Cool canals Guides & Waterways Directory

Hotel Boats

Book into a hotel boat and be pampered with the slow luxuries of life whilst basking in the pleasures of water-travel. There are many different types of boats and cruising routes to choose from and there's always a warm welcome, whether you arrive in a group or solo.

Hotel boats usually operate with a distinctly intimate 'family' ethos and, as a paying guest, you'll have the privilege of leaving the work to someone else while you spend your days sipping tea (or wine) and soaking up the scenery as it passes by. Of course, if you want to, you can muck in with the crew, help out at the locks and learn fancy rope work. The itinerary usually allows you to plan your day around your own interests. Stay on board, enjoy a leisurely stroll along the towpath or, if you're feeling more energetic, a hotel boat makes the perfect waterways sherpa to carry your load and greet you with supper after a long day's hike.

Choose from a horse-drawn cruise through the Welsh Marches for the ultimate engine-free experience, go tall ship sailing in the breathtaking scenery of the Scottish Highlands, or select a favourite landscape to drift off in a wide barge or traditional narrowboat pair (one boat with motor pulls an engine-less 'butty')... With a hotel boat holiday, the possibilities are endless.