The first step in planning one of these trips is to decide where you want to go. France has the most trip options of any European country, and the Canal du Midi is the most popular route of all. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the summer, it's very hot and crowded, so we're traveling in the fall when the weather should be better and the canal has fewer boaters.
The second step is to select the boat rental company and the boat. We're going with LeBoat again. We've used them several times, and by now, have a relationship with the "booker" in Florida. Recently, we happened to meet her, and found out that her family used to own LeBoat. This explains why she is so knowledgeable about the trips.
On this trip, we decided to splurge a little and rented a large boat called the Classique. This boat is 42 feet long and it has four cabins and two bathrooms both with electric flush! This means that the toilets flush like a toilet at home and doesn't require pumping to flush. If you've ever taken one of these trips, you'll know exactly why this makes me so happy! In addition, there are separate showers in each bathroom.
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| These are two pictures of the boat from the LeBoat website. |
We always choose the "flying bridge" type of boat which allows the captain to drive from outside on the top of the boat and enjoy the weather along with better visuals of the canal and other boats. Although it doesn't show in the pictures, there is quite a bit of seating space up there as well. However, if the weather is inclement, there is a second driving station inside.
Above is the layout for the Classique. The colored parts are the four cabins - two in the bow and two in the stern. We obviously have tons of room! In the middle section is a large U shaped couch (kind of pink) next to a l arge galley (kitchen). Opposite the couch is the interior steering post.
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