I would recommend this type of holiday to any family or group of people, provided the group contains at least 3 able crew members. At 10 years old, Lauren was able to help with the locks, but much younger children would struggle. Also, where the group includes children, I would suggest that some thought is given to the route to ensure sufficient interest level and the occasional attraction. We only really took significant time out from travelling once, when we went into Stourport. If we holiday on a canal boat again (and I suspect we might) we would want to make sure that there is at least one decent family attraction en route and that there is time enough in the schedule to visit it. If the route is another ring, like the one we have done, so much the better so that throughout the week you keep seeing something new. And finally, having a nice boat can make the difference and we certainly couldn't complain about the facilities and comfort level on our Black Prince boat, Falmouth.
If you want to comment on the site or ask me about any aspect of the holiday, please e-mail me. Or, you could find information by following the links.
British Waterways web site, including information and detailed maps of Britain’s canal network: http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/
Pearson’s, the publishers of very useful canal guides:
http://www.jmpearson.co.uk/
Black Prince, the very helpful and accommodating company from whom we
hired Falmouth:
http://www.black-prince.com
For some serious canal-boating, including a lot more exploration
off the main route, take a look at
The
Grey Wagtail Experience.
Or for a very different, altogether more laddish, experience
of these canals, check out
The Booze Cruise.
Finally, for a bit of a giggle, you might like to look
at Extra comedy,
or you might prefer to go home.