Top 10 river cruises
World's top 10 river
cruises
and tips to know before you go
1
Nile
Egypt
2
Yangtze
China
3
Kerala Backwaters
India
4
Rhine
Western Europe
5
Mekong
China & SE Asia nations
6 Amazon
South America
7
Danube
Central/Eastern Europe
8
Rhine-Danube Combo
Trans Europe
9
Volga
Russia & Ukraine
10
Canal du
Midi
France
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Canal du Midi cruise
tips you can trust
Canal du Midi
cruise
tips & insights
Quick overview
The Canal du Midi was constructed by 12,000 workers in the 17th century to let cargo barges take a short cut from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. It meanders between Toulouse and Sete in southern France for a distance of 240 kilometers (150 miles).
Today, the waterway is used mainly by barging and yachting vacationers.
Best stretch
Select the segment between Carcassonne and Colombiers. It has the highest concentration of stunning vistas and attractions. And you avoid the time-wasting 8-lock Forseranes complex, which lies between Colombiers and Beziers (see map above).
The gratifying barge
experience
You enjoy on a Canal du Midi cruise:
Life moving at a slow, relaxed
pace (Canal du Midi boats by law travel at walking speed)
Seeing picturesque villages,
chateaus, churches, bridges, farmhouses, and vineyards
Biking, hiking, and walking
down tow paths and quiet rural roads
Exploring Medieval Carcassone
Dining in charming country
restaurants
Mingling with cruisemates and
friendly locals
But before you decide
to barge, recognize...
A significant amount of your "cruising and unwinding" time may be spent waiting for locks to open, fill, and drain. And lunchtime lock-closings complicate your schedule. Unless you're on a full-crew luxury barge, you will do a host of chores including cooking in a cramped galley, making beds, rope-pulling your boat through locks, and more. If it downpours, you're stuck inside tight, non-airy quarters. And don't even think about swimming in the canal water. Not a vacation for some people.
Click for more tips
Nile
Yangtze
Kerala Backwaters
Rhine
Mekong
Amazon
Danube
Rhine-Danube Combo
Volga
Canal du
Midi
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©2012 HQP - Hillman Quality Publications / hillmanwonders.com
