks
Agde - Carcassone - Agde : 252 km, 76 locks, 50 hours
Agde - Beaucaire - Agde - Béziers - Agde : 290 km, 12 locks, 42 hours
Three weeks and more
Agde - Castelnaudary - Agde : 332 km, 124 locks, 70 hours

from Homps
2013: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
Week-end
Homps - Le Somail - Homps : 42 km, 10 locks, 6 hours
Week-end one-way (see conditions)
Homps - Carcassonne : 40 km, 13 locks, 8 hours
Mini week
Homps - Carcassonne - Homps : 80 km, 26 locks, 21 hours
Homps - Béziers - Homps : 122 km, 8 locks, 21 hours
Mini week one-way (see conditions)
Homps - Agde : 86 km, 17 locks, 15 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 week one-way (see conditions)
Homps - Carnon : 143 km, 17 locks, 27 hours
Two weeks
Homps - Toulouse - Homps : 280 km, 94 locks, 60 hours
Two weeks one-way (see conditions)
Homps - Bram - Homps - Carnon : 271 km, 53 locks, 60 hours

from Carcassonne (see map below)
2013: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
Week-end
Carcassonne - Bram - Carcassonne : 48 km, 10 locks, 9 hours
Week-end one-way (see condition p 66)
Carcassonne - Homps : 40 km, 13 locks, 8 hours
Mini week
Carcassonne - Homps - Carcassonne : 80 km, 26 locks, 18 hours
Mini week one-way (see condition p 66)
Carcassonne - Colombiers : 95 km, 18 locks, 17 hours
One week
Carcassonne - Capestang - Carcassonne : 166 km, 36 locks, 30 hours
Carcassonne - seuil de Naurouze (division line between Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean) - Port-Lauragais - Carcassonne : 116 km, approx.. 70 locks, 40 hours
One week one-way (see conditions)
Carcassonne - Agde : 126 km, 36 locks, 25 hours
Carcassonne - Bram - Carcassonne - Colombiers : 143 km,
28 locks, 25 hours
Two weeks
Carcassonne - Montgiscard - Carcassonne : 160 km, 92 locks, 70 hours
Carcassonne - Castelnaudary - Port Lauragais - Carcassonne :116 km, 70 locks, 58 hours
Carcassonne - Agde - Carcassonne : 252 km, 72 locks, 50 hours
Three weeks
Carcassonne - Aigues-Mortes - Carcassonne : 400 km, 76 locks, 70 hours

suggested routes:
from Carnon (Montpellier beach)
Transfer possible from TGV Montpellier station (11 kms) or Fréjorgues airport
(7 kms)
2013: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
Week-end
Carnon - Aigues-Mortes - Carnon: 40 km, no lock, 8 hours
Mini week
Carnon - Marseillan - Carnon : 94 km, no lock, 12 hours
Carnon - Agde - Carnon : 114 km, 6 locks, 16 hours
Carnon - St Gilles - Carnon: 114 km, no lock, 14 hours
Mini week one-way (see conditions)
Carnon - St Gilles - Carnon - Agde : 148 km, 3 locks 19 hours
One week
Carnon - Beaucaire - Carnon : 142 km, 2 locks, 20 hours
Carnon - Capestang - Carnon : 200 km, 30 locks, 32 hours
Carnon - Beaucaire - Sète, Carnon : 198 km, 2 locks, 28 hours
One week one-way (see conditions)
Carnon - Homps : 143 km, 17 locks, 27 hours
Carnon - Aigues-Mortes - Colombiers : 125 km, 15 locks, 25 hours
Two weeks
Carnon - Narbonne - Carnon : 260 km, 52 locks, 46 hours
Two weeks one-way (see conditions)
Carnon - Beaucaire - Carnon - Homps : 285 km, 22 locks, 43 hours

from Colombiers
2013: Where are the bases and the boats ? click here.... (pdf)
Week-end
Colombiers - Somail - Colombiers : 68 km, no lock, 10 hours
Week-end one-way (see conditions)
Colombiers - Agde : 31 km, 12 locks, 8 hours
Mini week
Colombiers - Marseillan - Colombiers : 90 km, 26 locks, 20 hours
Colombiers - Narbonne - Colombiers : 84 km, 22 locks, 20 hours
Colombiers - Homps - Colombiers : 108 km, 12 locks, 18 hours
Mini week one-way (see conditions)
Colombiers - Marseillan - Agde : 51 km, 18 locks, 11 hours
Colombiers - Carcassonne : 95 km, 18 locks, 17 hours
One week
Colombiers - Sète - Colombiers : 120 km, 26 locks, 26 hours
Colombiers - Carcassonne - Colombiers : 192 km, 54 locks, 35 hours
Colombiers - Port la Nouvelle - Colombiers : 126 km, 24 locks, 30 hours
One week one-way (see conditions)
Colombiers - Aigues-Mortes - Carnon : 125 km, 15 locks, 25 hours
Colombiers - Carcassonne - Bram - Carcassonne : 143 km,
28 locks, 25 hours
Two weeks
Colombiers - Aigues-Mortes - Colombiers : 256 km, 26 locks, 50 hours
Colombiers - Castelnaudary - Colombiers : 272 km, 102 locks, 52 hours

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.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