Close

Terms and Conditions

How these terms and conditions apply to our contract 

Please ensure that you read and understand these Terms before you submit your Booking Request. You may only request a booking if you agree to these Terms. By submitting a Booking Request you are deemed to have accepted these Terms. This does not affect your statutory rights as a consumer.

Boutique Barges London LTD (referred to also as we/our/us”) sells holidays via boutiquebarges.co.uk phone and via email requests. Any person wishing to make a booking via any of these methods (referred to as “you/your”) acknowledges that such booking is made subject to these Terms.

We reserve the right to change these Terms at any time. Any such changes will take effect immediately. It is your responsibility to read the Terms each time you submit a Booking Request and any such request shall signify that you have accepted to be bound by the latest set of Terms. The most up to date Terms are available on request.

Making a Booking

You can either book online, via phone or email. Please have details of all party members when making a booking. Please check your confirmation as Boutique Barges cannot be held responsible for errors in information provided at the time of booking.

Bookings are not transferable to another party

When making a booking you agree that you or at least one member of your party is eighteen years or over, you have the authority of all persons in your party to book on their behalf, you accept these Terms & Conditions and you agree to be responsible for any loss or damage caused by any member of your party accompanying you.

Advance bookings are subject to minimum stays. These may vary by season, please refer to our web site for further details.

Stag, hen or similar parties are welcome only at the sole discretion of Boutique Barges, this also applies to any groups of five or more Please advise at time of booking .

Prices 

The prices advertised are accurate at the time of booking. Prices can move up or down and Boutique Barges reserve the right to do so. Customers are advised to check the website for the most up to date information including our latest promotions, deals and discounts.  Although prices may vary from time-to-time, the price payable is the price confirmed at the time of booking.

The prices are based on a daily rate unless otherwise stated.

Whilst we will make every effort to ensure that our prices remain unchanged, they may be amended at any time prior to payment of the final balance.

Promotions, deals or discounted offers are provided at the discretion of Boutique Barges. All offers are subject to availability, cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount and may be withdrawn at any time. Retrospective refunds are not permitted against any offer or promotion advertised after such time a booking is made.

Payment

Payment for bookings can be made via PayPal  or Stripe on our online booking system. We cannot accept payment by cheque in advance or onsite. The full cost or a 50% deposit of the holiday is payable at the time of booking.

Cancellation and changes to your booking

If for any reason you can no longer attend your holiday, Boutique Barges is unable to offer refunds. However, we will offer you the opportunity to pay your visit forwards and provide you with a voucher code to redeem your stay within 24 months.  You must notify us no later than 4 weeks prior to your initial arrival date in order to qualify for the pay it forwards offer.

If you cancel or amend your booking prior to the 4 week deadline, you will be charged a £35 admin fee.

If you leave early for any reason Boutique barges will not issue any refund for unused nights.

Unfortunately, in some circumstances Boutique Barges may have to cancel your booking. In these circumstances we will offer you a full refund of any fees paid or the option of an alternative date or pitch. No other compensation is available.

If you want to amend your booking, you must notify Boutique Barges within 4 weeks of your arrival date. Based on availability and the request BB will do their best to accommodate any changes but cannot guarantee this.

Covid Policy

If you have to cancel a booking due to Covid (isolation or positive testing) our regular cancellation terms still stand. We’re unable to offer refunds or pay it forwards vouchers for bookings cancelled within 4 weeks of your holiday. However we will do our utmost to re-sell the dates and if we’re able to do this we will refund you minus a £35 admin fee.

We hope you understand that Covid has put us all in a very difficult position and so in order to ensure the stability of our business we have to stick to this policy.

 

Arrival and Departure 

It is important that you run through full in check in and boat operational instructions on arrival.

Arrival times are between 2pm and 4pm.

For your safety we ask that you arrive in daylight hours, so we can show you around the boat.

You will be able to access your accommodation from 2pm.

