Barge trip in France

[LIttleMissTickles]

We are considering a holiday for 2026 on a barge on Canal Du Midi (maybe Carcassonne to Homps?). We would be coming all the way from Australia, so I’m really keen to get as much information as possible before I book anything. The Le Boat site seems to be the most organised, but I’d really appreciate any advice or experience shared.

Also, after the barge trip, I’m picturing staying in a smallish town from where we can go and do some easy hikes and/or a day of kayaking. I’m mainly looking for picturesque and different to what we’re used to!

I’ve no barge experience, but we did walk along the canal du midi when staying in Carcassonne. It’s beautiful. Do check out the Rick Stein programme where he goes along the canal and cooks local dishes. Sorry I’m no help but I think you’ll have a fantastic holiday. Just checking time of year though… you’d want to be there June to Oct.

@Radiatorvalves Thank you, I’ll definitely have a look at Rick Steins episode. We were thinking September 2026, I know it’s very long in advance but I like to start booking and paying for things so that it feels more doable (and also exciting!).

We've done to twice - once from Castelnaudary to Homps via Carcassonne. This was a very traditional canal boat cruise - some lovely little towns, tree lined canals and lots of locks. The other time was St Gilles to Portiragnes. Stopped at Aigues Mortes and then close to the sea so various beach resorts like Grau de Roi and Vias, and then Sete / Bouzigues via the Etang de Thau. We also did a side trip up to Port Arianne and got the tram into Montpellier. Only 2 locks I think. We preferred the second one. Stopping in the Camargue with no-one for miles, surrounded by flamingoes and wild horses was amazing. The locks were not difficult but found often they would be shut for a long lunch and then you'd get a queue of boats waiting to go through - so you have to plan your day well. Both were fab holidays though. Lots of lovely wine and food. Pezenas or Aigues Mortes are lovely places to stay too.

We rented bikes but i recall it was easy to moor up close to villages / restaurants. I would advise getting the most space you can afford, and indoor / outdoor steering positions, and bow thrusters - which make parking easier. Pack clothes in rucksacks / hold alls, as storage space is limited. We went with Le Boat and they were indeed very well organised. Steering is easy but you have to be continually on the case as the boat drifts a bit - not as simple as just going in a straight line.

We did this many years ago and really enjoyed it. We flew to Montpellier which was a lovely city as I remember, then got the train to Narbonne, also lovely. We were meant to sail from there to Carcassonne but we ended up just getting the bus for the last leg from Trebes to Carcassonne....a 45 min journey instead of several hours on the river! Carcassonne is amazing and would be a great place to spend a few days.

Definitely go to Sete, it is awesome. Be aware that in recent as years that part of France has suffered heatwaves in late June and July. We were in Narbonne this July and it was 38/39 degrees for a good few days. Doable but I would not have wanted to be stuck out on a canal boat in the middle of the day.

Thank you this is exactly the kind of information I was hoping for, new towns to look into and also bigger boat to book!

Beziers is definitely worth a visit and has a fancy historic lock arrangement that might be of interest.

https://www.beziers-mediterranee.com/decouvrez/les-9-ecluses-de-fonseranes/