Canal Boat Holidays

Fantastic, affordable narrowboat holidays for everybody

Our canal boat holidays are a unique way to experience of everything England and Wales have to offer. Slowly travel the waterways, stop and go wherever you want to and experience a holiday off the beaten track.

You can set your own pace, choose your canal boat hire route and stop and explore the places that interest you. All of this while bringing the comfort of your floating holiday home with you

Wake up to the sound of birdsong and the first morning light. Enjoy your morning coffee while watching the water rippling. Start up the engine when ready, untie your mooring lines, and set off on your adventure. Come together as a team as you tackle the locks, swingbridges, or liftbridges. Stop wherever you fancy and explore the Great British countryside at your own pace. After a home-cooked meal or heading to the canalside pub, you can look forward to another day of fun, bonding and adventure.

Wherever the day takes you - you'll have the peace of mind of knowing you have everything you need on your canal boat hire boat - accommodation and entertainment - all in one affordable holiday.

But don't take our word for it; check out what your fellow hirers had to say on the right.

Is a canal boat holiday a good holiday? Read our reviews
How much is a canal boat holiday? Read an overview here

Our hirers rate our canal holidays as 5/5 based on 7 reviews.

Lovely boat and super helpful team! Canal is quiet...

Lovely boat and super helpful team! Canal is quiet and peaceful with a good number of nice pubs along the eastern route. I would definitely recommend this holiday.

From Mark Tinkler who holidayed onboard narrow boat Moonfleet

Fabulous little break, John was very helpful. Love...

Fabulous little break, John was very helpful. Loved the nature and the processco on the roof . If you love camping, you'll love a boat holiday. 😁

From Tracey Probyn who holidayed onboard narrow boat River Dancer

This was our first time on a canal boat and we cou...

This was our first time on a canal boat and we couldn't have wished for a better experience. Heather and her team at handover were helpful in showing us how everything worked and were so friendly and patient with us greenies! We were helped through the first two locks and then we were away. The boat was spotlessly clean, well kitted out with everything you could wish for and included plenty of cutlery, crockery, glasses etc. Thank you! From Sue and the Aussie Cousins

From Sue Leggett who holidayed onboard narrow boat Hemplow

We had a great weekend on the Lady Isabella. Booki...

We had a great weekend on the Lady Isabella. Booking process through to check in, training and checking out was smooth and easy. Very relaxing time and would highly recommend this luxurious and spacious boat!

From James Fletcher who holidayed onboard narrow boat Lady Isabella

Great service and really enjoyable short break

Great service and really enjoyable short break

From Richard who holidayed onboard narrow boat Snowdrop

We had a great experience with this boat hire. rea...

We had a great experience with this boat hire. really easy friendly people.

From Fee Ryall who holidayed onboard narrow boat Radagast

We've spent three nights aboard Lady Sylvia and th...

We've spent three nights aboard Lady Sylvia and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We've only done a couple of weekend canal boat trips and this didn't disappoint in any way. The boat is quite well laid out and is very comfortable, especially the large bed at the front of the boat. Granted this takes away using the bow area to sit in, But you do benefit from the larger bed. In any case you do have the stern area to sit at if the weather permits The kitchen is very well equipped with toaster, microwave and a pressure cooker. We were told to run the engine for a good six hours in order to ensure the batteries are charged so that these higher energy items wouldn't drain the batteries too much. We probably ran the engine longer than this and we never had any issues. Also the heating is very effective and it does get quite warm. We had a mixture of weather which did dictate where we stopped on the first day (Middlewich) but we managed to get down to the Anderton boat lift and through a tunnel before turning around. We stopped in Anderton on the second night. On the third night we stopped at a embankment not far from the aqueduct marina which had lovely views over a valley, but this did leave us with a little bit of a longer trip in the morning to hand the boat back. It was great to have another short break on the canal but wish we could have done longer - perhaps next time. Even though you're traveling at a snails pace it seems that the days fly by as there is always something to see / do. Sue was extremely helpful giving us a tour of the boat and she was on call if ever we needed her, even if it was only a relatively small matter. We didn't need any assistance but it was nice to have the assurance of a helping hand if needed. I would thoroughly recommend hiring one of the 'ladies' or Serenissima from Venetian boat hire.