If you wish to arrive earlier, please arrange prior to your arrival and we will do our best to accommodate your request, but this cannot be guaranteed.

All accommodation must be vacated by 11am on the day of departure unless otherwise agreed with Boutique Barges.

Management and Behaviour onsite 

As the person booking the holiday, you are responsible for the behaviour of all members of the party whilst on the boat.

Any willful damage to the boat property will result in you being asked to immediately leave the. If you are asked to leave under these circumstances, no monies will be refunded.

Fire safety

Fires are only permitted in the designated stove and fire pit. These are to be used with caution by yourself. Fire safety information will be provided on site and must be adhered to at all times.

Complaints 

We want you to have an enjoyable holiday. Should you have cause for complaint, please contact us immediately and we will try to resolve your complaint and advise you of our complaints procedure.

We ask you to note that if you do not give us the opportunity to resolve the problem by reporting it, we may not be able to deal with any complaint on your return and your rights to claim may have been reduced or forfeited.

If, at the end of your stay with us, you feel we have not dealt with your complaint satisfactorily, we ask that the main booker submits a written complaint within 28 days of your return home to: Boutique Barges, 20 a station terrace, London, NW105RX or through our website.

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how Boutique Barges uses and protects any information that you give us when you book. Boutique Barges is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when booking, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this policy. We may collect the following information:

  • name
  • contact information including email address
  • demographic information such as post code, preferences and interests
  • other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather?

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

  • Internal record keeping.
  • We may use the information to improve our products and services.
  • We may periodically send promotional emails about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.
  • We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

 

Security 

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

  • whenever you are asked to fill in your information, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes.
  • if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time and contact us through the contact means provided.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen. If you do not wish to receive further sales information, please email us using the contact form.  If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please contact us through the contact means provided as soon as possible. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

Liability 

Please read this section as it is important that you understand what you are agreeing to;

Nothing in this section limits or attempts to limit our liability for:

  • Death or personal injury caused by our negligence; or
  • Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
  • Any breach of the obligations implied by Section 2 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982; or
  • Losses for which it is prohibited in Section 7 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to limit liability; or
  • Any other matter for which it would be illegal or unlawful for us to exclude or attempt to exclude our liability.

Subject to the matters detailed above, if we fail to comply with these Terms, we shall not be responsible for any losses that you suffer as a result, except for those losses which we could reasonably foresee would result from our failure to comply with these Terms.

The Boutique Barges boats have a number of potential risks which you must be aware of;

  • Open water
  • A waterfall

You use all of these areas at your own risk and Boutique Barges is not liable for any injuries or accidents which may take place as a result of your use.

It is your responsibility to act with due care and attention onsite at all times, Boutique Barges will not be held responsible for your own negligence. All children are the responsibility of their parents.

In addition to the above, we shall not be responsible for any:

  • Loss of income or revenue;
  • Loss of business
  • Loss of anticipated savings
  • Loss of data

Our maximum liability shall be no more than to refund the amount paid by you for the holiday.

Please wear appropriate footwear on board the boat. The deck can be slippery and sensible footwear is advised.

Boutique Barges do not accept responsibility for anything that adversely affects your holiday that is outside of our control. These circumstances are known as ‘Force Majeure’ events and are circumstances that Boutique Barges could not, even with due care, have foreseen or avoided. Such circumstances include (but are not limited to) war, civil unrest, industrial action, terrorist activity, natural disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, foot and mouth disease and all other similar events outside of our control. KUDHVA will endeavour to manage any problems caused as a result of a Force Majeure event but shall be under no obligation to do so and shall not be liable to you for any losses caused by a Force Majeure event.

Other Important Information

Any photographs, descriptions or advertising we issue, and any descriptions or illustrations on our Website or other media platforms, are issued or published solely to provide you with an approximate idea of our site and services. They do not form part of the contract between you and us.

