Welcome to Drifters
Canal Boat Holidays in the UK

Drifters brings you Great British narrowboat holidays in the UK

Drifters is made up of ten professional canal boat holiday operators, handpicked because they uphold the highest standards.

With over 500 narrowboats for hire from 40 bases across England, Scotland and Wales, Drifters offers the choice of hundreds of narrowboat holiday routes and destinations.

Drifters Standards

Our operators uphold certain industry standards of quality and service and all our customers can expect professional care and attention.

Drifters Standards

Black Prince Signature Elsie kitchen people

Interactive canal route map

Click a Drifters hire base on the map to see local routes and available boats.
Use the map key to explore nearby attractions and points of interest.

Interactive Canal Map

Rural Retreats

Canal boat holidays take you through some of
Britain’s best loved countryside.

Rural Retreats

City Breaks

Take a boating holiday on the UK’s canals and
cruise into vibrant city centres with waterfront attractions.

City Breaks

About Boating holidays

Our operators invest more in new canal boats each year than all the other UK operators put together, ensuring we offer high quality holidays afloat. We are all independently assessed and accredited by the trade federation for the boating industry British Marine, so you can embark on your canal adventure with confidence.

We work with the Canal & River Trust for the good of Britain’s canal network – and to promote the enjoyment of canal boat holidays.

To find out more about Drifters Standards offering excellence afloat, please click here

About Boating Holidays

Blue Light Card Discount

Blue Light Card holders save 10% with our Blue light card discount. It’s our way of saying thanks to our NHS, social care & emergency workers.

Blue Light Card Discount

Drifters price promise

If you see the same holiday elsewhere at a lower price, we will match it.

Drifters Price Promise

Hire Boat Survey

The national waterways charity wants to know about your experience of hiring a boat on the canals and rivers in its care, to help make the experience better.

Launch Survey

Sign-up for our

FREE monthly boating holiday newsletter

Drifters’ monthly e-newsletter offers subscribers updates on:

offers, special events, competitions, destinations, boating tips and holiday reviews.

Newsletter Signup

New to boating holidays?

If you’ve never been on a narrowboat and canal boating holiday before, it’s easy to learn how to drive a boat and all our operators include tuition in their holiday packages.

You don’t need a licence and it’s easy to learn how to drive a boat.

We’ve got lots of advice for beginners, including the best routes, what to pack and how to prepare for a holiday afloat.

About Canal Boat Holidays