We embarked on a very pleasurable holiday adventure, traversing picturesque landscapes with splendid hire bicycles—one standard, the other electric. Each day began with a delightful buffet breakfast, setting the perfect tone for our explorations. Our journey commenced in the stunning 'La Ville Rose' of Toulouse, where a great cycle path guided us to our first destination, the charming town of Castelnaudary, with its ‘Grand Bassin’ and our accommodation the enchanting old judges' residency, "Les Ordalies". Despite encountering a shift to dirt roads and gravel on the second day, the scenic canal, majestic plane trees, and idyllic countryside vistas more than compensated for the rough terrain. A short detour led us to the circular village of Bram, where we meandered through its quaint streets to reach the historic church. Our day culminated in the UNESCO-listed city of Carcassonne, where we had time to tour the medieval castle and enjoyed dinner at 'La Place de Vieille Ville'. One of the highlights was enjoying breakfast outside on the terrace of Hotel du Chateau, looking up to the walled city. Despite grappling with challenging headwinds and the sad sight of plane trees stumps the following day, we anticipate returning in fifty years to cycle beneath the replanted oak trees. Our route led us to the small town of Olonzac for the night, where we were warmly welcomed. Post-Olonzac, the cycle path significantly improved, albeit with occasional detours due to ongoing path work. The ancient city of Breziers greeted us with a decent along its nine impressive locks with views to the picturesque River Orb below. Perched atop a small hill, Breziers has charming streets with numerous terraces, and the Saint-Nazaire Cathedral is certainly worth a visit. The final leg of our journey was a leisurely cycle ride into Sete, with a substantial portion of the route tracing the coastline, offering ample opportunities to pause for refreshments at seaside terraces. Despite a slight detour prompted by the arrival of the Olympic torch, we arrived promptly at our hotel, the charming and eccentric Le Grand Hotel, where we would be staying for the next two nights. With an extra day in Sete, amidst rain showers, we were able to relax, unwind and reflect, on our unforgettable cycling tour.
Beautiful journey along the Canal du Midi. The Guibo app in combination with Google maps made navigation easy. The bikes from Le Petit Cyclo were excellent for the purpose, and came with waterproof panniers. We travelled in August when it was quite warm, but not unbearable. Riding early in the day was best. Many lovely stops along the way. Not too hilly. Good variety of small towns and larger cities. Very Satisfied!
K.B.
In July 2020 we made a bicycle tour along the Canal du Midi. Fantastic, the route was very clear, the rented bikes were of good quality. After a tiring ride, it was very nice that our luggage was already brought to our hotel. To be repeated.