If any court or competent authority decides that any of the provisions of these Terms are invalid, unlawful or unenforceable to any extent, the Term will, to that extent only, be severed from the remaining Terms, which will continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law.

If we fail at any time while these Terms are in force, to insist that you perform any of your obligations under these Terms, or if we do not exercise any of our rights or remedies under these Terms, that will not mean that we have waived such rights or remedies and will not mean that you do not have to comply with those obligations. Any waiver of a default by us does not mean that we will automatically waive any subsequent waive by you. No waiver by us of any of these Terms shall be effective unless we expressly say that it is a waiver and we tell you so in writing.

A person who is not party to these Terms shall not have any rights under or in connection with them under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

You may not transfer any of your rights or obligations under these Terms to another person without our prior written consent, which we will not withhold unreasonably. We can transfer all or any of our rights and obligations under these Terms to another organisation, but this will not affect your rights under these Terms.

These Terms and any non-contractual obligations relating to these Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with English law. You and we both agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. This contract shall be concluded in the English language.

If you wish to contact Boutique Barges please use the following address: Boutique Barges, 20 a Station terrace, London, NW105RX.

 

Close
.
.
.

PRIVACY NOTICE
Last updated 05 March, 2024

Thank you for choosing to be part of our community at boutiquebarges.co.uk, doing business as boutiquebarges.co.uk We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy notice or our practices with regard to your personal information, please contact us at bookings@boutiquebarges.co.uk
This privacy notice describes how we might use your information if you:

▪  Visit our website at boutiquebarges.co.uk

▪  Engage with us in other related ways ― including any sales, marketing, or events  In this privacy notice, if we refer to:

▪  “Website,” we are referring to any website of ours that references or links to this policy.

▪  “Services,” we are referring to our Website, and other related services, including any sales, marketing, or events 
The purpose of this privacy notice is to explain to you in the clearest way possible what information we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it. If there are any terms in this privacy notice that you do not agree with, please discontinue use of our Services immediately. 
Please read this privacy notice carefully, as it will help you understand what we do with the information that we collect.

1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

Personal information you disclose to us In Short: We collect personal information that you provide to us. We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you register on the Website, express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Website or otherwise when you contact us. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Website, the choices you make and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following: Personal Information Provided by You. We collect names; phone numbers; email addresses; mailing addresses; job titles; usernames; passwords; contact preferences; contact or authentication data; billing addresses; debit/credit card numbers; and other similar information. Payment Data. We may collect data necessary to process your payment if you make purchases, such as your payment instrument number (such as a credit card number), and the security code associated with your payment instrument. All payment data is stored by Stripe. You may find their privacy notice link(s) here: https://stripe.com/en-gb/privacy-center/legal
or
Paypal. You may find their privacy notice link(s) here: https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full
All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information.

To manage the cookies and similar technologies used (tracking pixels, web beacons, etc.) and related consents, we use the consent tool "Real Cookie Banner". Details on how "Real Cookie Banner" works can be found at <a href="https://devowl.io/rcb/data-processing/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://devowl.io/rcb/data-processing/</a>.

The legal bases for the processing of personal data in this context are Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR and Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is the management of the cookies and similar technologies used and the related consents.

The provision of personal data is neither contractually required nor necessary for the conclusion of a contract. You are not obliged to provide the personal data. If you do not provide the personal data, we will not be able to manage your consents.

2. HOW DO WE USE YOUR INFORMATION?

In Short: We process your information for purposes based on legitimate business interests, the fulfilment of our contract with you, compliance with our legal obligations, and/or your consent. We use personal information collected via our Website for a variety of business purposes described below. We process your personal information for these purposes in reliance on our legitimate business interests, in order to enter into or perform a contract with you, with your consent, and/or for compliance with our legal obligations. We indicate the specific processing grounds we rely on next to each purpose listed below. We use the information we collect or receive:

▪  Request feedback. We may use your information to request feedback and to contact you about your use of our Website.

