 When
is the best time to go?
Hire narrow boats are usually available from mid March
to late October which is often referred to as the
‘cruising season’. Some firms hire year round but you
should check that the route you want is available
because maintenance works can close locks and bridges
etc. out of season. Your hirer will have details.
Hotelboats usually cruise late April to late October.
The canals are busiest during the school holidays from
late July to early September and prices for hired boats
are highest then. ‘Busy’ in canal terms means that some
locks on popular canals may have queues of boats waiting
an hour or more to get into the locks and popular
mooring spaces outside pubs etc. may fill up mid
afternoon. You can choose quieter canals or just relax
and enjoy the surroundings and conversations! Obviously
there can be more sun during the summer period but most
people don’t see canal cruising as just a ‘fair weather’
holiday, there’s lots to do whatever the weather. We
have a page about
winter cruising and
our
Hireboats2go late
booking website has boats available year round.
How
do we choose a route?
The main canal system is very extensive, stretching from
the South of England to Ripon in the North East and into
Wales. Whichever sort of cruising holiday you choose one
thing is certain, you will be moving slowly! The maximum
speed limit on the canals is 4 miles per hour, about
6kph! Going faster creates wash which erodes canal
banks. Boats don’t have speedometers but 4mph is about a
good walking pace. Also you should never be making a
breaking wave behind the boat. Even this speed is too
fast when passing moored boats, you should slow right
down to avoid pulling out their mooring lines. Going
through locks slows you down more, it can take 20
minutes to get through one lock and they often come in
flights of ten or twenty or more!
So canal cruising is not a holiday to hurry, that is its
beauty! Don’t plan to do more than 20 miles in a day
unless there are very few locks around or you don’t mind
long hours. You should not plan to travel after dark and
some locks on some canals may be closed after 4 or 5pm
until 8 am to save water supplies. After a few days
going slowly you’ll be feeling the benefits! See our 'Choosing
a route' page if you know what sort of
canal holiday you want. We have over 30
canal
cruising guides to the most popular
canals.
Do
we have to turn around & come back the same way?
Lots of people do cruise and then turn around and
return. However the unrivalled beauty and interest on
the canal will leave you wishing you could turn around
and experience it for a 3rd time!
Another alternative would be to choose a route involving
a "ring". This as you would expect enables you to
complete a circular route within your holiday timescale.
Your canal company will be able to advise you of
possible routes or why not view our detailed
Cruising Guides.
What
Boating Skills are needed, do we need any qualifications
to hire a boat?
You don't need any boating experience of
qualifications to hire a canal boat. Hire firms will
give you instructions and often take you through the
first lock. However
training courses are available.
We have essential information about
handling a narrow boat
and
working locks.
How
safe is narrow boat holiday hire?
Water can be dangerous and boats are heavy moving
objects. You should always take care of course, and
children and those who can’t swim should wear
lifejackets, especially if they are getting on and off
the boat frequently. However canals are usually shallow
and slow moving and all hire firms will give safety
instructions and training.
Personal safety and crime are not major problems on the
canals provided normal sensible precautions, like
locking boat doors when unoccupied, are practised. There
are a few inner city areas where additional precautions
are advised, your operator will give details. |
 What
activities can we do on a canal holiday?
There's no better holiday to occupy the whole family!
Kids find canal boating incredibly enjoyable as they are
spoilt for choice for things to do. Apart from the
boating other possible activities include Fishing,
Cycling, Walking, Pony Trekking, Hill Walking, Canoeing.
Older children tend to take over the driving of the boat
(of course under adult supervision) and working the
locks where else would they be able to do this and when
else would you let them loose with a £100,000 boat? The
boating activities are endless for children, from
planning the route, pushing off, driving, navigating the
locks and generally keeping the boat in shipshape
condition. The whole experience of canal boating is one
big adventure for the whole family.
For those perhaps not feeling quite so energetic the
ever changing scenery and abundant wildlife will never
cease to fascinate you. Many canal boaters enjoy
painting, sketching and relaxing with a book as the
world drifts by or doing absolutely nothing.
Throughout your holiday you will meet people from all
walks of life and help your holiday the most memorable
for years to come, and most importantly you have no
itinerary to keep to, you set the pace, you choose when
and where to moor, in fact you do whatever you like!
A canal holiday undoubtedly offers the perfect family
holiday, keeping the youngest to the most senior members
of the family occupied- and all this with no language
barriers to cross and most importantly no flight delays!
Where
do we shop for food or eat out?
You do not need to trudge the towpaths for miles with
overflowing supermarket bags, your options are endless
and far more inviting! Many small towns and villages do
sell excellent locally produced produce, and all hire
boats have fully equipped galleys.
But there is no reason to spend lots of time in the
galley! One of the treasures of the British canals are
the
canal side pubs. There is one on average
every 5 miles. They offer anything from a traditional
pint to the finest cuisine and really are an essential
part of the canal experience. What better than to cruise
the canal all day and reward yourself with a refreshing
and well earned drink sitting by the canal on a
beautiful summer's evening. Heaven!
As well as the pubs actually along the banks of the
canals and rivers there are, of course, all the tens of
thousands of village, town and city pubs, inns and
hotels which are often well worth a short walk in the
evening. Most villages still have their own inns and
pubs, no matter how small, and these are the best way to
take a peek at local life. Town and city pubs vary
greatly, their variety is their strength and all you
have to do is pick the ones that suit you best!
Many canal holidaymakers enjoy the great outdoors by
having Barbeques. Very little can beat mooring up for
the evening and lighting the barbeque and taking in the
beautiful, peaceful surroundings. This alfresco
experience is priceless and indeed for those on a budget
the canal holiday catering need not break the bank!
There are of course towns, villages with shops within
easy walking distance where you can stock up on the
essentials.
Can
we bring the Dog with us?
It's a great holiday for dogs! The rural countryside
allows you to take some lovely walks and because canal
boats travel at about 3 miles per hour it is not
difficult to keep up when you want to walk your dog
along side. Many hire firms allow dogs on some of their
boats, for a small charge to cover the extra cleaning.
But don't let them on the beds! Most canalside pubs
welcome dogs. |
