Top 6 Romantic Destinations Afloat

Cosy double berths, frosty towpaths and quiet moorings make canals the perfect Romantic hideaway.

We offer winter cruising and romantic boats for two from a number of our bases, giving couples the chance to escape on board their very own ‘love boat’.

Once afloat, lovers can cuddle up for a romantic evening afloat, or stop-off at historic country pubs with roaring log fires.

Today’s canal boats are fully equipped with all the essential mod cons, including central heating, hot water, televisions and DVD players. Many now have Wifi too and some also have their own multi-fuel stove. So whatever the weather, it’s always nice and cosy on board.

It’s free to moor almost everywhere on the waterway network, so a canal boat could provide the perfect romantic hide-away in the countryside miles from anywhere, or a base to explore exciting waterside destinations like Stratford upon Avon or Birmingham.

Here are our top six romantic destinations on the canals:

1. Propose along the ‘Stream in the Sky’…the awe-inspiring 300metre-long World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which soars nearly 40 metres high above the rushing waters of the River Dee, is truly one of the wonders of the waterways. And what a place to propose?! From our canal boat hire base on the Llangollen Canal at Trevor, close to the aqueduct, a short break to Ellesmere and back, offers the chance to explore the beautiful Vale of Llangollen and Shropshire Lake District.

2. Travel to Stratford upon Avon, home of the Bard…from Drifters’ base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal in Warwickshire, Stratford upon Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare, is a six-hour cruise, giving boaters plenty of time to “whisper sweet nothings” along the way. There are moorings in Bancroft Basin, just a stone’s throw from the famous Swan Theatre and the town’s waterside restaurants, perfect for a candlelit dinner for two.

3. Potter through rural Leicestershire to the heart of the canal network…our base at Union Wharf in Market Harborough offers the chance to explore the beautiful Leicestershire countryside afloat. On a short break, couples can reach the pretty village of Crick, on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, stopping off at rural locals along the way. On a week’s holiday, they can reach Braunston at the heart of the canal network.

4. Enjoy classic English countryside on the Oxford Canal…On a short break from our Stretton-under-Fosse base near Rugby, boaters can head south along the beautiful Oxford Canal to Braunston, winding through classic scenery, much of which hasn’t changed for centuries. On a week’s holiday, canal boat holiday-makers can continue south to Banbury, via the canalside villages of Napton and Fenny Compton.

5. Chug through rural Warwickshire…From Drifters’ Rugby base on the North Oxford Canal in Warwickshire, boaters can travel along quiet rural waterways to the pretty village of Crick, passing through the “chocolate box” village of Stoke Bruerne, with canalside pubs, a curry house and quaint Canal Museum. On a week’s break they can complete the Warwickshire Ring, and include a visit to Birmingham’s City Centre to buy expensive presents for each other at The Mailbox!

6. Travel to Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man…our base at Great Haywood on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, on a week’s holiday boaters can reach Market Drayton where the first recorded mention of gingerbread being made was in 1793. Steeped in history, with lively street markets and beautiful architecture, Market Drayton is a great place to celebrate St Valentine’s Day. On a short break from Great Haywood, boaters can travel to the village of Fazeley, passing the National Trust’s Shugb