Why canal boat holidays are great for pets

Canal boats provide a floating holiday home, so it’s possible to take all sorts of pets on the canals.

And as well as hundreds of dogs each year, Drifters’ canal boat hire operators have accommodated many other kinds of pets aboard their canal boats, including rabbits, hamsters, caged birds, goldfish and tortoises.

Here are our top 7 reasons why canal boat holidays are great for pets:

1. The majority of canal boats fore hire allow pets on board so you don’t have to allocate holiday budget to pet care;

2. No extra vaccinations or pet passports are needed for your pet to cruise the canals;

3. Many Drifters narrowboat hire operators allow the first pet to travel free, while others charge a supplement of between £25 and £35;

4. Narrowboat holidays are especially great for dogs, with plenty of towpath walks, dog-friendly canalside pubs and other dogs to meet along the way;

5. 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 – if you’re more relaxed, your pets will be too;

6. Narrowboats with open cruiser-sterns at the back offer extra room ‘on deck’ for pets and the family to enjoy the ever-changing view; and

7. You can buy a doggy life-jacket with wide belly-strap and easy-to-grab handle for a quick retrieval if your dog accidently goes swimming!