1 Week  - Beziers (Fonserannes) - Homps (122 Kms & 12 Locks)

Day 2   Head for Capestang (17 kms from Argeliers). It is a small attractive town with a good range of facilities, including a Market on Sunday and Wednesday mornings in the square. There are also bars and restaurants clustered round the square and the church is well worth a visit. There is a supermarket (Intermarche) on the outskirts of town - but it is a good walk. You can either stop here the night or continue through the Malpas Tunnel to Colombiers (a further 11 kms from Capestang). At Colombiers there is a modern Port area with a range of shops, restaurants and an ATM machine. 

Day 3   From Capestang or Colombiers, head to Beziers (7 kms from Colombiers), and moor at the top of Fonserannes Staircase Locks - they are spectacular. Have a good look round and watch boats negotiating the locks. Afterwards, either visit Beziers or head back towards Colombiers for the night. 

Day 4   From Colombiers, head past Capestang, through Le Somail and start in the direction of Carcassonne. The moorings at Ventenac (5 kms past Le Somail) are nice, with a restaurant and Vin Cave right next to them. 

Day 5   From Ventenac head towards the first lock at Argens Minervois (9 kms), then start the climb towards Homps - a further 6 kms and 5 locks (1 single and 2 doubles). Homps has an attractive canal frontage with a range of good restaurants and boat facilities. 

Day 6   From Homps you could continue (12 kms and 3 locks) through La Redorte to the locks at Aiguille, famous for the lock keepers sculptures. Turn prior to the locks and head back to Homps. 

Day 7   From Homps, you continue the descent towards Le Somail, arriving there mid to late afternoon. 

1 Week - Beziers (Fonserannes) and Narbonne (108 Kms & 20 Locks)

Day 2   Head for Capestang (17 kms from Argeliers). It is a small attractive town with a good range of facilities, including a Market on Sunday and Wednesday mornings in the square. There are also bars and restaurants clustered round the square and the church is well worth a visit. There is a supermarket (Intermache) on the outskirts of town - but it is a good walk. You can either stop here the night or continue through the Malpas Tunnel to Colombiers (a further 11 kms from Capestang). At Colombiers there is a modern Port area with a range of shops, restaurants and an ATM machine. 

Day 3   From Capestang or Colombiers, head to Beziers (7 kms from Colombiers), l and moor at the top of Fonserannes Staircase Locks - they are spectacular. Have a good look round and watch boats negotiating the locks. Afterwards, either visit Beziers or head back towards Colombiers for the night. 

Day 4   From Colombiers head past Capestang and Argeliers and turn onto the Canal de Jonction towards Salleles d'Aude (34 kms and 5 locks). Salleles d'Aude offers a range of shops and bars/restaurants. 

Day 5   From Salleles d'Aude continue down the Canal de Jonction before entering the River Aude for a short time then heading onto the Canal de la Robine towards Narbonne (12 kms and 5 locks) into the port area. Spend the rest of the day exploring the city. 

Day 6   Thursdays only. Start the day by visiting the market - held on both banks of the canal. Then explore Narbonne some more. 

Day 7   From Narbonne, return to Le Somail 

1 Week - Trebes ( for Carcassonne) ( 96 Kms & 40 Locks)

Day 1   Stay at Le Somail overnight or travel as far as Ventenac (5 kms). Here there are 2 bars/restaurants, a large Vin Cave and a small shop. 

Day 2   From Ventenac head towards the first lock at Argens Minervois (9 kms), then start the climb towards Homps - a further 6 kms and 5 locks (1 single and 2 doubles). Homps has an attractive canal frontage with a range of good restaurants and boat facilities. 

Day 3   From Homps you could continue through La Redorte, stopping for lunch at the locks at Aiguille, famous for the lock keepers sculptures (12 kms and 3 locks or 5 locks if you go through and lunch at the top). Marseillette is a further 7 kms and 6 locks away - excluding the Aiguille pair (1 double, 1 triple and 1 single). There are excellent moorings at Marseillette but the Water Point is expensive. 

Day 4   From Marseillette it is 9 kms until the triple staircase locks that take you up into Trebes. From here it is 10 minutes by Taxi to La Cite at Carcassonne. Taking the boat to Carcassonne from Trebes is a further 13 kms and 7 locks in each direction. 

Day 5 to 7   Reverse your journey. If you are not experienced on the canals, you will be delighted to discover that a canal looks different in each direction. The return journey will be just as pleasurable as the outward-bound leg. 

NOTE: At certain times of the peak season, you may need to set La Redorte as a reasonable goal

1 Week - Narbonne and Port la Nouvelle (68 Kms & 22 Locks)

Day 2   Turn onto the Canal de Jonction towards Salleles d'Aude (6 kms and 5 locks). Salleles d'Aude offers a range of shops, bars/restaurants. From Salleles d'Aude continue down the Canal de Jonction before entering the River Aude for a short time then heading onto the Canal de la Robine towards Narbonne (12 kms and 5 locks) into the port area. 

