Cycle Canal du Midi & Garonne

Canal de Garonne and Canal du Midi once carried shipping between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. From the elegant, historic wine city of Bordeaux, you follow the canal to the pink city of Toulouse. The cycling is truly relaxed along almost car-free roads through a laid-back corner of southern France's countryside. Stress and tourists are almost completely absent in the small communities that line the canal.

From Toulouse, you follow in the footsteps of the famous French canal architect Paul Riquet through the agricultural region of Lauragais and the vineyards of Minervois. The ingeniously constructed and now UNESCO-protected Canal du Midi is your guide. There is much to enjoy along the way: river barges, locks, old villages, gastronomic surprises and beautiful cities like Carcassonne. You end the journey by the azure sea, in the charming town of Sète.