Canal du Midi
I'm thinking of a meander along the route of the Canal du Midi, stoping at Aires and sites along the way. I'm not sure I shall be able to sell the concept to OH as she dislikes too much moving on without any reasonable periods in one place. Has anyone done such trip and are there any recommendations/ must sees/ pitfalls. I'm thinking of a three to four week duration around May/June.
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Can only comment on the municipal-type site just outside city walls of Carcassonne. It’s probably a bit more than a basic typical municipal site and accepts both caravans and MHs. We only stayed a couple of nights, but it’s fine. Very handy for walk into the city.
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We have done bits of the Canal du Midi. There are quite a few sites on the Med around Marseillan Plage within easy cycling distance of the Canal. The main site in Carcassonne is a bit far from the canal as its on the south of the Cite and the canal on the north. A little further away is a good site a Trebes where the canal is just on the other side of the river. About half way along the canal where it becomes the Canal Lateral a la Garonne is the town of Montech with a campsite right on the canal. Of interest at Montech is the Pente d’Eau boat incline.
David
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The Canal itself is gloomy and overgrown for much of the way and the water of very doubtful purity, but there are certainly interesting places along the way, although you are right in thinking you will have to drive daily to get to them.
Do you like cricket? The local cricket club at Damazan plays on their home ground right alongside the campsite there - Camping du Lac. The fixtures will be on line in the New Year.
Do you like cities? Both Bordeaux and Toulouse are unmissable. We have driven from out of town campsites to a park and ride at a tramway terminus for each of them. With a Motorhome it might be more difficult unless you can locate an Aire in the the city.
Do you like gardens? We keep going back to the Latour Marliac gardens at Temple sur Lot from where Monet stocked his lake at Giverny. For us it's a drive over the hills from Camping Moulin de Mellet near Agen and that campsite is one we have been to several times for a few days - it has a pool, a bar, a rustic restaurant, and such hard working owners.
Do you like small historic bastide towns ? Make for Mirepoix on market day and have a light lunch under the arcades on the shady side of the square.
But all this depends on your willingness to drive from place to place - I can't think of anywhere where you might stop for a week.
Go for it.
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Agree with DK above, have also been to those sites at Trebes and Montech. another site we've been to is Moissac, but that has an "interesting" entrance with limited height of 3m (or 3.1m, can't quite remember) where you drive through a sort of short tunnel to the site. Nice site by the river, Moissac is an interesting town with an abbey and sits on the confluence of the rivers Garonne and Tarn at the Canal de Garonne.
Further up the Canal de Garonne is a lovely little municipal at Meilhan-sur-Garonne, it's a few years since we stayed. Also along there in that area is a lovely Aire by the canal, only space for 4MHs, at Caumont-sur-Garonne, a lovely spot to stay. Another Aire we've stayed at is Fontet, which is lovely, sited by the marina.
It's a lovely part of France, if you do go, don't forget your bikes.
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Good Aire in Castelnaudary, WiFi, EHU and services backing onto the Canal. Part of camping car park group so need to get a card either before you travel or at any of the machines at the gates. Short walk into town and obviously to the canal.
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We stayed at Les Berges du Canal at Villeneuve le Beziers (on the canal as its name suggests) and also at Les Peupliers, Colombiers (short walk/bike to canal). Both a bit rustic but nice for short stay with cycle paths nearby. Worth a visit are the Fonserannes locks just outside Beziers, probably bikeable from Les Berges. We had researched other possible sites from Narbonne to Toulouse but the weather changed our plans.
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handy aire right outside the city gates at Carcassonne...
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This year we stayed on a site at 'Trebes', Camping des Micocouliers. Easy walking into Trebes over the Aud river bridge, just a few metres more and a good selection of eateries right on the edge of the Canal Du Midi.
Good site, but closed for a long 2 hour lunch, spacious pitches and good facility block, no restaurant but small shop. Bus stop just outside of the gate for a visit to the old town within the walled city of Carcasonne, €2 return I believe.
ACSI card in use.
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The locks at Bezier is worth a few hours, new big parking area now at the top of the locks with a little train to take you down if you wish. We stay at a campsite on the river Herault near Agde easy walk to the canal from any of the 3 sites there (Neptunes) is the nearest.
Trebes is also worth a few nights, cycle the 12 km along the canal to Carcassone but walk 5 minutes from campsite to canal.
Bordeaux is also worth a stop, I believe you can park a MH near the tram stop on the edge of town. We stayed at the site by the lake and cycled in, went to see the Uboat pens as well.
Moissac, stayed at the campsite there if you are too high over 3m there is parking to the right of the site belonging to the site for 6 MH's also a fairly new aire across the river in town by the yacht club.
Go for it CY, you will enjoy it, a 5 day break at Agde should get the OH on side
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Thanks for the tips, folks. We stayed at Valras a good few years ago, so I'm familiar with the area at the bottom end of the Midi and we had a couple of days at Carcassonne a few years back on a drive down to our apartment in Spain. Still think I'll have a hard job selling it to OH though. Probably end up looking at ruddy tulips in Holland.
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