Travelling through the countryside and waterside towns and villages at just four-miles-an-hour, canal boat holidays are the fastest way to slow down. You don’t need a licence and it’s easy to learn how to steer a narrowboat. Drifters offers 590 narrowboats for hire from 47 bases across England, Scotland and Wales. Our summer holiday prices […]
Hundreds of pubs can be found alongside Britain’s inland waterways, many of them historic rural locals offering the perfect place to eat, drink and relax on a canal boat holiday. With names like the Lock, the Navigation, the Narrowboat and Bridge, canalside pubs often date back to the construction of the canals over 200 years […]
Day boat hire on the canals offers the chance to treat Dads with a fun day out on the water, nourished by a pint and a pub lunch along the way. Drifters offers day boat hire from 18 canal boat hire yards, from less than £10 per person. Full tuition is included so if […]
There are now over 30,000 canal boats on our inland waterways, more than at the time of the Industrial Revolution, and half a century after the 1968 Transport Act officially recognised Britain’s canal network as a major leisure resource, the popularity of canal boat holidays continues to increase. Today’s canal boats for hire are fully […]
Celebrate Mother’s Day by treating your Mum to a relaxing day afloat, nourished by a picnic afloat or a pub lunch along the way. Drifters offers day boat hire at 18 boat yards, from less than £10 per person. Full tuition is included so those new to canal boating can get the hang of steering, […]
Canal boat holidays are fantastic for families – offering the chance to set off on an adventure together, learning how to work the locks and speak the boating lingo, as well as spotting wildlife, exploring traffic-free towpaths and visiting waterside attractions along the way. Drifters’ prices this Easter start at £495 for a short break […]
Cosy double berths, quiet moorings and historic canalside pubs with roaring log fires make canals the perfect Romantic hideaway. Drifters offers winter cruising* and romantic boats for two from a number of its bases, giving couples the chance to escape on board their very own ‘love boat’. Today’s canal boats are fully equipped with all […]
With boats travelling at a maximum speed of 4mph, and over 3,000 miles of navigable peaceful inland waterways to explore across Britain, canal boat holidays really are the fastest way to slow down. From rural retreats to vibrant city centres, narrowboat holiday-makers can use their boat as a floating holiday home to explore. Drifters’ offers […]
A canal boat holiday is a great way to enjoy the splendid colours of autumn in the hedgerows and trees that line our waterways. These colours are dramatically mirrored in the water and there’s plenty of wildlife to spot along the way, including the arrival of flocks of birds in search of berries. There are […]
Day boat hire on the canals offers the chance to treat Dads with a fun day out on the water, nourished by a pint and a pub lunch along the way. We now offer day boat hire at 18 of our bases. Full tuition is included so if you are new canal boating, we’ll help you […]