Stephanie Spencer from Yours.co.uk has reviewed her recent Drifters press trip. She set out with her husband and two friend from our Braunston base, on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire. Stephanie describes the boat and the facilities on board, tuition, journey and pubs they visited.  And says it’s ‘a fantastic holiday whether for a couple, a group or a family.’ You can read Stephanie’s full review here https://www.yours.co.uk/leisure/travel/drifters-waterway-holidays-barge-trip-review/ The post A canal boat holiday from Braunston appeared first on Drifters ..read more

Why not head to one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways on your next canal boat holiday. The list of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Waterways’ was compiled 66 years ago by Robert Aickman.  He was the co-founder of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA).  These amazing structures are still functioning today and make great destinations. If you’d like to head to one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways on your next canal boat holiday, here’s a guide to our nearest bases: 1. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Carrying the Llangollen Canal 38 metres high above the River Dee, the World Heritage Statu ..read more

Drifters offers day boat hire from 20 places in England and Wales, offering the chance to enjoy a family day out boating on the canals. Prices start at just £10 per person. Boats range in size and can accommodate between eight and 12 people. Full tuition is included so if you are new to narrow boating, you can get the hang of steering, mooring up and working the locks. All Drifters’ day boats are equipped with cutlery, crockery and a kettle, and most also have a toilet, cooker and fridge.  So you can plan a picnic afloat or stop off for lunch at a canalside pub along the way. Here’s a gui ..read more

Canal boat holiday cruising rings offer journeys along several different waterways, taking in a huge variety of landscapes. Some are seriously challenging with steep flights of locks and long dark tunnels to negotiate. Here’s a guide to our top 9 canal boat holiday rings and circuits: 1. The Droitwich Ring (21 miles, 33 locks, 16 hours) Starting from Worcester or Stoke Prior, this canal boat holiday ring is the only one that can be completed on a short break. It re-opened in 2011 following the £13million restoration of the Droitwich Canals.  This reconnected the River Severn and the Worce ..read more

We’ve launched a new electric day boat at Hilperton on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire. The 36ft ‘Great Day’ narrowboat accommodates up to ten people and 2024 day hire prices start at £99. The boat has a toilet, indoor and outdoor seating and a kitchen area with induction hob, sink and microwave.  So on a day out boating on the Kennet & Avon Canal, you can pack a picnic afloat, or stop off at a canalside pub for lunch along the way. Popular day boat destinations on the Kennet & Avon Canal from Hilperton include: Cruising to Avoncliff and back, enjoying spectacular views ..read more

We’ve launched a new electrically powered day boat at Hilperton on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire. The 36ft ‘Great Day’ narrowboat accommodates up to ten people and 2024 day hire prices start at £99. The boat has a toilet, indoor and outdoor seating and a kitchen area with induction hob, sink and microwave.  So day boaters pack a picnic afloat, or stop off at a canalside pub for lunch. Popular day boat destinations on the Kennet & Avon Canal from Hilperton include: Cruising to Avoncliff and back, enjoying spectacular views of the River Avon Valley and the Cotswold Hills, an ..read more

Britain’s beautiful 3,000-mile network of inland waterways weaves through the countryside into some of our best-loved towns and cities. To celebrate the forthcoming May bank holidays, we’ve published a guide to our most popular city breaks you can do on a short break: Worcester This beautiful Cathedral City on the River Severn is connected to the canal network at Diglis Junction.  Drifters offers canal boat holidays from Worcester Marina.  From there, you can complete the Droitwich Ring on a short break.  This 20-mile circuit takes you through Worcester along the River Severn, a ..read more

This year, the Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Bradford in West Yorkshire will be 250 years old! One of the greatest feats of canal engineering of its day, the Grade I listed Bingley Five Rise Locks opened on 21 March 1774. On that day, 30,000 people turned out to cheer their opening, and the local militia fired their field guns in salute. A wonder of the waterways Considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, the five cavernous chambers raise (or lower) boats by 18 metres.  They open directly from one to another, with the top gate of one form ..read more

We’re proud to welcome many overseas visitors to experience a canal boat holiday on Britain’s historic network of inland waterways.  Most of our overseas visitors come from America, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany and The Netherlands. Our overseas visitors often want to visit some of Britain’s best-known historic towns and cities by canal boat.  We’ve published a guide to our most popular destinations with overseas visitors. Shakespeare’s Stratford, England From our canal boat rental base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal near Henley-in-Arden, you can c ..read more

Here at Drifters we’re delighted to welcome aboard our canal boats many customers from the United States wanting to explore historic Britain. To answer frequently asked questions, we’ve put together a guide to everything our American visitors need to know about our canal boat vacations and trips. What’s so appealing about a canal boat vacation in Britain? Cruising slowly through some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside and visiting some of our most popular historic destinations is a great way to see the country.  Travelling at just four miles per hour, you have time to take in the sce ..read more