Canal Boat Staycations: Is a Narrowboat Right for You?

A canal holiday is the slowest form of travel most people will ever choose deliberately. A narrowboat does about three miles an hour, which means a week gets you perhaps fifty miles and back. Almost everyone who tries it either finds this maddening within a day or falls completely for it. It is worth working out which you are likely to be before you book.

What a week actually involves

You are the crew

Steering is easy and locks are not hard, but they are work, and somebody has to get off the boat and do them. A flight of locks in the rain is a genuine effort. Families with children old enough to help usually enjoy this most, because there is a real job to do.

Days are short and unhurried

Most people cruise four to six hours a day and stop when they find somewhere they like. There is no booking, no schedule, and mooring is generally wherever the bank allows.

The boat is small

Narrowboats are about seven feet wide. Berths are compact and there is nowhere to escape to. This is a holiday that suits people who genuinely like each other's company.

Which canal for a first trip

Easy and spectacular

The Llangollen Canal is the most popular in the country for good reason, running through the Welsh borders to Llangollen and crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a World Heritage Site carrying the canal high above the Dee valley. Few first trips beat it.

Gentle and rural

The Oxford Canal through Oxfordshire and Warwickshire is lock-light in places and passes through quiet farmland, with Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon both within reach. The Shropshire Union through Cheshire and Shropshire is similar in character.

For people who want the locks

The Kennet and Avon runs from Devizes towards Bath and includes the Caen Hill flight, one of the great pieces of canal engineering and a full day's work in itself. The Leeds and Liverpool around Skipton gives you locks and the Yorkshire Dales together.

Who tends to love it

People who like process, weather, and being outdoors without going far. People travelling with older children who want responsibility. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a long walk more than the destination at the end of it. People who need a schedule, reliable internet or their own space will find it harder work than it looks.

Practical points

Book early for school holidays, since the fleet is finite and popular routes go first. Expect a handover briefing on the day and take it seriously, particularly the bit about the tiller working backwards. Bring waterproofs and boots regardless of forecast, because lock work happens in whatever weather arrives.

Consider a short break first if you are unsure, then commit to a week once you know. See also our unusual places to stay and digital detox guides.