Canal trip??

[Bluenoser]

Hi there, I'm Canadian and planning to travel to merry england next summer for a vacation. Someone told me that it is possible to rent a houseboat and travel some canals, and that it was a great way to see the country. Is this true? And any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

[john91]

Hi,
I've been on a couple of canal cruising holidays and whilst they were very enjoyable, your not going to see much of the country travelling at about 2 - 3 mph, but it depends how long your coming for, the company we went with, about 20 years ago was www.anglowelsh.co.uk/ its worth having a look at their site for a start.

[Bluenoser]

Thanks John. I looked at the site and maybe this isn't for us. We will be there for 3 weeks. Never been to England before. What could we use to see the best parts? We are not really interested in cities, but more the country.

[Chillum]

Judging by your reference to "merry England", I'd guess you'd be looking for a traditional postcard image. The lanscape varies widely, but for lovely thatched cottage country you can't beat the Cotswolds. I've just moved from Hampshire in the South and found it to be absoutely lovely, very green and rolling. The Lake District is also beautiful.
However, if you want the really good stuff, you'll need to change country. Nip up North and visit the West coast of Scotland, now that's what I call gorgeous. You can drive from the South coast of England to Loch Lomond in around 8 hours, then take a few days travelling up through some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet.

[PatriciaH]

Hi bluenoser, weve got a narrowboat in the north of the uk. Have a look on this website www.canalforums.net , have a chat to other boaters and ask questions. good luck

[spudqueen]

Hi there Bluenoser, I love narrowboat holidays (it is a narrowboat not a houseboat) on the English canals. If you do want to go ahead with this kind of holiday then you could consider doing the Avon ring which would take you to Stratford on Avon (Shakespeare country) plus Worcester. Some of it is on canal which means working a few locks but some of it is on rivers (Severn and Avon) which means that there are lock keepers who work the locks for you. Met a family of Americans doing this a few years ago and they were loving it.

[spudqueen]

Forgot to mention that you certainly won't see all of England this way but you will see a small portion of it in detail!

[PatriciaH]

Sorry bad link bluenoser type in www.canalworld.net

[nickmo]

Have a look at http://www.viking-afloat.com/canalboat.htm or http://www.canalholidays.co.uk/ or http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/ A selection of site to review before you commit. Most companies will do you a few days rather than binding you to the 3 weeks and have you been to the UK before?

Ask around friends to see if they have any recommendations as there are just too many 'special places' to suggest here. 3 weeks is a good break, so why not add Wales and Scotland to a mini tour? Easy to arrange, and will give you a good taste for a further visit after a few days in some distinct locations.

Canals were built as the industrial links between towns, so quite a few start and end right in town centres - handy for other sights to see. The East of England waterways tend to wind through more rural areas - Norfolk Broads for example, and this probably wont be the merry bit you want - very peaceful, but might not be the tourists first destination on water if you want lots of heritage as well.

Should be a good holiday whatever you do, so enjoy your stay!

[nickmo]

Oops - didn;t mean 'have you been before' - you say you haven't - I meant, 'have you been thinking of anywhere in the UK before?' anyway, have a nice time.....

[Bluenoser]

Very nice responses. I'll think about the whole tour and maybe take a short trip on the 'narrowboat' as well. I may also concider a bus tour as driving I'm not too sure about that. You drive on the 'wrong side of the road' .haha!! Anyway thanks for your input. I am so looking forward to this trip.

[ralphybaby]

forget the narrowboat, go to leominster, and do the black and white village trail most of the houses in the villages are 400 years old. this is olde england.a real step back in time, beautiful