fewer tourists cycle the track in winter, although the leafless trees and bushes mean that visibility is improved. Sunny days are less frequent; there will be very few biting insects and none of the extreme heat you are likely to encounter in summer.
The difficulty with cycling in winter is that the days are shorter, colder and wetter. The canal can freeze during cold nights and there is always a danger of prolonged rain and sometimes even snow. Storms and flash floods are more likely and winter storms may be violent.
Small hotels and chambres d’hôtes (bed and breakfasts) often close for winter, as do campsites. This may restrict your choice of accommodation, but you should always be able to find something – with the exception of the days around Christmas.
Getting there and getting around
By air
There are four commercial airports close to the canal: Blagnac (Toulouse), Salvaza (Carcassonne) and Béziers-Cap d’Agde are less than 10km away, and Montpellier’s airport is approximately 40km from Sète.
Toulouse has flights to and from major European cities; Carcassonne is a base for low-cost airlines, as is Béziers-Cap d’Agde. Both have flights from various locations in Ireland, Great Britain and continental Europe. Montpellier has flights from Great Britain and continental Europe.
Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) is the main airline serving southwest France from Ireland and the UK. EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) also fly to the southwest from airports in Ireland and the UK. There are a few year-round routes while most are in the summer only.
Advise your airline if you plan to bring a bike when you book your flight. You’ll be required to turn the pedals inwards or take them off entirely, and turn the handlebars sideways. You must then pack the bike into a hard or soft holder, deflating the tyres to avoid their bursting under decompression. Some airlines charge for carrying bicycles and these fees can be steep – up to €50 each way. There may also be additional booking and drop-off charges depending on the airline.
Make sure that you book your flight well in advance. Airlines limit the number of bikes on each flight – some as few as six per plane.
By car
The Canal du Midi is easily reached by road. You can drive to the south of France from most parts of Western Europe; the French motorway network will deliver you to the canal in 12 hours from most of its borders. Motorways are generally tolled and these can be expensive. You can plan your route using websites such as www.mappy.fr and calculate your toll charges.
Autoroute 61 (A61) runs close to the canal between Toulouse and Narbonne; the A9 is close between Narbonne and Sète. The A75 from the north ends close to the canal near Béziers. British car ferries sail to a range of French ports including Dieppe, Calais, Boulogne, Le Harve, Cherbourg, St Malo and Roscoff.
There are long-stay carparks in towns and cities and at railway stations where you can leave your car while cycling the canal. Hotels and guesthouses may also allow you to use their parking facilities while you cycle for a day. There is often space to park close to the canal where roads cross it, or where it passes through smaller villages.
By train
There are train stations at intervals along the length of the Canal du Midi in Toulouse, Castelnaudary, Bram, Carcassonne, Narbonne, Port la Nouvelle, Béziers, Vias, Agde, Marseillan Plage and Sète. There are stations near the canal between Toulouse and Castelnaudary at Labège (Innopole and Village), Baziège, Villenouvelle, Villefranche-de-Lauragais and Avgnonet-Lauragais, which are very useful for those wanting relatively short cycles. High-speed trains – TGVs – link France’s and Europe’s main cities. These serve Toulouse, Carcassonne, Béziers, Narbonne, Agde and Sète. The Eurostar connects with the French high-speed service and runs services from three international stations: St Pancras in central London; Ebbsfleet, just off the M25 (Junction 2); and Ashford in Kent. The Eurostar Lyon–South of France route serves Lyon, Avignon and Marseille.
Some French trains have designated storage for bikes
The French railway company, Société Nationale Chemin de fer Francais (SNCF), allows bikes on its trains. Timetables can be checked on its website www.voyages-sncf.com.
Bicycles must be prepared for carriage on the Eurostar services and certain TGV and French intercity trains. The bikes must fit into a cover measuring 190 x 90cm. Eurostar allows partially dismantled bikes on the train as carry-on luggage but the handlebars, saddle and wheels must be removed. Alternatively, it may be placed in a baggage compartment free of charge.
Eurostar offers a registered baggage service on certain trains but only from London. They guarantee that the bike will be available for collection within 24 hours of registration, and advise on how to send a bike ahead so that it’s there on your arrival. First Luggage offers a baggage collection and delivery service for Eurostar passengers. You should check Eurostar’s website (www.eurostar.com) if you plan to travel with them. Within France, SNCF offers a similar door-to-door service (home or train station) and you’ll find further details at www.sncf.com/en/services/luggage.
Some TGVs and intercity trains have special compartments for bikes, meaning they don’t need to be dismantled. You should reserve this when booking your ticket. Local trains (TER) and some Corail allow you to put your bike in the baggage compartment or hang it by its wheel from a special hook in a designated carriage on board. Remove anything that might fall off when you have to hang up your bike.
The SNCF website and timetables use a bicycle symbol to indicate trains that allow bikes on board. There is a restriction on the number of bikes allowed on any train. Find out more on their website: www.voyages-sncf.com.
There may be charges for bringing your bike on a train and these vary depending upon the service you’re using.
View of Cap d’Agde from Mont St-Loup (Stage 5)
Passports and travel requirements
Travellers from the UK and Ireland must have a valid passport or passport card to travel in France. Ensure that your passport remains in date for the length of your stay. France accepts identity cards from citizens of the EU issuing these. As the UK and Ireland do not operate all of the Schengen agreement (which allows free travel without border controls between participating countries) a residency or visa for another EU country does not give you an automatic right to enter France. The French embassy website (UK), www.ambafrance-uk.org, gives information on visa requirements.
Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US citizens don’t need a visa for a stay of less than 90 days, but require a full passport. Non-EU visitors to France must have, ready for presentation at the border, documentary evidence of the reason for their visit, means of support for the duration and their accommodation arrangements.
Towpath
