All Great British Boating canal boat hire companies uphold standards of excellence, ensuring we are among the best in the business and all our customers can expect professional care and attention.
Hundreds of people discover the delights of taking a canal boat holiday on Britain’s beautiful inland waterways each year. Unlike cars on our roads, boats travel on the right side of our canals and rivers. On most of the inland waterways the maximum speed is 4mph. You don’t need a licence to cruise our peaceful inland waterways and all our operators provide expert tuition as part of their holiday packages.
Your party should include at least two fit adults. When cruising along, you only need one person to steer, but when you reach a lock, one person needs to stay on the boat and the other has to get ashore to work the paddles and gates. Children can help with working the locks and steering under supervision.
You’ve come to the right place
Great British Boating offers information and advice to help you decide on the right boat, departure point and journey.
What To Bring
Things you might want to bring with you, include a torch, camera, binoculars, a good waterways guide (such as Nicholson’s or Pearsons), enough food supplies for a couple of days (supermarket deliveries to direct to your boat can be arranged in advance), non-slip deck shoes and protective gloves for working the locks.
Our Boats
Our canal boats range in size from 32ft, providing accommodation for just two people, up to 70ft with beds for up to 12 people. All our boats are unique, so once you have selected your starting base, take a look at our range of flexible boat interiors and layouts to see what works best for you.
