UK Narrowboat / barge hols with family

[52inJan]

We'd like to go on a UK barge holiday this year – probably in the summer hols. Has anyone done one and can recommend an operator and route? And tips?

We’d be two families of four with four kids ranging from 7 to 11, and would love to have lots of stops along the way. Never actually done barges before!

There’s loads of operators, the biggest one is ABC Leisure, also Black Prince, Anglowelsh and oafs more independents off the top of my head.
decide what you want from a boat as that may limit where you can go from, e.g. are you going to share one big boat or do you want two smaller boats. A big boat can be harder to handle, but two boats can be more work if you’re on a narrow canal with a lot of locks.
ABC have suggested routes from each of their bases, showing cruising time and no of locks. If you want lots of stops then factor that in and consider a shorter route. There and back where you can choose to turn around earlier is probably better than a circular route.
Think about wet weather plans and clothing too, this is the UK and it will probably rain, so be prepared for this with spare clothes and shoes! Likewise, if it’s warm it gets hot inside the boat and you will burn quickly as you’re outside a lot.
It’s a great holiday for kids, but not cheap and you do have to be prepared to all be in a confined space for a week!

I used to own a narrowboat so can I add that hire prices can be very high in summer, and locks can be very busy, each use takes about 20 mins so if there are 3 in front of you that 1 hour wait. Tunnels are fun but again it's a one way system with waiting if it is a long tunnel. You can only turn a boat around on a special wide part of the canal called a winding hole. As said previously get the operators brochures and route maps which will tell you how many locks, tunnels, etc and don't forget you won't get far in a day at 4mph! Finally mooring near towns and pubs can be very busy in the evening. Sorry I'm not trying to put you off but these are the things I found after buying a boat with rose tinted glasses and I don't want them to spoil your holiday as newbies.

Google lock free canals for ideas for routes with few locks.

DH and I are hoping to do this with the dc but are waiting until they’re all strong swimmers and are strong enough to help with the locks.

My reflections on a narrow boat weekend with kids that age:

Not comfortable and I hated the shower and chemical toilet. The whole boat smelled of diesel and chemical toilet. Cramped narrow spaces.

Very little to do. Many Canals go through quite isolated stretches of country . The kids sat on the roof, and we had to remind them to duck every time we approached a tunnel, worry about them being boisterous and falling off, worry about them at locks.

Locks and ‘helping’ really lost their novelty after the first day

Never again. But perhaps we are not usual.

(we love camping, campfires, walking, outdoor stuff, just not narrow boats on canals)

I went on one when younger in south wales and my dad ended up building his own narrow boat in our back garden he enjoyed it so much !.

Our (mercifully brief) narrowboat holiday with 2dc, PIL and our dog was the only holiday in all my 50 years that I have hated (and I'm a person who's happy to camp and doesn't go on luxury holidays). Admittedly it was in Lancashire in October half-term and wet, though not very cold, but it was cramped, unbelievably boring and muddy. The dc (pre-teens at the time) hated it as much as I did! Ddog was terrified of getting on and off the boat and got mud everywhere.

Summer would have been better, as would a route with more to do, but I'm not convinced it would have been actively enjoyable. Sorry - just my experience!

Gosh, I can't think of anything much worse stuck on a boat probably smelling of damp, freezing and nowhere to go

I loved it when I was a kid. My dad apparently hated it, because he was at the back driving and barely got to see any of us. Why not try a day trip and see how that goes?

We have done several. Never again with kids!! Ours said 'if you have seen one tree, you have seen them all'. We also had a memorable trip by taxi to the John Radcliffe in Oxford. We loved it, the peace and quiet and the lazy days but the kids hated it.

I once walked the canal from
Bradford on avon to Bath and I'll have to agree that Canals are bloody boring

Thanks so much everyone for the replies - lots to mull and ponder, quite a divide!!

Actually on reflection and proper reading of all your responses....I really don't think it's for us 🤣 #luckyescape

😂
They’ve put me off too @52inJan

We hired one for a full day on the Norfolk broads, we were back by lunchtime, so boring!!