▪  To manage user accounts. We may use your information for the purposes of managing our account and keeping it in working order.

▪  To send administrative information to you. We may use your personal information to send you product, service and new feature information and/or information about changes to our terms, conditions, and policies.

▪  To protect our Services. We may use your information as part of our efforts to keep our Website safe and secure (for example, for fraud monitoring and prevention).

▪  To enforce our terms, conditions and policies for business purposes, to comply with legal and regulatory requirements or in connection with our contract.

▪  To respond to legal requests and prevent harm. If we receive a subpoena or other legal request, we may need to inspect the data we hold to determine how to respond.

▪  Fulfill and manage your orders. We may use your information to fulfil and manage your orders, payments, returns, and exchanges made through the Website.

▪  To deliver and facilitate delivery of services to the user. We may use your information to provide you with the requested service.

▪  To respond to user inquiries/offer support to users. We may use your information to respond to your inquiries and solve any potential issues you might have with the use of our Services.

3. WILL YOUR INFORMATION BE SHARED WITH ANYONE?

In Short: We only share information with your consent, to comply with laws, to provide you with services, to protect your rights, or to fulfill business obligations. We may process or share your data that we hold based on the following legal basis: More specifically, we may need to process your data or share your personal information in the following situations:

▪ Business Transfers. We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.

4. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?

In Short: We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy notice unless otherwise required by law. We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting or other legal requirements). No purpose in this notice will require us keeping your personal information for longer than the period of time in which users have an account with us. When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymize such information, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.

5. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE?

In Short: We aim to protect your personal information through a system of organizational and technical security measures. We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, despite our safeguards and efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorized third parties will not be able to defeat our security, and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, transmission of personal information to and from our Website is at your own risk. You should only access the Website within a secure environment.

6. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS?

In Short: We do not knowingly collect data from or market to children under 18 years of age. 
We do not knowingly solicit data from or market to children under 18 years of age. By using the Website, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Website. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will deactivate the account and take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we may have collected from children under age 18, please contact us at bookings@boutiquebarges.co.uk.

7. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS?

In Short: In some regions, such as the European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom (UK), you have rights that allow you greater access to and control over your personal information. You may review, change, or terminate your account at any time. 
In some regions (like the EEA and UK), you have certain rights under applicable data protection laws. These may include the right (i) to request access and obtain a copy of your personal information, (ii) to request rectification or erasure; (iii) to restrict the processing of your personal information; and (iv) if applicable, to data portability. In certain circumstances, you may also have the right to object to the processing of your personal information. To make such a request, please use the contact details provided below. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws. 
If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Please note however that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal, nor will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent. If you are a resident in the EEA or UK and you believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection supervisory authority. You can find their contact details here: https://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index_en.htm. 
If you are a resident in Switzerland, the contact details for the data protection authorities are available here: https://www.edoeb.admin.ch/edoeb/en/home.html. 
If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at bookings@boutiquebarges.co.uk. 
Account Information 
If you would at any time like to review or change the information in your account or terminate your account, you can:

▪ Contact us using the contact information provided.

▪ Log in to your account settings and update your user account. 
Upon your request to terminate your account, we will deactivate or delete your account and information from our active databases. However, we may retain some information in our files to prevent fraud, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigations, enforce our Terms of Use and/or comply with applicable legal requirements. 
Opting out of email marketing: You can unsubscribe from our marketing email list at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the emails that we send or by contacting us using the details provided below. You will then be removed from the marketing email list — however, we may still communicate with you, for example to send you service- related emails that are necessary for the administration and use of your account, to respond to service requests, or for other non-marketing purposes. To otherwise opt-out, you may:

▪ Contact us using the contact information provided.

8. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES

Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track (“DNT”) feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage no uniform technology standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this privacy notice.

