9 things you need to know about narrowboating

The sun is out and Britain’s beautiful canal network offers over 2,000 miles of waterways to explore.

If you’ve ever fancied taking a canal boat holiday, what better time to take the plunge?

Here are the top 9 things you need to know about narrowboating:

1. You don’t need a licence – it’s easy to learn how to steer a narrowboat and tuition is included as part of all Drifters’ holiday packages.

2. You drive on the right – unlike cars on our roads, boats travel on the right side of our canals and rivers.

3. You have all the comforts of home – all our narrowboats have heating, well-equipped kitchens, quality furnishings, flushing toilets, hot water, showers, TVs and DVD players, and many now have WiFi on board too.

4. It’s so relaxing – travelling gently along at just four-miles-an-hour, enjoying the ever changing view and visiting waterside towns and villages along the way, canal boat holidays are quite simply the fastest way to slow down.

5. There are plenty of pubs – there are hundreds of waterside pubs along the inland waterways, so a watering hole is never far away.

6. It’s better for the planet – as soon as you swap your car for a boat, you’ll be using a third of the fuel and emitting a sixth of the pollution.

7. It’s a floating safari – waterways provide homes for large numbers of birds, plants and animals, including many protected species like water voles, otters and kingfishers, so there’s always something special to look out for.

8. It’s a great adventure – from working the locks to travelling across soaring aqueducts, the canal network is made up of thousands of engineering marvels to encounter.

9. You can bring your pet – pets are welcome on almost all canal boats, and as well as dogs, we’ve welcomed rabbits, hamsters, caged birds, goldfish and tortoises.