Canal Holiday Latest News from Boating Holidays

New Boat Bases and Routes for 2005

Early booking offers now available plus our famous Booking Bonus. See Offers 2005.

West London base (Base 52) open until Christmas

This base is ideal for a short break and a cruise to the centre of London for your Christmas shopping! Contact us on 08709 506 706 for availability. Certain other boat bases may be open over the winter - we can advise.

New bases at Napton (Base 62) and at Stoke-on-Trent (Base 63)

One of the UK's largest boat operators has returned to Napton at a completely new marina. Boat hire will start in the Spring, with routes along the scenic Oxford Canal, the Grand Union Canal, and to some very scenic parts of the canal system.

We also have a new base on the former National Garden Festival site at Stoke-on-Trent, a good location for the Four Counties Ring and the Caldon Canal.

The news from 2004 below may also be interest

Cruise Scotland from Edinburgh to Glasgow

Our new boat base at Falkirk next to the Falkirk Wheel is now open (88 on our maps). You can book boats from there for 2004 and go up and down the Wheel.

The Falkirk Wheel is the most amazing piece of engineering, and is unique in the world. It raises boats 120 feet (36 metres) from one section of the canal to the next. Be one of the first to take a canal boat and explore this new canal holiday route.

New boat bases for 2004

West London
Our new Packet Boat Marina base (52 on our maps) is within easy reach of London by road or rail, and is near Heathrow Airport. It is ideal for exploring the sights of London. A short break can take you into moorings at the heart of London, and through Little Venice and Regents Park to Camden Lock.  Alternatively join the Thames and travel to Windsor or further.

South Shropshire Union
Our new base at Autherley Junction (29 on our map) gives access to the scenic Shropshire Union Canal and the Four Counties Ring. The 2004-built well-equipped boats here feature fixed double cabins.

West Oxford
We have a new base for 2004 just west of Oxford on the River Thames (33 on our maps). From there it is a weekend cruise to the sights of Oxford. For longer holidays take the scenic Oxford Canal northward to Cropredy or go south on the River Thames.

New one-way routes for 2004
Cross the Pennines on our new one-way routes in Yorkshire. Take the Leeds-Liverpool Canal over the Pennines (route 95) from east of Skipton (base 13) to west of Manchester (base 15).

Experienced crews can take the Rochdale Canal or Huddersfield Canal 'over the tops' from Sowerby Bridge (base 14) to Ashton (base 94). Another one-way option is from Base 14 via Leeds and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to Burnley (base 93).