Canal Boat Holidays: Canal Boats, Narrowboats and Barges for Hire
Love Canal Boat Holidays? Find the best canal boat hire here
Explore the best of the UK from the comfort of your cosy holiday canal boat, narrowboat or barge.
Make memories onboard
Boating memories to last a lifetime
On a boating holiday every can get involved and together you'll make priceless memories.
"Roam" the canals of England and Wales
Explore impressive feats of engineering
Canal aqueducts, staircase locks, cuttings, embankments and more.
"Roost" with all the comforts of home
Moor at the pub or in the middle of nowhere
At the end of a fun day narrow-boating you can moor up at the pub or in the middle of nowhere for a well earned rest.
Up to 20% off2025 Boat HireUp to 20% off, see offers below
Canal Boat Holidays from the UK's best independent hire companies. A wide range of narrowboats, barges and locations.
Hand-chosen by us at Roam And Roost, with an average review of 4.9/5. Offering top-notch personal service, extensive knowledge their waterways and some of the best prices.
Large choice of boats
A large range of narrowboats and widebeams barges from multiple hire bases in the UK. (these canal boats are also sometimes called barges or longboats)
Lowest price guarantee
We are confident prices shown are the best available price. Find a better price and we will match it.
No license required
Beginners are very welcome, tuition will be provided as part of the handover so no previous experience is required.
Hand-Picked Partners
We have partnered only with the best hire bases in the UK. With an average review of 4.9/5
Low Deposits
Secure your canal boat or narrowboat holiday from as little as £150
Adventure awaits on a canal boat holiday
A canal boat holiday is not just cosy narrowboat accomodation in the beautiful British countryside, it's a unique way to experience of everything England and Wales have to offer. Slowly travel the historic inland waterways, stop and go wherever you want to and experience a holiday off the beaten track.
Wherever the day takes you - you'll have the peace of mind of knowing you have everything you need on your canal boat hire boat - accommodation and entertainment - all in one affordable boating holiday.
Canal boats, which come in the form of narrowboats or widebeam narrowboats (and are sometimes called barges, longboats) are easy to drive, meaning total beginners are very welcome and come with the comforts of home.
We offer a wide range of canal boat holidays with widebeam or narrowboat hire available for short-break and weekly hire on the Inland Waterways of England and Wales.
Hand-picked. Average 4.9/5
We've partnered with some of the best widebeam and narrowboat hire bases in the United Kingdom. Hand-chosen by us as those that have the best reviews, offer top-notch personal service and have extensive knowledge of their local waterways.
The average review left for our of or partners is an impressive 4.9 out of 5, showing not only what a fantastic getaway a canal boat holiday can be but the high standards achieved and upheld by our hire partners.
Availability found when searching on our website is updated with the latest prices and automatically includes the latest deals including last minute hire offers.
Book a virtual appointment
We are available by phone most days and evenings and enjoy talking to our customers helping them plan their trips, and helping them choose a boat and location that suits them. Schedule a time that suits you below
We decided to take a last minute narrowboat holiday but quickly realised the huge range of options on offer. We came across Roam & Roost and having reviewed some boats and locations on their website, we tried the online chat and received immediate, personal and friendly advice from James. He presented us with some options that fit our brief and we went on to book a 4-day trip on the Grand Union Canal. The booking came thorugh quickly and the whole process was really efficient and simple.
We have now returned from a very enjoyable holiday! The boat was comfortable, clean and perfect for our small family. The slow pace was exactly what we needed. We will be back next year (if not sooner!). Many thanks, Ben.
Ben Ferris - Onboard Holiday Boat Snowdrop
Fabulous and relaxing holiday for us and the dog
James was really helpful with our initial enquiry and gave us lots of helpful guidance and advice, and answered all our questions. I would certainly use Roam and Roost again. It was our first time on a narrowboat, so we were apprehensive, but so glad we gave it a go as it was a fabulous and relaxing holiday for us and the dog.