9. DO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS HAVE SPECIFIC PRIVACY RIGHTS?

In Short: Yes, if you are a resident of California, you are granted specific rights regarding access to your personal information. California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the “Shine The Light” law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to us using the contact information provided below. If you are under 18 years of age, reside in California, and have a registered account with the Website, you have the right to request removal of unwanted data that you publicly post on the Website. To request removal of such data, please contact us using the contact information provided below, and include the email address associated with your account and a statement that you reside in California. We will make sure the data is not publicly displayed on the Website, but please be aware that the data may not be completely or comprehensively removed from all our systems (e.g. backups, etc.).

10. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE?

In Short: Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws. We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated “Revised” date and the updated version will be effective as soon as it is accessible. If we make material changes to this privacy notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.

11. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?

If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at bookings@boutiquebarges.co.uk or by post to:
Boutique Barges, 20a Station Road, London. NW10 5RX

12. HOW CAN YOU REVIEW, UPDATE, OR DELETE THE DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU?

Based on the applicable laws of your country, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we collect from you, change that information, or delete it in some circumstances. To request to review, update, or delete your personal information, please visit: https://boutiquebarges.co.uk

Close

Paddington

Check-in: After 14:00
Check out: 11:00
No smoking
No parties or events
Pets are allowed

Smoking is not allowed inside the boat.
The boat is not available for cruising unless by prior arrangement with your host and should be regarded as a static houseboat.
You are asked to behave in a considerate manner to other boat users on the canal with regard to noise especially at night.

Nearby lake, river, other body of water — Browning's Pond Maida Vale.
Carbon monoxide alarm
Smoke alarm

How to get to Little Venice
Little Venice is conveniently located less than 10 minutes from Paddington train and Tube stations. Leave the station using the Grand Union Canal exit and walk north on the pedestrian street following the signs to Little Venice, with the canal on your right.

Alternatively, you can reach Little Venice from Warwick Avenue’s Tube station with a ten-minute walk. From the station, head south on Warwick Avenue and you’ll soon find Rembrandt Gardens and the waterways on your right hand side.

Parking is on meters during the week and free on weekends. Most guests use the Just Park App to find cheap local parking. Type in 1 Warwick Crescent, W26NE

Menu
close

Canal Boat Hire UK

Introduction

Canal boat hire is a great way to experience the UK. Canal boat holidays are popular with people looking for an alternative way of holidaying. A boating holiday is a wonderful way to enjoy a slower pace of life, see historic cities and landmarks and stunning countryside whilst you cruise at your own pace. A canal boat holiday is the perfect way to travel with your whole family, and here's a few tips on how to make sure you spend your family time having the best canal holidays possible.

The Benefits of Canal Boat Hire UK

A canal boat holiday is a great way to explore the waterways of the UK. It's relaxing, stress relief and cost-effectiveness. There are often special offers available so it can be very cost effective. It's a wonderful choice for a family holiday exploring somewhere more wild like Scotland or Wales, or take a short break somewhere more urban like a London.

Choosing the Right Canal Boat

Some boats come with their own shower room (complete with hot water and flushing toilets) while others don't so this might be something worth considering. A canal boat may come with cooking facilities in well equipped kitchens so it's worth checking before booking whether there are any facilities available on board or not! Fully equipped kitchens make a big difference to your planning and budgeting.

Preparing for your Canal Boat Holiday

Before you set off on your boating holidays, there are a few things to consider. Make sure that you have the necessary licensing and qualifications for operating a boat on British canals during your canal boat holiday. These will vary depending on which canal system you're using for your holiday, so it's important to check before hiring any vessel. Even if you have previous experience, you may need full tuition if it's a self drive boat hire. There may be extra costs for you to have full instruction for your specific narrowboat hire so do check this before you book your holiday.

