Millau is an incredible place for outdoor sports in France; kayaking, mountain biking, paragliding, climbing and much more … that’s where I learned how to kayak and met so many great people. Millau is a perfect destination if you want to improve your freestyle skills or eat some cheese and fresh croissants.
However, getting to Millau can be quite tricky, especially off-season. Hopefully, this article will give you all the important information you need if you want to spend a week there. The info on flights are not necessarily only for people flying from Ireland, check if the nearest airport to you have flights to the places I mention here.
When?
Apart from 25th December to 21st January, the stadium is open all year. However, water levels can be quite low during the summer (August-September). The playspot is usually really good and stadium workers are always doing their best to make the most perfect spot for you! There is always a hole at the top of the stadium, a small green wave in the middle and sometimes a second hole at the end of the course.
| December 25th – January 21st | Stadium closed |
| January 21st – July | Usually good levels, hole wide and deep |
| July – September | Can be quite low, playspot could be smaller and shallow |
| September – December 25th | Usually good levels, hole wide and deep |
It can be quite cold in January and February and it is important to know that the stadium will not open if the temperature drops below 0 degrees for safety reasons.
Make sure you contact the stadium beforehand to say you’re coming! They always open on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday all day, but you will have to book in advance for the other days. You need at least five paddlers but there are often people from Millau willing to paddle, so it’s not a big deal.
00 33 6 30 17 48 80 – stade.eauxvives.millau@orange.fr – Facebook: stade d’eaux-vives Millau
Getting there
This is the tricky part, especially off season. I have traveled there three times since I moved to Ireland, and it has not always been easy. The nearest airports are Rodez and Montpellier, but you can fly there from Dublin (and a few other places) only between June and September. Off season, you can fly to Paris, take a train to Montpellier, and then a bus to Millau, but it makes the journey much longer and you can expect to negotiate a good few times not to pay for your boat. Flying to Carcassonne and taking two trains to Montpellier is also an option, and personally, I found it easier and shorter than flying to Paris.
| FLY TO | TRAVEL TO | OTHER INFO | COST | TIME |
| Rodez | Millau | Taxi from the airport to city centre. Bus from city centre to Millau. |
150€ | June – September |
| Montpellier | Millau | Bus/Tram from the airport to city centre. Bus from city centre to Millau. |
150€ | June – September |
| Carcassonne | Narbonne – Montpellier – Millau | Bus from Airport to Narbonne city centre. Train to Montpellier (change in Narbonne). Bus from Montpellier to Millau. |
220€ | All year |
| Paris (Roissy) | Montpellier – Millau | Train (TGV) from Roissy Airport to Montpellier. Bus from Montpellier to Millau. |
220€ | All year |
Costs include return flights and bus tickets. Obviously, prices vary all the time, it’s just to give you an idea.
Journeys can be quite long, and you might have to walk up to thirty minutes with your boat on the shoulder to a bus station or to the other side of the airport. I have tried the four of them, and they are all doable and worth it.
Accommodation
Near a bakery, of course. You can find hostels and B&B (French = gites et chambres d’hotes) quite easily. I would recommend you find an Airbnb, they are relatively cheap, and most of them are in the middle of the city. You can get a bed or an entire apartment for yourself for around 100€ for a week. It is probably the cheapest option as you will spend less money on food as you can cook for yourself. There is plenty of ‘boucheries’ in town if you want a nice steak between sessions, and street market is on Wednesday and Friday morning.
There are many campsites around if you prefer to camp, but if you don’t have the equipment for it, an Airbnb would definitely be cheaper in the end. Also, if you read this article in 2018, there is a hostel just beside the whitewater course (should open in June).
How much?
Now that you have paid for flights and accommodation, you won’t spend that much money. For access to the stadium, it’s 3.70€ for an hour and a half or 6.10€ for two sessions. Food is unreal and cheap, go to the market and try everything. There is also a small grocery store in the city centre. Buy your meat in the butchers and bread in the bakeries, it’s tastier and cheaper! Wine is not expensive but forget the pints for a week.
What to say?
Please = s’il te plait,
a glass of wine = un verre de vin,
croissant = croissant,
pain au chocolat= chocolatine,
hello = voulez vous coucher avec moi,
can I borrow your kit = puis-je t’emprunter tes affaires poto?
Hope you found this blog post helpful, if you did, you can always send me a box full of cheese and fresh baguettes to thank me. If you want more info, drop me a message on Facebook! Au revoir.
Lucien
