Longer Holidays on the Water

Take your time on an extended cruise

A two or three week canal boat holiday provides the perfect opportunity to relax. You’ll enjoy the pace of a longer break. There’s plenty of time to moor up and take in the sights, stay a day or two in a place that takes your fancy, or spend a day visiting a local attraction.

Two week holiday

When planning a two-week canal boat holiday, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. We recommend that you book your boat well in advance, especially if you plan on cruising between May and August. It’s a good idea to pack for all weather conditions. The weather in the UK can be unpredictable, so it’s important to be prepared for anything.

We have plenty of options for two week holidays in various regions in England and Wales including Oxfordshire, Staffordshire and Wales, including the following cruising route ideas:

Longer Holidays

If you’re looking for an even longer canal boat holiday, you could consider taking a three-week or four-week trip. There are many different routes you can take, so you can find one that fits your interests and time frame. Give our reservations team a call on 0044 1527 575115 if you would like to book a holiday over two weeks and we can suggest a suitable boat, hire base and itinerary.

Black Prince Holidays - Bedroom - Signature Class

Holidays with the Family

A family canal boat holiday is a great way to relax and reconnect with your children or wider relations. Plus it’s a fantastic way to see the UK at a slower pace, with plenty of opportunity for everyone to get involved.

When planning a canal boat holiday with the family, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you’ll need to choose a route that is suitable for all ages. Some routes are more challenging than others, so it’s important to choose one that is appropriate for your family’s fitness level. Second, pack plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy, such as board games for the evenings. Take a look at our exclusive Activity Packs for younger children and teenagers. Third, you’ll need to be prepared for some downtime. Canal boat holidays are a great way to relax and unwind, so it’s important to be prepared for some time spent doing nothing.

Black Prince Holidays - family fun on front of boat

Family friendly routes

We’ve created a selection of new narrowboat routes that we think your family will love. Each has stunning scenery, awesome attractions and waterway wow factor, and there are short break and longer holidays to suit your timetable. These breaks include additional suggested activities so that you don’t have to be on board the narrowboat at all times, but remember you will need to build in additional time if you want to spend days out exploring local areas and attractions.

High Life is a break through the incredible Dee Valley, starting from our Chirk base in Wales – 1 week
Chocs Away is an attraction-packed option from Stoke Prior in Worcestershire – 1 or 2 weeks
Going Potty starts in Stoke on Trent and follows one of the UK’s most beautiful canals to Alton Towers – 1 or 2 weeks
Canal & Castle from Napton in Warwickshire has something of everything for families – 1 week

Depending on the base you start from, you can generally start a 7-night break from 2.30pm and 3.30pm Saturdays, Mondays and Fridays or from 9.30am on Wednesday departures. Boats should be returned and vacated by 9.30am Saturdays, Mondays and Fridays or 2.30pm on Tuesday returns.

Black Prince Narrowboat holidays - family with lifejackets drive boat

Waterways Rings

Many of our guests take a longer holiday to complete one of the tremendous waterways rings, such as the Four Counties Ring from our Staffordshire base which is easily manageable travelling for around four hours per day, or the Warwickshire Ring from our Worcestershire base taking around six hours per day. These rings will give you a fantastic variety of landscapes, both in town and country and there’s an excellent sense of achievement when accomplished!

Four Counties Ring – 1 week, 10 days or a relaxed 2 weeks
Warwickshire Ring – 1 week or 10 days
Avon Ring – 2 weeks
Stourport Ring – 1 week

You don’t have to have previous experience in canal boating to do the rings, just be aware of the time and make a note of where you need to be by a certain date – our teams at the canal bases can help you with this before you leave.