You have to go to the foot of the big wheel on Port Viguerie in Toulouse to find the shed of the electric boat rental company “Les Caboteurs” which has been in existence for a year.
Accessible to adults and children, at least one adult is required on board but the boat license is not necessary. Once the rental contract has been completed, you will drive the boat yourself, after having carefully listened to the navigation instructions. In particular, it is necessary to precisely respect the course, because certain places of the Garonne are not deep enough to circulate.
Reserve in advance
“To have a place, it is better to book in advance. on the Caboteurs website” advises us Mahinatea, head of the pontoon. “The morning remains the quietest time of day, ideal for families who want to take advantage of the relative freshness during the crossing. In the evening, it is more the young people who embark with their friends for an aperitif on the banks of the river.“
Nine boats are made available each day, three more than last year, to one or two hour tours. You can board a maximum of 8 people and the prices are decreasing. It is necessary to count for example 60€ for a tour of one hour with three people.
– Sophie Hoffman
Discover the city from another angle
Even if the activity is touristic, it also attracts people from Toulouse, like Sarah who booked an hour of navigation with her father and her son Eloi “It’s an opportunity to see another aspect of Toulouse, from the water, with a little boy who can’t wait to be our captain!” smiled the young woman. For her father Thierry, “it’s an opportunity to combine passions by accompanying my daughter and my grandson while enjoying boating. And then on the Garonne, we benefit from a little freshness in these times of heat wave. What I also like is the slowness of the navigation which allows me to temporize life a little!“
Les Caboteurs are open until October 2 in Montauban and until October 9 in Toulouse.