From Richard John Porter who holidayed onboard narrow boat Lady Sylvia

We’ll show you everything you need to know

You don't need any previous experience to enjoy a holiday on the canals, and the friendly staff at your chosen canal boat hire base will show you everything you need to know to have a fantastic, safe holiday onboard. All our hire bases will take you through a thorough handover on the day, and this will include the following:

- 'How to operate the narrowboat or barge and equipment onboard.
- The rules of navigation.
- How to use structures on the waterways, such as lift and swing bridges and locks.
- A staff member from your chosen hire base will join you for a cruise where they will show you how to handle the boat, and, depending on the location and route chosen, they may also show you through a lock or two.
- All our hire partners give you excellent instructions and will stay with you until you are happy to manage your hire boat on your own.

But don't worry so much about all that for now; the important thing is, at this point, you don't need any experience, and you don't need to know anything about how to operate a canal boat (also commonly referred to as narrow boats, long boats or barges): a member of staff will show you everything you need to know when the time is right.

Want to know more upfront? Read our tips for beginners here.

Boat hire beginner being shown though a lock

Wave image for website styling, to give feeling of canal

Holiday barge moored up on the Lllangollen Canal

Water Style Wave - To give feeling of canal

For now, you just need to choose a canal boat and a location.

For now, if you want to go on a canal boat hire holiday either on a narrow boat or wide beam, all you need to worry about is choosing the best boat and location for your holiday. This is where we come in :).

Ultimately, there are many ways to do this; you could start with a particular travel time from your home, e.g. within 2 hours drive or a particular place you want to visit or one specific area of the country, or you might not mind on the location and prefer to go for the most affordable or indeed the most picturesque.

Once you’ve chosen a location you'll need to select a canal boat. You could of-course simply go choose the narrowboat you like the look or that is best priced for your crew size. However you'll need to decide if you want the best price or would prefer a little extra comfort e.g not needing to turn the saloon into a bed area, another thing to consider is access if you have limited mobility a Cruiser Stern may be advisable.

Please get in contact if you would like us to help you choose a canal boat or location.

More about types of boat: Trad Stern, Cruiser Stern, Narrow boat, Wide beam, Barge
Holiday Inspiration: Places to visit along the canal

Request a canal boat holiday recommendation

Prefer to choose based on a particular type of hire boat?

We have something for everybody, from 2 berth narrowboat perfect for couples to 12 berth narrowboat for a extra large crew. Or perhaps you need a pet friendly or pet free boat. Below is a selection of popular search options showing the available canal boats of that type. Alternatively you can browser all our available hire boats here

