Barge Boat Rental and Hire

Barge boat rental in the UK

Barge boating on Britain’s beautiful canals and rivers is often described as ‘the fastest way to slow down’.

You’ll travel at just four miles per hour through the countryside and into some of Britain’s best-loved waterside towns and cities.

Drifters offers barge boat rental from 40 locations across England, Scotland and Wales. 2026 barge boat hire prices start at £715 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for up to 4 people.

Barge boats are also known as canal boats or narrow boats. Drifters also provides wide beam boat hire at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire and Falkirk on the Union and Forth & Clyde canals in Scotland.

You don’t need a licence to hire a barge boat on the UK’s inland waterways and tuition is included in Drifters barge boat hire prices.

Barge Boat Destinations

There are hundreds of barge boat destinations to choose from and dozens of traditional canalside pubs to enjoy along the way. Some of the most popular pubs to visit on a barge boat holiday include:

·       The Dundas Arms on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Kintbury in Berkshire;

·       The Barge Inn on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Honeystreet in Wiltshire;

·       The Barge Inn on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire;

·       The Plume of Feathers on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Barlaston in Staffordshire;

·       The Dusty Miller on the Llangollen Canal at Wrenbury in Shropshire;

·       The Sun Inn on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor in North Wales;

·       The Crown on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Alvechurch in Worcestershire;

·       The Jolly Boatman on the Oxford Canal at Thrupp in Oxfordshire;

·       The Trout Inn on the River Thames at Oxford in Oxfordshire;

·       The Narrowboat on the Grand Union Canal at Stowe Hill in Northamptonshire;

·       The Admiral Nelson on the Grand Union Canal at Braunston in Northamptonshire;

·       The Fleur de Lys on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at Lowsonford in Warwickshire;

·       The Stubbing Wharf on the Rochdale Canal Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire;

·       The Parrs Arms on the Bridgewater Canal at Grappenhall in Cheshire;

·       The Shady Oak on the Shropshire Union Canal at Tarporley in Cheshire; and

·       The Boat Inn on the Shropshire Union Canal at Gnosall in Staffordshire.

Drifters offers barge boat hire from 40 great canal and river locations in the UK, all operated by established reputable companies.