The Canal Latéral à la Garonne (Bordeaux to Toulouse) and the Canal du Midi (Toulouse to Sète), which together form the Canal des Deux Mers, are very popular with cyclists. Easy-to-access towpaths and cycle paths allow you to discover rich and varied landscapes at the rhythm of the locks and canal bridges. However, any journey requires organisation, and knowing how long it will take to cover the entire route is essential. However, the answer depends on many criteria.

Estimate the pace of your journey.

When travelling by bike, the pace is different for everyone. We therefore advise you to think about these questions to determine the length of your journey.

Do you want to cycle the whole of the Canal des 2 Mers, from Bordeaux to Sète, or only a portion?

Do you want to ride along the canal without leaving it, or do you want to branch off and discover the surrounding area, taking time to visit the villages you will pass through?

If you are travelling with several people, do you have the same rhythm, do you travel with children?
Are you used to cycling? Take into account that as the days go by, fatigue accumulates rapidly and aches are felt.
Are you constrained by different imperatives, do you pace your stay according to your different accommodation locations or your accommodation according to your pace?

What are the different stages of the route?

There are not really any stages that you will have to stop at, we are only tracing the points of interest that we think are relevant and where you will have more chance of finding accommodation to spend the night.

Let's break down the route:

The Garonne Canal from Bordeaux to Toulouse is 268 kilometres long. Cyclists who use the canal usually do the following stages:
1. Toulouse - Montech (47km)
2. Montech- Agen (66km)
3. Agen-Marmande (58km)
4. Marmande- Sauveterre-de-Guyenne (41)
5. Sauveterre-de-Guyenne- Bordeaux ( 56km)

The Canal du Midi by bike is 265 km long in total but it is possible to divide it into several stages
1. Toulouse - Montesquieu Lauragais (33 kms)
2. Montesquieu Lauragais - Castelnaudary (32 kms)
3. Castelnaudary - Carcassonne (40 kms)
4. Carcassonne - Homps (42 kms)
5. Homps - Capestang (46 kms)
6. Capestang - Béziers (21 kms)
7. Béziers - Agde (27 kms)
8. Agde - Sète (24 kms)

In general, cyclists who go from Toulouse to Sète follow the following stages:
1. Toulouse - Castelnaudary (65km)
2. Castelnaudary-Carcassonne (40km)
3. Carcassonne- Le Somail (65km)
4. Le Somail- Béziers (55km)
5. Béziers-Sète (55km)

For those who wish to reach Narbonne via the Canal de la Robine, here are the frequent stages:
1. Toulouse - Montesquieu Lauragais (33 kms)
2. Montesquieu Lauragais - Castelnaudary (32 kms)
3. Castelnaudary - Carcassonne (40 kms)
4. Carcassonne - Homps (42 kms)
5. Homps - Le Somail (20 kms)
6. Le Somail - Narbonne (20 kms)

    
How long do we recommend?

The classic pace is adopted by people who will ride between 4 and 5 hours per day and cover 55 to 70 kilometres daily until the finish. If this is your case, you will need 10 days to ride from Bordeaux to Sète.

The "slow" pace will suit you if you are travelling with children, elderly people, people with difficulties or simply if you want to take the time to visit the surroundings. We therefore advise you to leave for a fortnight. It is up to you to estimate the exact number of days depending on the number of "excursions" you plan to make.

The "sporty" pace corresponds to the most experienced of you who decide to travel the 2 Seas Canal at a high rate of speed and without discovering the surroundings. If you plan to cover 90 kilometres a day, you can cover the 533 kilometres of the canal in 6 days.

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