Pet Free Canal Boat Holidays

Gilwern Countess - 4 berth narrowboat

Poppy - 4 berth narrowboat

Countess - 4 berth narrowboat

Princess - 4 berth narrowboat

Clover - 4 berth narrowboat

Juniper - 4 berth narrowboat

Ivory - 6 berth narrowboat

Coral - 6 berth narrowboat

Cedar - 6 berth narrowboat

Oak - 6 berth narrowboat

Kingfisher - 8 berth narrowboat

Mallard - 8 berth narrowboat

Daffodil - 4 berth narrowboat

Bullrush - 4 berth narrowboat

Daisy - 2 berth narrowboat

Pet Friendly Canal Boat Holidays

Angharad - 6 berth narrowboat

Glyndwr - 5 berth narrowboat

Wrekin - 3 berth narrowboat

Brecon - 8 berth narrowboat

Brendon - 6 berth narrowboat

Chirk - 6 berth narrowboat

Sapphire - 6 berth narrowboat

Roheryn - 4 berth narrowboat

Laughton - 6 berth narrowboat

Lillian - 8 berth narrowboat

Mary - 5 berth narrowboat

Shadowfax - 6 berth narrowboat

Cadi Fach - 6 berth narrowboat

Chiltern - 12 berth narrowboat

Gilwern Queen - 5 berth narrowboat

Jade - 6 berth narrowboat

Snowmane - 6 berth narrowboat

Radagast - 4 berth narrowboat

Moonraker - 4 berth narrowboat

Patricia - 3 berth narrowboat

Catherine - 4 berth narrowboat

Malvern - 4 berth narrowboat

Empress - 4 berth narrowboat

Emily (New in 2024) - 4 berth narrowboat

Moonshine - 6 berth narrowboat

Mino - 3 berth narrowboat

Charlotte - 6 berth narrowboat

Thorin - 3 berth narrowboat

Maria - 2 berth narrowboat

New Dawn - 8 berth widebeam canal boat

Moonfleet - 6 berth narrowboat

Agnes - 4 berth narrowboat

Tulip - 4 berth narrowboat

Splendid - 8 berth narrowboat

Gilwern Princess - 4 berth narrowboat

Carey - 4 berth narrowboat

Spode - 8 berth narrowboat

Astarte - 8 berth narrowboat

Arbury - 6 berth narrowboat

Ebony - 6 berth narrowboat

Gilwern Lady - 3 berth narrowboat

Pennine - 12 berth narrowboat

Mendip - 4 berth narrowboat

Wenlock - 8 berth narrowboat

Foxglove - 4 berth narrowboat

Martha - 6 berth narrowboat

Goldberry - 4 berth narrowboat

Moonstruck - 6 berth narrowboat

Elinor - 8 berth narrowboat

Selene - 4 berth narrowboat

Strider - 6 berth narrowboat

River Dancer - 4 berth narrowboat

Clent - 4 berth narrowboat

Purbeck - 2 berth narrowboat

Gilwern Duchess - 4 berth narrowboat

Angela - 3 berth narrowboat

Crystal - 6 berth narrowboat

Maple - 6 berth narrowboat

Pearl - 6 berth narrowboat

Alice Elizabeth - 4 berth narrowboat

Snowdrop - 4 berth narrowboat

Clee - 4 berth narrowboat

Dinas Bran - 6 berth narrowboat

Ginette - 3 berth narrowboat

Berwyn - 8 berth narrowboat

Olivia - 6 berth narrowboat

Blackdown - 8 berth narrowboat

Diamond - 7 berth narrowboat

Emily - 4 berth narrowboat

Cheviot - 3 berth narrowboat

Willow - 4 berth narrowboat

Hemplow - 8 berth narrowboat

Jasmin - 4 berth narrowboat

Frances - 4 berth narrowboat

Canal Boats with Stoves

Cheviot - 3 berth narrowboat

Carey - 4 berth narrowboat

Malvern - 4 berth narrowboat

Wrekin - 3 berth narrowboat

Thorin - 3 berth narrowboat

Roheryn - 4 berth narrowboat

With Best Access to 1 or 2 week Ring Routes

Roheryn - 4 berth narrowboat

Emily (New in 2024) - 4 berth narrowboat

Lillian - 8 berth narrowboat

Frances - 4 berth narrowboat

Radagast - 4 berth narrowboat

Blackdown - 8 berth narrowboat

Malvern - 4 berth narrowboat

Olivia - 6 berth narrowboat

Goldberry - 4 berth narrowboat

Elinor - 8 berth narrowboat

Angela - 3 berth narrowboat

Berwyn - 8 berth narrowboat

Mino - 3 berth narrowboat

Cheviot - 3 berth narrowboat

Patricia - 3 berth narrowboat

Chiltern - 12 berth narrowboat

Clee - 4 berth narrowboat

Wrekin - 3 berth narrowboat

Laughton - 6 berth narrowboat

Hemplow - 8 berth narrowboat

Snowmane - 6 berth narrowboat

Pennine - 12 berth narrowboat

Agnes - 4 berth narrowboat

Strider - 6 berth narrowboat

Mendip - 4 berth narrowboat

Shadowfax - 6 berth narrowboat

Alice Elizabeth - 4 berth narrowboat

Selene - 4 berth narrowboat

Purbeck - 2 berth narrowboat

Martha - 6 berth narrowboat

Arbury - 6 berth narrowboat

Brendon - 6 berth narrowboat

Carey - 4 berth narrowboat

