Take the helm of a small craft and live aboard, plying the calm waters of a canal through the South of France. The Canal du Midi is the quintessential tree-lined canal. It is frequently pictured in guidebooks touting the charm to be discovered along its banks and in nearby villages on or near its course. It is the perfect setting to serve as le capitaine on a boat in France.
Cruising along a French canal is not exclusively for those renting a luxury barge that comes with a chef, hot tub, and a high price tag. My wife Patty and I have cruised the canals and rivers of France over the past 25 years. We have never owned a boat. We have now been on 10 self-piloted cruises on canals and rivers in France. A group even hired us to plan and escort them on a weeklong voyage on the Canal du Midi. Pro Tip: Do not be intimidated if you are not a sailor. The boat rental company will provide a hands-on clinic to teach you how to drive the boat.
The Canal du Midi is not wide or deep. If you follow the directions, your week as a riverboat captain will end on a high note. The countryside takes on a fresh look from the deck of a boat. At a speed of not quite 4 miles per hour 6 km , landscapes slowly unfold. Around every bend, a pocket of the country you will never discover buzzing along a highway will be revealed. Boaters choose where to dock. Mooring in remote areas provides shaded spots for a leisurely lunch followed by a siesta.
If you choose, spend the night alone on a secluded bank and enjoy the sounds of the forest and a sky full of stars. If you dock in a town and like it, then stay another day. Bicycles on board allow for ventures into the countryside to the chateaux, vineyards, and historic venues close to the canal. It is easy to arrange a taxi to meet you if a point of interest is further from your boat than you wish to pedal. Pro Tip: Always have provisions for at least one meal aboard the craft.
We once shoved off late in the day planning to stop along the way to shop. We arrived at our small port town destination after the shops had closed. We ate crackers left over from our flight for dinner due to our poor planning. It meanders for miles through the south of France. The Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean were linked by this engineering marvel which served to transport goods and people along its path.
