Entries by Debbie Ludford

Take to the water this August Bank Holiday

There are over 3,000 miles of beautiful inland waterways to explore by canal boat in Britain, and hundreds of waterside destinations to choose from. We still have plenty of narrowboats available to hire in August, many at a discounted rate. To celebrate the forthcoming August bank holiday, we’ve here’s our guide to our Top 8 […]

Why canal boat holidays are pet-friendly

As well as dogs, we’ve accommodated many other kinds of pets aboard our canal boats, including rabbits, iguanas, cats, hamsters, caged birds, goldfish and tortoises. Top 5 reasons why canal boat holidays are great for pets Narrowboats are like floating holiday cottages, with space for pets too; Canal boat holidays are especially great for dogs, […]

Top 8 summer days out boating on the canals

Drifters hires out day boats from 18 narrowboat hire bases in England and Wales, offering the chance to enjoy a family day afloat on the canals this Summer. Full tuition is included, so if you are new to canal boating, you can get the hang of steering, mooring up and working the locks. All our […]

Top 8 canal boat holidays for wellbeing this summer

It’s well known that spending time in green space connecting with nature is good for our mental health and wellbeing. Recent research by the Canal & River Trust confirms the combination of green and blue space with wildlife experienced by visitors to the inland waterways gives an extra wellbeing boost*. Britain’s 3,000-mile network of inland […]

Life is good on the Grand Union Canal

Ashley Gibbins and Ann Mealor of the International Travel Writers Alliance recently enjoyed a Drifters narrowboat holiday press trip on the Grand Union Canal. They set off on a four-night mid-week break from Braunston in Northamptonshire, aboard a Union Canal Carriers boat. After their tuition and boat handover, Tim from the Braunston boat yard took […]

Cruising across ‘The Stream in the Sky’

Setting off from our Whitchurch canal boat hire base in Shropshire, Gareth Butterfield recently enjoyed a mid-week break with Drifters on the Llangollen Canal. Accompanied by his wife and their two dogs, they cruised through the Shrophshire countryside and into Wales. The highlight of their trip was crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, 126ft high above the […]

Enjoy May bank holiday boating on the canals

The bank holidays in May offers the perfect excuse to plan a long weekend boating break on Britain’s peaceful inland waterways.  Prices start at £1,005 for a three night break on a boat for up to four people. To celebrate the forthcoming bank holidays in May, including the Whitsun May bank holiday weekend (27-29 May), […]

Over 1,000 people tried canal boating on our national open day

Last Sunday (23 April), over 1,000 people tried canal boating for free at one of our 16 open day events across England and Wales. We were delighted to welcome so many people to our boat yards to experience canal boat holiday taster sessions.  These included free short trips on skippered narrowboats, and the opportunity to […]

Our first electric day boat launches on the Coventry Canal

On Monday 3 April 2023, Drifters member ABC Boat Hire is launching its first electric day boat. Operating from Kings Orchard Marina, on the Coventry Canal near Lichfield in Staffordshire, the 36ft ‘Perfect Day’ narrowboat is the first of nine new electric day boats to be added to the fleet over the next 18 months. […]

Top 7 summer canal boat holidays in 2023

Travelling through the countryside at just four-miles-an-hour, canal boat holidays are the fastest way to slow down this summer. Drifters offers 550 narrowboats for hire from 45 bases across England, Scotland and Wales.  Our summer holiday prices for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four people start at £835, and […]