Clent - 4 berth narrowboat

Wenlock - 8 berth narrowboat

Brecon - 8 berth narrowboat

Thorin - 3 berth narrowboat

Ginette - 3 berth narrowboat

Maria - 2 berth narrowboat

Yorkshire Canal Boat Holidays

New Dawn - 8 berth widebeam canal boat

River Dancer - 4 berth narrowboat

Emily - 4 berth narrowboat

Charlotte - 6 berth narrowboat

Canal Boat Holidays near Birmingham

Frances - 4 berth narrowboat

Blackdown - 8 berth narrowboat

Elinor - 8 berth narrowboat

Wenlock - 8 berth narrowboat

Agnes - 4 berth narrowboat

Chiltern - 12 berth narrowboat

Ginette - 3 berth narrowboat

Purbeck - 2 berth narrowboat

Mendip - 4 berth narrowboat

Brecon - 8 berth narrowboat

Malvern - 4 berth narrowboat

Maria - 2 berth narrowboat

Angela - 3 berth narrowboat

Brendon - 6 berth narrowboat

Laughton - 6 berth narrowboat

Clent - 4 berth narrowboat

Clee - 4 berth narrowboat

Wrekin - 3 berth narrowboat

Berwyn - 8 berth narrowboat

Mino - 3 berth narrowboat

Pennine - 12 berth narrowboat

Patricia - 3 berth narrowboat

Carey - 4 berth narrowboat

Selene - 4 berth narrowboat

Lillian - 8 berth narrowboat

Emily (New in 2024) - 4 berth narrowboat

Hemplow - 8 berth narrowboat

Cheviot - 3 berth narrowboat

Olivia - 6 berth narrowboat

Alice Elizabeth - 4 berth narrowboat

Arbury - 6 berth narrowboat

Martha - 6 berth narrowboat

Canal Boat Holidays near London

Daffodil - 4 berth narrowboat

Bullrush - 4 berth narrowboat

Cedar - 6 berth narrowboat

Crystal - 6 berth narrowboat

Tulip - 4 berth narrowboat

Jasmin - 4 berth narrowboat

Maple - 6 berth narrowboat

Juniper - 4 berth narrowboat

Coral - 6 berth narrowboat

Ebony - 6 berth narrowboat

Diamond - 7 berth narrowboat

Kingfisher - 8 berth narrowboat

Princess - 4 berth narrowboat

Pearl - 6 berth narrowboat

Empress - 4 berth narrowboat

Splendid - 8 berth narrowboat

Daisy - 2 berth narrowboat

Snowdrop - 4 berth narrowboat

Clover - 4 berth narrowboat

Poppy - 4 berth narrowboat

Jade - 6 berth narrowboat

Oak - 6 berth narrowboat

Ivory - 6 berth narrowboat

Astarte - 8 berth narrowboat

Countess - 4 berth narrowboat

Sapphire - 6 berth narrowboat

Foxglove - 4 berth narrowboat

Mallard - 8 berth narrowboat

Willow - 4 berth narrowboat

Cheshire Canal Boat Holidays

Goldberry - 4 berth narrowboat

Roheryn - 4 berth narrowboat

Thorin - 3 berth narrowboat

Shadowfax - 6 berth narrowboat

Snowmane - 6 berth narrowboat

Radagast - 4 berth narrowboat

Strider - 6 berth narrowboat

Which location to choose? Explore our interactive canal boat hire planner.

Where will your narrow boat or widebeam take you? There are many canal boat hire options in the UK, all slightly different, in different parts of the country, with access to different waterways and canal-side pubs and attractions. We are confident that whichever of our partners you choose to hire with, you’ll have a great canal boat holiday; however, by using the below map, you can easily see an overview of available hire routes, attractions near the canals and canal side pubs sorted by rating.

The map will automatically find YouTube videos along your route to get a feel for that section of the canal before you book. Take a look here.

Screenshots of our canal boat holiday, planner: showing routes, pubs, food and drink, youtube videos and route times along our hire routes

Why book your narrowboat hire through Roam&Roost Canal Boat Holidays?

Best Price Guarantee

We are confident prices shown are the best available price. If you find the same accommodation available at a lower price on an alternative website for the same boat, same location and same number of people we will match that price. Terms

Support and advice from boaters

Support from boaters. After hiring initially, we've now been travelling the UK by narrowboat as a live-aboard family for multiple years, from beginner questions such as "Do you need a license?" to more involved questions such as Where would we recommend for a hire party such as yours we believe we well placed to help.

Get rewards for shopping with us.

