Canal boat narrowboat holidays

Hire a canal boat narrowboat on Britain’s canals and rivers

Drifters offers the choice of over 500 canal boats and narrowboats for hire on canals and rivers in England, Scotland and Wales.

Ten highly regarded hire boat companies make up the Drifters fleet.  Our canal boats are mostly narrowboats, ranging in size from 32ft to 69ft and with accommodation for two to 12 people.

There are over 3,000 miles of waterways for you to discover, all at your own pace and you don’t need to be an expert.

Tuition is included as part of Drifters canal boat narrowboat holiday hire.

Click here for details of our handover tuition

There are over 40 locations to choose from, taking you through some of Britain’s best-loved countryside and into the heart of popular waterside towns and cities.

Popular short break (3 or 4 nights) destinations include:
• Shakespeare’s Stratford on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal;
• The university city of Oxford on the Oxford Canal and River Thames;
• UNESCO World Heritage Bath on the Kennet & Avon Canal;
• Devizes and the Caen Hill Flight on the Kennet & Avon Canal;
• The ancient city of Chester on the Shropshire Union Canal;
• Britain’s vibrant second city of Birmingham on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal;
• Skipton on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire;
• Llangollen and the UNESCO World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales; and
• Worcester on the River Severn.

Drifters offers a variety of durations:

• 3-night weekend getaways;
• 4-night mid-week breaks;
• 7-night holidays;
• 10-night vacations;
• 11-night escapes; and
• 14-nights or longer.

Drifters canal boat narrowboat rental services are operated by established and reputable UK companies.

Visitors from overseas might like to visit Great British Boating.