Marcel Colomb and his partner Marie-Claire, a Swiss couple from the Neuchâtel area, have been faithful fans of Locaboat canal barge holidays since the 1980s.
Our first encounter with Locaboat happened… at 2000 metres! We were on holiday near Davos and a Penichette® was on show in the ski resort. We were intrigued by this, so we decided to give it a try with a couple of friends. If only we’d known how addicted we’d get to self-drive boat hire…! Since then, we’ve never missed a chance for a canal boat holiday. At that time, in the mid-eighties, the Canal du Midi was still a big secret; very few people took canal holidays. These days, people know that barge cruises are a great way to have a relaxing holiday. That’s why we prefer to go out of season, in spring or autumn, when it’s quieter. As I always say, the Canal du Midi is Louis XIV at 8 kilometres an hour! You can stop where you like, take your time, take in your natural surroundings. We’ve also got to know nearly all the lock keepers (we always take them a nice bar of Swiss chocolate!). There’s a really friendly atmosphere when you’re cruising along a canal. It’s much more peaceful than boating along a river. Another advantage is that you don’t get in the way of the cargo barges, which can happen on the Saône, for example. We’ve cruised on all the stretches of the Canal du Midi, from the Rhône to Sète, from Sète to Béziers, from Béziers to Toulouse and as far as Bordeaux. It’s a really magical place and we never get tired of it, although we do go off to explore other regions from time to time…
