The Canal du Midi from Toulouse to Sète

Moderate: 40 to 60km of cycling, equivalent to around 3 to 6 hours on the bike. Little elevation gain.

No luggage to carry: You only carry what you need for the day in a small bag or pannier. Your luggage will be waiting for you every evening at the end of each stage. Your luggage is transported by vehicle and is limited to one bag weighing 20kg per person.

If you choose this option, feel free to ask us for advice on making your load easier to carry. Modern technical clothing allows you to travel light while staying well equipped.

From 2 people. Solo travellers are welcome, subject to a supplement.

8 days, 7 nights, 6 days of cycling.

Depart on a date of your choice from April to October.

July and August. Please note that the seaside option is difficult to arrange during this period. Booking well in advance is essential.

Self-guided tour, without a guide. We provide a digital travel pack containing access to our smartphone navigation app, your accommodation list, any vouchers required and all the information you need for your trip to run smoothly.

If you wish, we can provide a printed travel pack with maps, a route guide and a travel wallet for a supplement of 35 € per pack. For printed travel packs requested less than 45 days before departure, and for travellers living abroad, the packs will be sent to your first hotel.

Accommodation

• Standard comfort: Bed and breakfast in a room for two, in 2* and 3* hotels, or in guesthouses of an equivalent standard.
• Superior comfort: Bed and breakfast in a room for two, in 3* and 4* hotels (2 nights), or in guesthouses of an equivalent standard.

Hotel ratings

In France, increasing numbers of hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated just one or two years ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many of the guesthouses are charming places to stay.
If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “3* or equivalent”, this means that the establishment may not have an official rating, but offers a level of comfort comparable to a 3* hotel.

Meals

Continental or buffet breakfasts. Lunches and dinners are not included. You will easily find places to eat throughout the route.

Please let us know about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking. We will do our best to adapt your meals.

Start

On Day 1 in the afternoon in Toulouse.

Finish

On Day 8 after breakfast in Sète

Bike hire

We arrange the booking for you; please let us know when booking your trip. Bikes are adjusted to each participant’s height, so you must provide your height when booking.

For the 6-day hire, the bikes are delivered to your hotel in Toulouse before 10 am on Day 2. You leave them at your hotel in Sète when you finish your stage on Day 7. Our partner collects them either on the evening of Day 7 or on the morning of Day 8.

An optional bike handover session is available: meet for the bike delivery, with equipment explanations, adjustments and advice.

Here are the types of bikes available to hire (photo for illustration only, subject to availability)

Premium trekking hybrid bike:
Brand: Bergamont / Scott, Model: Horizon 4.0, Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakes, Syncros Trekking saddle, BGM Comfort ergonomic grips, comfortable suspension seatpost, luggage rack, dynamo lights.

E-bike:

Motor: Bosch Performance Line 250w, 50Nm, 25km/h, Battery: Bosch Powerpack 500Wh, Range: 80 to 100km, Hydraulic disc brakes, ergonomic grips, comfortable suspension seatpost, luggage rack, dynamo lights

Included equipment:
1 Ortlieb rear pannier (20 litres) + 1 Ortlieb front pannier (5 L)
1 bottle cage (2 on road bikes)
1 combination lock
1 repair kit: 1 pump, 1 inner tube, 1 puncture repair kit, tyre levers, 1 multi-tool.

Your own bike:
Mountain bikes are an excellent choice; hybrid bikes are also suitable but will be slightly less comfortable. Remember to have your bike serviced before setting off. At the end of the tour, you will need to make your own arrangements for your bike.

Return by train from Béziers to Carcassonne; bikes are accepted on some services, but before setting off, make sure you check the timetables and which trains accept bikes https://www.sncf-connect.com/fr-fr

By plane

* TOULOUSE BLAGNAC International Airport

https://www.toulouse.aeroport.fr/transports-et-acces/transports-en-commun

Taxi: A journey between Blagnac and the city centre costs approximately 70 €

Daily shuttle services between the airport and the coach station, in 2 directions, every 20 minutes, with a journey time of 20 to 45 minutes; approximately 10€.

* BEZIERS / CAP D’AGDE Airport

https://beziers.aeroport.fr/acces-et-services/navettes/

Shuttle services to Béziers railway station and Agde railway station.

By train

Railway stations in Toulouse and Sète.

Easy return to Toulouse:

Direct trains from Sète to Toulouse; journey time 2 hours; bikes are accepted on Intercités trains with a reservation costing 10 €

Alternatively, take a TER train with one change.

By car

Motorways A10 and A 62: Paris - Bordeaux – Toulouse (follow signs for the city centre when arriving in Toulouse).

Parking your car

Parking is available near the hotel in a monitored underground car park, for a fee (approximately 100€ per week)

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, during a day’s journey or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; you therefore swim under your own responsibility and at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world in a different way: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As a member of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and pricing
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the traveller’s ethical charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and create opportunities for meaningful encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has been recognised as a Travelife Partner, an international label that certifies our responsible environmental, ethical and sustainable management practices, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification programme, recognises our practical efforts to support responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainability policy

For cycling

• Short or long cycling shorts, depending on the season
• Cycling gloves
• A helmet (optional but strongly recommended)
• Sunglasses (for protection against the sun, wind and midges)
• A windproof jacket
• T-shirts or cycling jerseys
• A handlebar map holder
• A water bottle

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool clothing is also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of not developing sweat odours (brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.)!
As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you cold when wet.

For sun and rain protection

• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat (helmet)
• A windproof jacket
• A rain poncho or a Gore-Tex jacket

After cycling

• A jumper or fleece
• Comfortable trousers for walking
• A pair of shorts
• A tracksuit or a change of clothes
• A lightweight, long-sleeved cotton shirt
• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening
• Spare clothes and underwear
• A toiletry bag
• A small first-aid kit: your personal medication, adhesive bandages, medicated gauze or “2nd skin” dressings, gauze, antiseptic, arnica pellets and aspirin for minor aches and injuries…

• If your bike does not have a pannier, bring a comfortable small 40-litre backpack with a waist belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic during the day. If you have a luggage rack, you can secure your bag to it with bungee cords. Rental bikes come with a pannier for your belongings. Bring a small backpack as well; this makes it easy to carry your belongings when you stop to visit places along the way.
• One item of cabin luggage: a backpack or travel bag in good condition.

Country: France
Capital: Paris

Documents

A valid passport or national identity card.

Health

Remember to bring your Carte Vitale health insurance card and enough of your usual medication for the duration of your stay.

Toulouse Tourist Office
Donjon du Capitole, Square Charles de Gaulle
31080 Toulouse
Tel. 0185653444

Carcassonne Tourist Office
28 rue de Verdun
11000 Carcassonne
0468102430

Béziers Tourist Office
Place du Forum
34500 Béziers
0499413636

Dialling code for calling France from abroad: +33.

IGN top100 maps: no. 168 Toulouse Pamiers; no. 169 Béziers Castres.