THE UK'S BEST SELF DRIVE CANAL HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OUT ABOARD SUPERB NARROWBOATS
HOLIDAYS
A canal holiday really is fastest way of slowing down! That's what life on a narrowboat is all about. It's the perfect antidote to the breakneck pace of modern life. But we think that to be a holiday it needs to be at least a week… otherwise it’s just a Midweek Canal Break or a Weekend Canal Break.
For 2024 we hire from our Bradford on Avon, near Bath, base from February Half Term, and from our Lower Heyford, near Oxford, base from mid March - both to the end of October
Your holiday doesn’t have to just be a week – you can take 10 or 11 days, two weeks or more starting on Monday, Tuesday, Friday or Saturday – and if you really want to take a longer waterway adventure why not look at our sister Long Term Narrowboat Hire website for hires of multiples of a month.
So what happens once you’ve set off? Then time is your own… there’s no rush because your narrowboat travels along in splendid isolation at not much more than a steady walking pace with plenty of time to absorb the beautiful scenery through which you’ll cruise. You can boat for as long or little as you like each day – we recommend you don’t try to plan to go too far because the whole idea of a waterway holiday is to wind down… relax… enjoy!
DESCRIBE A TYPICAL BOATING DAY
No two days are the same when you’re afloat. Choose to have a lie-in or be a real early bird and go boating at the crack of dawn whilst some of crew are still asleep – it’s an amazingly cathartic experience for both those outdoors and those drowsing in bed!! How about that proper English Breakfast that you never have time for the rest of the year? Take a healthy stroll to visit a nearby village or away through the fields. When you’re ready to boat take it easy – a good boater will be just as efficient at getting from A to B as someone rushing. Plan how to work the locks effectively, like a well-oiled team, and you’ll be amazed how much time you save – all without running or shouting. Maybe it’s a hot forecast so you’ll want to find a shady spot to moor up for a siesta. Perhaps you’re heading for a more popular location such as Bath or Cropredy in which case you might plan to arrive early afternoon to get a decent mooring. How about an extended lunch….or a barbecue on the towpath? You might feel you’re ready for a bit more boating into the evening to find an idyllic mooring in the countryside…or enjoy the sights and sounds of our amazing cities such as Bath, Bristol, or Oxford. So much to do – so many choices- so now you see why there is no such thing as a typical boating day.
WHAT CAN THE KIDS DO? WON’T THEY BE BORED?
This is the perfect tech-free holiday! Whilst 4G via your mobile allows internet connectivity for much of your journey just don’t tell the kids! They’ll have loads of old-fashioned adventure learning to help steer the boat, working the locks and lift or swing bridges, walking the towpath, getting back to nature, playing board games in the evening – that’s if they’ve not already fallen asleep from enjoying the country air all day! And we provide buoyancy aids for all children under 16 and for any non-swimmers in your party for added peace of mind…
HOW ABOUT DOGS AND OTHER PETS?
We welcome well behaved pets, especially dogs, onto our boats. A high proportion of our hirers bring their dog to enjoy long country walks along the towpath. We make no extra charge for the first pet, £25 for second and subsequent pets – all subject to the very reasonable condition that the boat is returned in the condition it was hired to you i.e. fur-free and undamaged.
SO WHICH BASE DO WE CHOOSE?
Our holiday bases are perfectly situated to take advantage of the most popular cruising waterways across Southern England. You can cruise along the peaceful southern Oxford Canal, characterised by its quaint lift-bridges and pretty waterside villages and/or venture right into the centre of the City of Oxford. Enjoy the majestic River Thames from its remote upper reaches, downstream to some of the most famous sights in the country - the Dreaming Spires of Oxford, Henley on Thames and Windsor. Or admire the grandeur of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Traverse majestic aqueducts, cling to the valley side with stunning views as the canal winds its way to world-famous Bath. Rise up to the challenge of the famous Caen Hill locks and cruise into the sublime cruising scenery and the White Horses of rural Wiltshire.