Day 3   From Narbonne continue on the Canal de la Robine to the Nature Reserve at the Isle of Sainte-Lucie. There are moorings here and it is an area of outstanding beauty. Port la Nouvelle (16 kms and 1 lock) from Narbonne Centre. 

Day 4   The end of the Canal de la Robine is at Port la Nouvelle (5 kms and 1 lock) away where you must turn. You can moor here and walk 1 km along the main road, passing the commercial port, to the beach. Port la Nouvelle is well served by a wide range of restaurants, particularly those specialising in fish dishes. 

Day 5   You now start the return journey, aiming to reach Narbonne. 

Day 6   Spend some time exploring Narbonne - the morning indoor market is a mouth-watering exercise, particularly if you are a fish lover. 

Day 7   Start the day by passing through Gua Lock and heading back towards Salleles d'Aude again for lunch. After lunch, pass through the remaining locks of the Canal de Jonction before returning to Le Somail (or its outskirts) in readiness for your handover. 

1 Week - The Coast (130 Kms & 24 Locks)

Day 2   Head for Capestang (17 kms from Argeliers). It is a small attractive town with a good range of facilities, including a Market on Sunday and Wednesday mornings in the square. There are also bars and restaurants clustered round the square and the church is well worth a visit. There is a supermarket (Intermarche) on the outskirts of town - but it is a good walk. You can either stop here the night or continue through the Malpas Tunnel to Colombiers (a further 11 kms from Capestang). At Colombiers there is a modern Port area with a range of shops, restaurants and an ATM machine. 

Day 3   From Colombiers you need an early start to head to Beziers (7 kms) arriving at the top of the Fonserannes Staircase Locks in readiness for the first morning descents - there is a lock timetable in your Boat Manual. On leaving the "Neuf Ecluses", you travel along an embankment before crossing the River Orb on a spectacular aqueduct. After this you enter the cavernous Orb Lock and descend into Beziers Port. 

Day 4   Leave Beziers Port and continue towards Agde (5 locks and 23 kms away). As you leave Beziers the canal initially passes a number of industrial sites and the traffic is much closer but it soon returns to its picturesque nature. The area around Portiragnes is much closer to the Mediterranean and the canal loses much of its tree-lined protection.

If you decide to visit the beach, you are advised to seek a temporary berth in the Crown Blue Line Marina at Port Cassafieres. For a small fee you will be able to get water, there is a restaurant on site and a "water park" next door that permits day visits.

On arrival at Agde (PK 231), there is a marina area where you must turn round. For Insurance purposes, our craft are not permitted to pass through the round lock (Bassin Ronde). 

Day 5 - 7   Start the return journey back to Le Somail. You now have sufficient knowledge to plan your return stops but do not forget the "traffic flow" timings at Fonserranes. If you are not experienced on the canals, you will be delighted to discover that a canal looks different in each direction. The return journey will be just as pleasurable as the outward-bound leg. 

2 Weeks - Carcassonne and Castelnaudary (202 Kms & 102 Locks)

Day 2   From Ventenac head towards the first lock at Argens Minervois (9 kms), then start the climb towards Homps - a further 6 kms and 5 locks (1 single and 2 doubles). Homps has an attractive canal frontage with a range of good restaurants and boat facilities. 

Day 3   From Homps you could continue through La Redorte, stopping for lunch at the locks at Aiguille, famous for the lock keepers sculptures (12 kms and 3 locks or 5 locks if you go through and lunch at the top). Marseillette is a further 7 kms and 6 locks away - excluding the Aiguille pair (1 double, 1 triple and 1 single). There are excellent moorings at Marseillette but the Water Point is expensive. 

Day 4   From Marseillette it is 9 kms until the triple staircase locks that take you up into Trebes. Trebes offers a good range of facilities for lunch or evening stopovers. If you continue, Carcassonne is a further 13 kms and 7 locks.
The port area at Carcassonne offers a range of facilities but does levy a charge. There are free moorings before the port area. In either case, La Cite beckons and, for many, this is one of the "must see" attractions of a Canal du Midi holiday. 

Day 5   Visit La Cite

Castelnaudary is still some 40kms and 24 locks distant. You are advised to top up your water tank before leaving Carcassonne as there are only limited facilities before arriving at the port areas of either Bram or Castelnaudary itself. 

Day 6   On leaving Carcassonne, head for the port area at Bram (24 kms and 6 locks). The Port de Bram is actually a Nicols base and offers water facilities etc. (A further 5 kms and 3 locks offers good moorings near the village of Villepinte which has basic shops and a restaurant within 10 minutes walk) 

Day 7   From Port de Bram it is 16 kms and 18 locks to the Grand Bassin at Castelnaudary - a good days cruising. The Grand Bassin is spectacular - nearly half a kilometre in length. 

Day 8 - 14  Start the return journey back to Le Somail - you now have sufficient knowledge to plan your return stops. If you are not experienced on the canals, you will be delighted to discover that a canal looks different in each direction. The return journey will be just as pleasurable as the outward-bound leg