Budgeting

The cost of renting a boat varies depending on where in Britain you want to go; some areas are more expensive than others due to higher holiday demand or additional amenities offered by companies offering rentals there (such as WiFi). If you're looking for a cheaper holiday then perhaps look at your route, where you'll moor, or which marina you may stop in.
Your canal boat holidays may be for a fixed mooring, which means you don't cruise at all, or your chosen canal boating holiday might be perfect for you to enjoy short breaks exploring the inland waterways that are perfect for narrow boats. This is our personal favourite type of relaxing holiday.

Where to Hire Canal Boats

  • Local marinas are the best place to start your search for a canal holiday. These are usually run by experienced boaters who will also be able to point out any restrictions and share local knowledge.
  • Online resources are another great way of finding out about canal boat holidays are available locally. Canal Boats For Hire lists hundreds more hire companies across Europe - although these tend to be further away from where you're based so might not be ideal if you want something closer home! Also try comparison websites available online which allow users like yourself find exactly what they need from a canal boat holiday.

What to Expect

When you hire a canal boat or book a narrowboat holiday, it's important to know what to expect. Here are some of the main things you'll need to know:

  • Navigation: Canals can be difficult for inexperienced drivers. They're often narrow and winding with many bridges, so navigation skills are essential .
  • Locks: Locks allow boats to travel between different levels of water in the canal system. A lock keeper will operate your lock when needed, but it's up to you how quickly or slowly they do so (and whether they close all gates).

Wildlife: The UK is home to many kinds of birds and animals--from swans swimming by your side while boating down a river at sunset through lush green fields full of wildflowers growing along its banks. This is one of the best aspects of a canal boat holiday.

What you may find on your narrowboat holiday home

Narrow boats come in a variety of layouts and levels of luxury. It's not unusual to find most narrowboats these days have central heating or log burners for warmth. There's a wide choice of sleeping arrangements and boats with well equipped bathrooms, kitchens and bedroom that will make your trip just perfect for your family to slow down, relax and enjoy.

Exploring the UK by Canal Boat

The UK is home to more than 2,000 miles of navigable waterways. The majority of these canals are privately owned, but they're open to the public and available for hire during your canal holiday. There are also a few well-known waterways that are managed by national parks or local authorities and offer guided tours along the way.

The most popular boating holiday locations, particularly suitable for a narrowboat or barges include:

  • The Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire
  • The Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire
  • The Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire and Cheshire

Choosing your Routes

Whether you want narrowboat holidays with countryside of busting city life, you will find routes that offer the ride that's perfect for you. England, Wales and Scottish canals all travel through country or town (and locks) if your boat is self drive.

The Cost of Narrowboat holidays

The cost of canal boat hire is seasonal and can fluctuate according to demand. You can expect to pay more in summer than winter, and there are often discounts available for longer bookings.

If you're looking for a bargain boat, try booking online with one of the many companies who are canal holiday specialists in the UK (see below). If you're willing to travel further afield or take your chances with a smaller company, then there may be some great canal boat holiday or narrowboat holiday deals on offer too!

The Future of Canal Boat Hire

The future of canal boat and barges for hire in the UK is looking bright. There has been a huge growth in this industry, with more and more people taking up the opportunity to explore the canals and rivers with their families or friends. This has led to an increase in demand for boats, which means that there are now many more options available than ever before.

The regulations around hiring out boats, particularly in england, have become stricter over time too - making sure you know what they are before you set off on your trip will ensure that nothing goes wrong while you're out there exploring!

We recommend narrowboat hire and canal boat holidays for you and your whole family as a wonderful way to experience rivers or marina moorings, try your narrowboat through locks, see new places and meet other boaters on your route. Narrowboat holidays are a wonderful way to slow down, enjoy nature at your own pace in stunning countryside.

Why not book with Boutique Barges if you’d like to stay on a houseboat in Central London without worrying about cruising? OUr boats are rented on fixed moorings so we’re perhaps closer o a traditional boutique hotel than a touring canal boat. If that sounds perfect for you and your companions, then you can book our boats here.

cross-circleCookie Consent with Real Cookie Banner linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram