Planning your perfect boating holiday....
You need to:
Decide which area of the country you would like to visit.
A very popular choice is the countryside on the doorstep - seeing the area by canal gives a whole new perspective to an area you know well, but with the confidence of knowing the best places to stop for provisions. Alternatively there may be an area of the country or a historic town that you have always meant to give time to explore.
Click here for some suggested short breaks for your first boating holiday.
Think about who is going.
As you take the holiday at your own pace, 2 active adults can easily handle a narrowboat. If you are considering a route with more locks or with younger children in the crew consider taking a larger boat with another family to share the experience.
As you cruise along, one person steers and the rest of the crew is free to watch the scenery or even walk the towpath alongside. At locks (and when mooring) one person stays on the boat to steer whilst at least one person works the lock mechanism. When you are first taught to operate a lock it may appear bewildering but by your second or third you will already wonder what you were worried about.
Then consider the type of cruising you would like to do.
Our various start bases all have a wide selection of routes and each is generally typified by particular geographic features dictating the style of the canal. For instance Goytre has few locks and plenty of walking opportunities within the Brecon Beacons; Alvechurch boasts the biggest lock flights in the country for larger or more active groups; Whitchurch & Wrenbury are both on the beautiful winding contour Llangollen canal; Worcester gives the opportunity for some lovely river cruising and Gayton offers some of the best short breaks and is handy from London or Birmingham.
Click here to see an overview map, and learn more about the key features of the areas.
And then choose your boat.
Having narrowed down your choice of areas, the number of people and your holiday dates, use the availability checker to see the options there are to suit your criteria. From here you can click on the camera icon next to any of the boats shown as available, to see full details, a photo and a boat plan.
Click here for an example
Finally use our availability checker to find out prices and boat availability
If you like what you see you can continue to book it and then finally make payment safely through Barclays secure Epdq Service using your Debit or Credit card.
and remember, you can always talk to a real person 0330 333 0590
Click here to see 'How to Book' your holiday
With over 200 boats there are times we may have to check on the precise details with the marina but we are in constant contact with them to ensure that your holiday plans are as smooth as possible.