Capestang to Carcassonne

[lovingkindness]

Guide book: Editions Lepère - La voie des Piémonts - entre Cévennes et Pyrénées (2016)

Stages 6 to 9 in this guide contain maps and a written description on how to hike from Capestang to Carcassonne. This is not a Grand Randonnée route. There are no camino signs or red + white GR signs to follow. There are blue signs for only part of the way then one relies on the written description plus maps. Included in the guide are:

*descriptions for pedestrians and cyclists
*profiles
*accommodation suggestions

To reach Capestang:

*Either follow le Voie d'Arles from Montpellier to St Gervais sur Mare. From St Gervais sur Mare take the GR 78.7 to Capestang.
*or use the Lepère guide, stages 1 to 5: Montpellier - Fabrègues - balaruc-le-Vieux - Saint-Thibéry - Béziers - Capestang

I haven't walked either of these routes. When I hiked from Carcassonne - Beziers - Montpellier in 2013 I didn't have the Lepère guide, I relied on local advice.

Cheers
Lovingkindness

 

[Richard P]

Thank you, I'm planning to walk that way in the fall.

 

[Penbaysail]

I biked this last fall. If I’m not mistaken, both Capestang and Carcassone are on Canal du Midi, so the fastest way would be to walk the canal path. It would be an interesting walk, but the services (food & lodging) are not developed like the Chemin pilgrimage routes. It was OK by bike where I had the mobility to leave the canal for several kilometers for groceries, camping, chambre d’hotes, and gîtes, where available. It took some searching, and I ended up stealth camping a few times because there were no good choices. The services along the canal are very oriented towards the barge boaters, and a few travelers told me they were able to use the shower facilities at the barge marinas upon request, but I didn’t try it.

It’s also a stretch of the canal where the terrain is flat with few locks, and the canal winds through a lot of curves since it’s the river path rather than a dug canal. You’ll feel as you’re traveling a lot of extra distance, and I occasionally took a road shortcut to cut off a large loop.

 

[lovingkindness]

Thanks @Penbaysail . It sounds like you had a fun time camping. I remember the curves in the canal...