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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Port guide
Homps — at a glance
42 boats are available to book in Homps from Homps. The most common models are Horizon 1 (4), Royal Mystique (4), Vision 3 (3), Salsa A (3), Magnifique (3) — 20 models in all. Built 1999–2025, 8.8–15 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests.
Homps is a wine village on the Canal du Midi in the Minervois, halfway between Carcassonne and Béziers, and its port is one of the canal’s main hire bases: licence-free cruisers west to Carcassonne and Castelnaudary or east through Le Somail and Capestang to the Fonserannes locks and the sea. Carcassonne airport is 40 minutes away.
Getting there
By air. Carcassonne Airport (CCF) is about 35 km — 40 minutes by taxi; Béziers (BZR) about 55 km; Toulouse (TLS) about 125 km. By rail. Lézignan-Corbières station is 15 minutes by taxi; Carcassonne 35. By road. The A61 motorway exit Lézignan; free parking at the base.
Homps before you cast off
The port has wine cellars and restaurants on the quay; Minerve and its gorge are 25 minutes inland, Carcassonne 30 minutes by road, and the Lagrasse abbey in the Corbières 40.
A shop in the village and supermarkets in Lézignan or Olonzac, 10 minutes away; the base has a shop, water and fuel.
A week from Homps
Day 1 — base → Trèbes (about 20 km, 10 locks from Castelnaudary; fewer from Homps). Along the summit reach through the plane-tree avenues to Carcassonne’s canal port under the walled city, then on to Trèbes for the night.
Day 2 — Trèbes → Homps (22 km, 8 locks). Past the Marseillette basin and the Minervois vineyards to the port at Homps and its wine cellars.
Day 3 — Homps → Le Somail (16 km, 2 locks). The long lock-free reach to the picture-book hamlet of Le Somail: the old bridge, the bookshop and the canal-side restaurants.
Day 4 — Le Somail → Capestang (14 km, no locks). Through the Minervois vineyards to the wine village of Capestang and its cathedral-sized church.
Day 5 — Capestang → Béziers (18 km, 1 tunnel, 7 locks). The Malpas tunnel and the Fonserannes staircase of locks down to Béziers.
Day 6 — Béziers → Portiragnes or Agde (12 km, 3 locks). The last reach towards the Mediterranean: the round lock at Agde and the coast.
Day 7 — return to base. One-way hires return by taxi; a return hire turns around at Le Somail or Homps on day 4.
Every boat on the Canal du Midi
Ports near Homps
Argens-Minervois (32 boats · 5 km) · Le Somail (32 boats · 15 km) · Trèbes (24 boats · 23 km) · Bram (20 boats · 48 km) · Portiragnes (73 boats · 53 km) · Castelnaudary (55 boats · 62 km) · Avignonet-Lauragais (3 boats · 75 km) · Negra (7 boats · 88 km) · All boats in France
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of boats can I charter in Homps?
42 boats are available to book in Homps: 42 motor boats. The most common models are Horizon 1, Royal Mystique, Vision 3, Salsa A.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 41 boats here accept a single-day booking. A day rate is quoted for the specific boat and date, so pick your day on the boat’s own page and the price comes back live.
What is not in the price?
The figure is for the boat. Transit log, tourist tax and the APA are mandatory, set per boat, and paid at the base. Skipper, hostess, extra equipment and other services are optional and also settled at the base.
Why do some boats show no price?
42 of the 42 boats in Homps are on request — usually larger or crewed yachts, where the rate depends on the week and the crew. They are left out of every figure above.
How far is the airport from Homps?
The nearest airport is Perpignan Airport (PGF), about 60 km away as the crow flies; Montpellier Airport (MPL) is about 105 km. Transfer times by road are longer; most charter companies arrange a transfer to the base on request.
Do I need a licence for a canal boat in France?
No. Licence-free river cruisers can be hired by anyone over 18 on the French waterways; the base gives an hour’s instruction on steering, mooring and the locks before you leave.
How do the locks work?
Most locks on the Canal du Midi and the Burgundy waterways are worked by a lock-keeper or are automatic; the crew handles the ropes. Locks are closed at lunchtime and overnight, so a day’s cruising is about six hours.
What day do charters start?
Weekly hires usually run Saturday to Saturday or Friday to Friday, with handover in the afternoon and return by mid-morning; shorter breaks of three or four days are common — the exact times are on each boat’s page.