Cycling across the South of France: bikepacking with toddlers

The Canal du Midi has a canopy of plane trees that swoop over a mostly flat towpath. The miles out of Toulouse are tarmaced. Some slight erosion around tree roots which can add to bumpiness in certain stretches. The canal has a green hue which feels refreshing during a heat-wave - coolness reflects off of it. The green is rich and ripe by July, velvety. Most of the bike route is along the canal, with plenty of towns for croissants and provisions or to come up for air for a coffee or ice cream. Camping is ubiquitous.

When I found out I was pregnant, one of my first thoughts was: how we would show them the world? How would we encourage them to be curious and look for adventure?

And how would we get them on a bike?

I daydreamed and researched routes for bikepaking with babies and toddlers. Roads may feel stressful, hills may break us. To make this work, a non-negociable is a flat path with lots of amenities as there is extra weight to pull and more snacking stops when touring with children. A towpath had to be the way.

Designed to connect Toulouse to the Mediterranean, the canal was built in 1666 by Pierre-Paul Riquet with the aim of developing the wheat trade. It stretches 240 km across South France and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It goes through Carcassonne and Béziers.

Where to go — the route

Beginning in Toulouse and finishing on the Mediterranean at Séte (240 km), the Canal du Midi is flat with a protected towpath for cycling with many camping and hotel options along the way. There are towns dotted across it for meal stops, but when you’re on the canal it doesn’t feel overly touristy. It’s a good balance of cutting across the countryside in nature with the support of amenities when you need them. There are plenty of spots to break for ice cream, a picnic or a boulangerie stop.

Key locations along the canal:

Chilled soup at Au Bon Graillou, Victor Hugo food market, Toulouse, France

Toulouse — start

A wildly, underrated city, it’s the gateway to Southwest France with direct trains connecting from Paris. The buildings have an orange red tint that dazzles at the golden hour. The main river is the Garonne that runs up to Bordeaux.

Spend an afternoon at the Victor Hugo food market that sells cheese, flowers, fruits and plates of meat. On the top floor, Au Bon Graillou is local and authentic. Refreshing cold melon soup. They run a €20 three course menu. Easy with children.

If you plan to rent bikes, it’s useful stay at a hotel with a reception desk and locked spaces big enough (a locked store closet) to keep your bikes until you’re ready to leave. We stayed in the Novotel Toulouse Centre Compans Caffarelli. Staff were accommodating about receiving our bikes while we were out at lunch. Frictionless. They also have a pool.

Castelnaudary

Famous for cassoulet, make this a lunch stop on the first day. It’s a small town that’s easy to navigate on the bike.

Carcassonne

A medieval citadel perched on a hilltop, plan to stop in Carcassonne. We took a day off to walk around the 12th- century castle and with some cassoulet for lunch.

You can camp with views of the castel at Camping de la Cité. 4* camping with pools, a bouncy castle and a decent resturant.

Béziers

A town that doesn’t have tourist attractions means that it’s the ideal location to soak up authentic French life. If riding in August, note that there is bullfighting.

Oysters at Chez François in Séte, France

Séte — finish

The final miles dial up the drama over a narrow strip of sand between the Mediterranean and the Étang de Than. Séte is on the other side of Mont Saint-Clair. Stay at sea level — don’t make the mistake we made by booking accomindation with a view. It’s too steep for bikes with toddlers. I would book a hotel along the canal, which is lined with lovely terraces for a celebratory plate of oysters. I would recommend Chez François for a seat by the water and divine fresh seafood.

A longer ride — the route can be extended

The route can be extended to begin in Bordeaux and follow the Canal de Garonne to Toulouse and then continue on the Canal du Midi (mileage from Bordeaux to Séte is 487.8 km).

How to get there and back

There are direct train connections from Paris to Toulous and Marseille as well as airports.

I would recommend a circular route. We cycled from Toulous to Séte and then took a train to Marseille - France’s second city. Great as an add on, it’s an interesting old port town layered with influence from Africa. From Marseille, there are good train connections back to Paris and London.

What to read for inspiration

One of my favourite cycle touring books is Guardian food writer Felicity Cloake’s book: One More Croissant for the Road. It tracks her circular cycle tour around France to iconic recipe locations: Madeleines, Cassoulet and our family favourite every summer: Clafoutis aux Cerises.

Gear

We brought our lightweight camping gear from London and rented bikes and a children’s trailer in France. This company organises drop off and pick-up at different locations.

We use a Big Agnes Family tent as it’s the biggest lightweight family tent we could buy in the UK. We bought adult decalthlon lightweight sleeping bags for the girls which have been great. We all use 3/4 size sleeping mats. I sleep better with a blow up pillow.

Highly recommend the camping stove.

Other locations for bikepacking with children:

Loire Valley

Netherlands: Den Haag to Texel