Get rewards for shopping with us. If you shop with us, we will reward you for supporting our independent partners and for helping spread the word about our fantastic canal boating holidays. By working with you, our customers, we can reduce our advertising costs and pass along those savings to anybody who would like to hire more than once from ANY of our partners.

Supporting nature and the environment

One of the reasons we love holidays by boat so much is their ability to get people out and immersed in nature. We are committed to doing our bit for nature and the environment. We are donating 5% of our revenue to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Support small businesses.

Support small businesses. We've chosen to partner with multiple independent or family-run canal boat hire bases up and down the UK; when shopping with us, you'll be supporting small businesses that help keep our canals alive.

What do our narrowboat hire partners think?

"As boaters 'Roam&Roost Canal Holidays' have an in-depth knowledge of the canal system and are well placed to help customers make an informed choice. We've been happy to partner with them - their simple and easy-to-use website helps us reach more people who otherwise may not have discovered about our family-run narrowboat holidays ideal for the Llangollen and surrounding canals."

Lindsay - Chas Hardern Narrowboats, our hire partners in Cheshire ideal for the Llangollen and surrounding canals

"The team at 'Roam&Roost Canal Boat Holidays' are very helpful and ensure you always get the most suitable boat for your canal holiday on whichever canal you wish to cruise."

James - Wyvern Shipping, our hire partners near London ideal to escape the city for a cruise in the heart of the English countryside

"At The Boat Co North I work with 'Roam and Roost Holidays' as a booking agency. They are great partners in trying to find the best experience and advice for our customers. They are genuine, they are boaters like myself, and James and Sabina share a passion with us about the waterways and delivering memories for hirers that will last a lifetime. This is a genuine business ran by genuine people I'm proud to partner with."

John - The Boat Co North, our hire partners in Yorkshire ideal to explore the Yorkshire waterways.

Holiday inspiration: Help you to decide on a narrow boat or wide beam holiday location

Had a look at our routes and still not sure where is the best canal holiday for you? Below you’ll find our latest holiday inspiration posts, if you would like a personal recommendation please send us a recommendation request above.

Pontcytllte Aqueduct, part of one of our Top Canal Boat Holidays to see a Wonder

Start your canal boat hire search:

View all locations & routes View all boats

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Other Countries	+442045781435 (alternatively send us an e-mail and request a call back, or call on Whatsapp below)
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Whatsapp	07878310232
Email	james@canalboatholidays.co.uk

Canal Boat Holidays

Fantastic, affordable narrowboat holidays for everybody

Our hirers rate our canal holidays as 5/5 based on 7 reviews.

Lovely boat and super helpful team! Canal is quiet...

Fabulous little break, John was very helpful. Love...

This was our first time on a canal boat and we cou...

We had a great weekend on the Lady Isabella. Booki...

Great service and really enjoyable short break

We had a great experience with this boat hire. rea...

We've spent three nights aboard Lady Sylvia and th...

We’ll show you everything you need to know

For now, you just need to choose a canal boat and a location.

Request a canal boat holiday recommendation

Prefer to choose based on a particular type of hire boat?

Pet Free Canal Boat Holidays

Pet Friendly Canal Boat Holidays

Canal Boats with Stoves

With Best Access to 1 or 2 week Ring Routes

Yorkshire Canal Boat Holidays

Canal Boat Holidays near Birmingham

Canal Boat Holidays near London

Cheshire Canal Boat Holidays

Which location to choose? Explore our interactive canal boat hire planner.

Why book your narrowboat hire through Roam&Roost Canal Boat Holidays?

Best Price Guarantee

Support and advice from boaters

Get rewards for shopping with us.

Supporting nature and the environment

Support small businesses.

What do our narrowboat hire partners think?

Holiday inspiration: Help you to decide on a narrow boat or wide beam holiday location

Top 5 Canal Boat Holidays to see a wonder of the waterways

Top 5 Canal Boat Holidays for people travelling by train

Browse all our documented routes

Start your canal boat hire search:

New to canal boat holidays? Sign up for our free introductory e-mail series

Our series of short absorb-able emails will ease you into the world of canal boats and give you the confidence to choose your next canal boat holiday.

Our series of short absorb-able emails will ease you into
the world of canal boats and give you the confidence to
choose your next canal boat holiday.