Exploring the Canal du Midi on Le Boat

During my 10-day adventure in France, I spent two days traveling down the Canal du Midi on a skipper guided tour with Le Boat. Extending the trip to experience France in this way was actually an option and one I didn’t want to turn down. Having had the experience of vacationing in a houseboat, I kind of knew what to expect. After our short visit to Carcassonne, we hopped in a car and headed to Homps. We arrived at nightfall, and stayed docked before heading out the next morning for a grocery run to keep us fueled during our canal adventure.

The boat I stayed on for two nights had four bedrooms, each with two twin beds and a private bathroom, a kitchen, upper deck perfect for entertaining and lounging, and a grill for cooking. My family of five could comfortably fit, with plenty of room for everyone.

We began our journey in Homps and ended in Le Somail. During our time on the Canal du Midi, we made a couple of stops along the way, and had the opportunity to experience locks. Thankfully our skipper was able to maneuver these by himself. Because we were no help.

Photo Credit: Diana Steffen

If you are unfamiliar with locks, like I was, there are 104 working locks along the Canal du Midi. The purpose of locks, from my limited experience, is to raise and lower boats between stretches of water of different levels on rivers, or in this case, a canal. It takes some much needed experience with boating to make your way through these locks.

I think I would have liked to try to maneuver my way through the locks, but given that I couldn’t even keep the boat heading straight, that probably wouldn’t have been a very good idea. I’m sure all the other boaters on the Canal du Midi that day are thankful. I couldn’t even give our dear skipper a break without heading straight towards the bank of the canal.

I drive cars much better. I promise.

The views while traveling down the Canal du Midi were absolutely stunning.

We always made some stops along the way, like this one at Château de Paraza.

After touring Chateau de Paraza, we headed further down the Canal and stopped for dinner at L’eau à la Bouche in Le Somail. Such a delicious meal!

Although my time on the Canal du Midi was short and sweet, the memories I made on the canal will be forever etched into my heart. Our skipper cooked for us, kept us safe, and provided us with such an incredible opportunity to see France. Thanks Le Boat for your generosity.

If you are just now tuning in to my adventure through the South of France, you can catch up and see what I was up to while visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Marseille, Carcassonne, and a general photo tour. A big thank you to Cellular Abroad for keeping me connected while in another country.

I’m always looking for my next adventure so I’m asking you, where should I head next?