One of Europe’s oldest canals, dating from the time of Louis XIV, the Canal du Midi links the Bay of Biscay with the Mediterranean. It stretches from Bordeaux to Agde from where the Canal du Rhône à Sète carries on to Beaucaire via Aigues Mortes. Between Toulouse and Sète, therefore, you could travel by boat with fabulous scenery along the way. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for cruises on the Canal du Midi: it gets very crowded with pleasure craft in summer. Temperatures soar, and you can’t jump into the dirty canal to cool off. For details of cruiser hirers contact the Languedoc-Roussillon Tourist Board, www.destinationsuddefrance.com