This was our first time on a canal boat and we couldn't have wished for a better experience. Heather and her team at handover were helpful in showing us how everything worked and were so friendly and patient with us greenies! We were helped through the first two locks and then we were away. The boat was spotlessly clean, well kitted out with everything you could wish for and included plenty of cutlery, crockery, glasses etc. Thank you! From Sue and the Aussie Cousins
Sue Leggett - Onboard Canal Boat Hemplow
Our home away from home
I am from the US. Last winter I heard about narrowboats for the first time and I was intrigued. I came across James' online chat and began to ask questions. He was very helpful, I poked around on other websites but kept coming back to roamandroost. We hired the Clee for 2 weeks from Union Canal Carriers in Braunston. We traveled to Oxford and back. I liked the long hire because the boat really began to feel like our home away from home. We mostly cooked onboard but opted for pubs at least once every other day.
Jean, from the US - Onboard Narrowboat Clee
A great handover which really helped
We had a really great holiday, boat was really clean and comfortable, with everything you need on board. We were really lucky with the weather and look forward to doing it again. The hire company [at the Leighton Buzzard base] were really helpful with a great handover which really helped. Highly recommend this company for Canal boat hire.
Andrew Russell - Onboard Canal Boat Oak
A great experience
We had a great experience with this boat hire. really easy friendly people.
Fee Ryall - Onboard Narrow Boat Radagast
Loved the canal. Loved chugging along.
We had such a lovely time. Loved the canal. Loved chugging along. And Roger loved it too as you can see. Happily watching the world go by. Works definitely recommend and do again.
Thank you for your help in making sure we got the right boat and right lock free canal for our first adventure.
[when booking] James was unstintingly patient, helpful and friendly despite my many anxious calls and emails as a nervous canal boat novice! He has found the perfect canal (lock free, only a couple of hours from home) and perfect boat for us and for our rather large dog. His advice was invaluable and I feel I can call on him any time between now and our holiday. Can't recommend enough!
We had a wonderful time on Larkspur. Only issue was the time flew by so quickly. The boat exceeded our expectations and has helped us make the decision to buy a widebeam of our own. Angus was great too and really helped us settle in and feel comfortable with the swing bridges and locks. He had lots of great advice for us and at the end of the week he was super quick returning our deposit. 5 star all day long.
Ross M - Onboard Widebeam Barge Larkspur
Processco on the roof
Fabulous little break, John was very helpful. Loved the nature and the processco on the roof . If you love camping, you'll love a boat holiday. 😁
Tracey Probyn - Onboard Canal Boat River Dancer
Thoroughly enjoyed it, especially working the locks
We had a fantastic trip on the Berwyn narrowboat over 5 days, 4 nights. The children and grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed it, especially working the locks.
It was comfortable, had all the necessary kitchen ware, bedding etc. Staff were friendly on booking and giving instruction.
Leila Borgia - Onboard Hire Boat Berwyn
Slowly flowing parallel universe of the canals
Great follow up from start to end. Had a lovely week in the green and slowly flowing parallel universe of the canals. The boat was all what was promised, and we experienced no trouble of any kind.
Reinert - Onboard Holiday Boat Astarte
What is a narrowboat holiday like?
Watch the video to get an idea and a feel for what a narrowboat holiday is like.
This canal boat holiday video planer is provided by Wistia, please accept the wistia cookies for it to work.
Our boating holidays require no previous bating experience, but you may have some questions.
Do I need a license to drive a boat?
You do not need a driving licence for a narrowboat and the boat itself is licenced by it’s owner for CRT waterways. There are a few waterways outside their jurisdiction for which you will need to purchase an additional licence as you enter them, such as the Scottish Canals, Rivers Avon, Thames and Wey. Our partners can provide details when you arrive to pick up your boat.
The maximum number of people allowed on board is restricted to the number of berths.
Can I still book if I have not driven a boat before?
No previous experience is necessary as full tuition on boat handling is given at the start of every holiday.
Comprehensive cruising information is in a manual on our boats and details are sent out with the holiday documents to introduce you to the theory of locks and the 'rules of the road'.
All of our partners welcome pets onboard at-least a large percentage of their boats, some companies have dedicated "no pets" boats to cater to people with allergies.
When searching on our website you can filter for only boats that allow pets, similarly you can filter for boats that do not allow pets if you so wish.
