Canal holidays in the UK

[chicaguapa]

I really really want to go on holiday on a boat on the Canal du Midi but it's quite expensive (£1800 a week in May half term + flights). So I'm thinking of trying it in the UK first. I prefer the idea of a cruiser, just because this is what we'd do in France.

Any suggestions, tips or anything really to start me off on my research please?

DC will be 14 & 11 so not toddlers. We're also used to camping so will cope in small spaces.

The canal holidays my friends have done have all been on traditional narrow boats. This is because the locks on canals were built for these boats (they are narrow) not cruisers. A quick google would tell you who hires them in the region you wish to visit.

The Canal du Midi is completely different from our canals. It is wide. You can get cruisers on the Norfolk Broads if you want that type of boat. Or on the Thames.

If you want a cruiser why not hire one on the Thames? It is navigable as far as Lechlade.

A load of us did this many years ago and hired a 10 berth boat from Maidenhead. We had a blast.

We did a traditional narrow boat from rugby to Banbury and back. It was fabulous.

Two families, four adults, four children. It was August 1983 and red hot!