Everyone Can Enjoy The Canals...
Canal Boat Holidays Can Be Enjoyed By Anyone, From The Youngest To The Oldest, Individual Travellers To Groups, Locals to Overseas Visitors.
Can Disabled People Enjoy Canal Boats Holidays?
If you are a little unsteady on your feet or use a wheelchair you could have problems because of getting on and off the boat and negotiating within the restricted
confines of the boat. Some hotelboats
and hire boats can cope, be clear about your�
requirements and most companies will go
out of their way to accommodate you, or recommend somebody who can. Towpaths too can be uneven and not wheelchair friendly. However even if you don�t help
with locks you can still enjoy watching the world float by and seeing new places. Some hire firms do have boats specially adapted with wheelchair
lifts and aids for people with a range of disabilities. We've a full page about
Accessible Canal Boat Holidays.
How Do We Get To The Canals?
If you're not familiar with Britain, it is a fairly compact country and has efficient transport systems. The northern most English canals are no more than 3 hours by train from London and if you fly into Manchester or Birmingham airports for instance you could be at any one of dozens of canalside boatyards by taxi or bus in under an hour. If you rent a boat or join a hotelboat cruise you will get detailed information on how to reach them.
Can We Reach The Canals By Public Transport?
Due to the nature of how and why they were built, many of the canals pass through cities, which makes access by public transport easy. However, it's not just the canal you need to reach, but the hire company. Hire companies commonly operate out of marinas. Some are in the middle of countryside, others are a stone's throw from a railway station, some will pick you up from a station or airport, so do your research before booking.
Where Can We Park Our Car If We Go On A Canal Holiday?
Most hire firms operate from boatyards or marinas with car parking. Often the marina gates will be locked overnight to give some security, though companies may warn you that they are not liable for any losses. Sometimes there may be a charge or limitation on the number of cars your party can park. Hotelboats can be joined from locations around the canal system, but they can usually offer advice about where to leave a car, and costs. You will often have to use public transport to get back from the end of the cruise to the departure point.
Will My Mobile Phone Work on the Canals?
Mobile phones will work from much of the system, though there are areas where reception is poor and local black spots caused by being in a cutting etc. If you are cruising you should get a signal most days, though some networks are better than others. You may find that reception is poor inside a modern steel cabined boat and you have to go outside to get a good signal. It is possible to buy an antenna to fit on the boat roof.
Can I Get Internet Access on the Canals?
If you can get a mobile phone signal then you can probably access your emails and the Internet. However download may be very slow unless you are in a 3G or 4G area, not the case in the most rural parts of the canal system. You can either use a laptop computer connecting through your mobile phone, a laptop with a wireless broadband modem, or a mobile phone with Internet facilities.