It depends. We have multiple starting points across England and Wales, all fantastic but slightly different with varying numbers and types of locks, miles, pubs, attractions, walks and so on, the best option for you depends on your crew and what kind of holiday you'd like to have.
Short break narrowboat hire typically is for a minimum of 3 nights over the weekend (starting on Friday or Saturday) or 4 nights in mid-week (starting on Monday or Tuesday).
If you are limited on time there may be the option to return the boat one night early to make it a two night hire and some of our partners do offer shorter taster stays of 1 or 2 nights. Please get in touch with us to find out more.
What type of boating holidays do you offer?
We offer canal boat holidays on the inland waterways of the UK for holidays of 3 nights or longer, on two types of boat narrowboats and "widebeam" narrowboats.
Narrowboats are slim enough to fit through canal locks on narrow canals which are generally around 7ft wide and narrowboats can be up to 70ft long. They are sometimes referred to as "longboats", "barges" or "houseboats". We also have a small selection of wide beam boats which will not fit through the locks on narrow canals but can fit through locks of wide canals such as the Leeds & Liverpool Canal or the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Hiring a narrowboat for one week can cost between £600 - £3000 for a boat or between £119 - £945 per person, short 3 night weekend breaks start at £87.50 per person, the price depends on multiple factors such as the time of year, size of the boat and the starting location or hire base.
Remember that this headline figure usually includes everything you need to have a lovely, safe holiday. The boat and cruise itself provide plenty of entertainment even for a large crew, with opportunities to work locks, move swing or lift bridges or visit some free attractions near the canal - a mountain of spending money is not required;
Car Parking for up to 2 cars (left at your own risk) is included in the hire fee at the majority of our bases. The only exception is the base in Bathampton onboard widebeam Larkspur where private parking can be arranged for an additional £20, free public parking is however available nearby if you prefer.
Which canal is best for beginners?
All of our hire bases and locations have routes suitable for beginners and you'll be taken through a thorough handover. That said some routes may be more ideal for you than others, however not based on your experience but rather on what your interests are and how much physical work you'd like to do on your hire.
As an example, the Mon & Brec canal be a great option if you have limited mobility and would prefer fewer locks with just 6 locks on the whole canal and the option to take a lock-free route if you prefer. But if you are not sure where to go, why not give us a call and have a relaxed chat about your options?
How many miles a day can you travel on narrowboat?
On a canal boat holiday, you can cruise anytime between dusk and dawn. Although theoretically in the height of summer, you can get up to 16 hours of daylight most hirers will travel between 4 and 9 hours per day, at an average speed of 2.5mph. If you travel for 7 hours per day you might for example cover 17.5 miles, but remember that's assuming an obstacle-free cruise, in reality you'll likely have locks and movable bridges to tackle which will take more time.
You can use our canal route planner to get a more accurate idea of how long a route will take including the time taken to tackle locks and swing bridges. Over a week a 100-mile route will be a fairly active route and is at the upper end of how far most hirers would like to travel.
What's the difference between a narrowboat and a canal boat?
A canal boat is a boat designed for use on a canal, a narrow boat is a particular type of canal boat built to fit the narrow locks that can be found on the narrow canals in the UK. A widebeam is another type of canal boat built in the style of a narrowboat but wider than the narrow locks.
Although too wide for the narrow canals these widebeams can be used on the broad canals such as the Leeds & Liverpool, Kennet & Avon and Grand Union Canals. For canal boat holidays in the United Kingdom narrowboats are the most common.
Can I take a one-way cruise?
The most common type of one-way hire in the UK would be a ring route, there are multiple ring routes in the UK. On a ring route, you'll start and end at the same hire base but make a loop around making use of multiple different canals and never needing to turn back on yourself.
Bear in mind that an out-and-back route can be a nice option, especially for beginners, with an out-and-back route you'll not put yourself under additional pressure to get back in time you can simply turn the boat around roughly halfway into your hire, you will retrace your steps but the canal can look very different when heading in the opposite direction.
You can set your own pace, choose your canal boat hire route and stop and explore the places that interest you.
