Choosing a canal holiday – what about Winter?

Choosing a canal holiday means picking the best time to go. Winter canal holidays are one of the best kept holiday secrets, the countryside can be even more beautiful, the company just as good and the prices even better! Here are my ten short tips about planning a winter canal boat holiday.

Canal boat hire is not a Summer only holiday. Many canal hire firms run specially equipped boats all year round and others reopen over the Christmas and New Year periods. Choose your company from our useful  listing of winter hire firms in Canal Junction.

Modern canal hire boats are often designed for year round use, with central heating, cheerful solid fuel stoves, hot showers, drying cupboards, and TVs and DVDs for when you want to hunker down. Some even come with spa baths and hot tubs!

We all know how wonderful Britain’s winter landscapes can be; longer views, sharper more vivid  colours, winter wildlife. On a winter canal boat holiday you get to see things close up, with your cosy boat to right there to keep you warm and dry when you need it!

You’ll be amazed how few other people and boats you will see on winter canals, all that space and scenery almost to yourselves, no lock queues, room on the convenient short stay moorings and plenty of space round the village pub fire!

All that scenery, convenience and comfort and paying less! A 6 berth hire boat costing over £1600 in peak season can cost as little as half that from November to March (excluding Christmas and New Year holidays which are more expensive).

Plus you can get more choice out of season, unlike summer when the popular boats and bases are booked months ahead. That can give you a bit more room to negotiate a bargain, and watch our Late booking site Hireboats2go.

Canal holidays have always been the best way to enjoy quality time with friends and family, that is true just as much in winter as in summer. Even if you can’t take a week away, why not just escape on a few days break, midweek or weekend?

Tired of all that driving up and down motorways to visit family or friends over Christmas? Or all those airport queues? Take a Christmas or New Year canal holiday instead. then it’s up to you whether you take friends and family with you or not!

But of course, go prepared, this is the unpredictable British winter after all. So take extra warm clothing, waterproofs, gloves and boots or wellingtons. You may not need them, but even if you do you’ve got your cosy floating home on hand!

A lot of canal maintenance work get done out of season, and some locks and tunnels may have restricted opening time, take that into account when planning your route. Your hire firm will advise, and there’s more information on the Canal & River Trust website.

What do you think about winter canal holidays, any tips?