Canal Boat Hire Firms

There are many, many boat hire firms in the U.K. and Europe. These are the ones I know of that have a web presence. Many firms are now on the web, but there are probably still some that are not; I have not attempted to list those. Boats are hired (rented) from boatyards. Hire is usually by the week, though some 3/4 day hires ("short breaks") are also offered by some firms.

Many ads can be found in the pages of canal and waterway-related magazines.

See also hotel boats.

When contacting any firm, please tell them you saw them listed on the internet on "George's Canal Pages" at www.canals.com.

Important! See disclaimer.

Table of Contents

On this page:

• Last minute bookings
• Agencies - for boats in the U.K. and Europe
• Large Hire Firms - U.K.
• Hire Firms with Specialised Offerings - U.K.
  • Canal Holidays for the Disabled
  • Canal Holidays for Schools and Youth Organisations, and Other Groups
  • Day Boats
  • Highly flexible booking schedule
  • Long Term Hire/Lease
  • One-way trips
  • Broad-beam "narrowboats"
  • Electric Boats
  • "Trad" (traditional) Narrowboats
• Lists of Hire Firms and Agencies - France
• Large Hire Firms - Europe
• Smaller Hire Firms - UK and Europe
  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Ireland
  • France
  • Germany

Last minute bookings

• Hireboats2go - England and Wales - last minute hireboat and hotelboat offers

• Latelink - last minute boating holidays

Agencies - for boats in the U.K. and Europe

• U.K.-based Agencies

  • boatingeurope.com - France, UK, Ireland, Holland, Italy, Germany, Belgium
  • Blakes U.K. (now part of Wyndham Worldwide)
  • Drifters U.K.
  • Hoseasons Canal Boat Holidays U.K., Ireland, and mainland Europe (now part of Wyndham Worldwide)
  • Holidays in the UK U.K., Ireland
  • WaterwaysHolidays.com U.K., Ireland, France (also trades as hireboat.com)

• Agencies based in Austria

  • ifsec Hausbootreisen Baier (Deutsch)

• Agencies based in Germany

  • Der Freizeitkapitän - Ihr Reisebüro für Hausbootferien (Deutsch)
  • Hausboot mieten (Deutsch)

• Agencies based in Ireland

  • Worldwide River Cruise - Ireland, France, Germany, Portugal

• Agencies based in the Netherlands

  • "Holiday Boatin" - (Hollandisch; Deutsch)
  • holidayboat.net - France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Belgium (English; Nederlands)
  • Yellow & Blue boating holidays (English; Nederlands)
  • House-Boat Amsterdam - fixed-location houseboats (i.e. you can't move them)

• Agencies based in the U.S.A.

  • Barge Lady Cruises: - France, Holland, Belgium, British Isles - hotel boats.
  • Abercrombie & Kent: - France, England, Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Austria - hotel boats.
  • French Country Waterways, Ltd.: - France - hotel boats.
  • The Barge Connection: - France, England, Holland, Scotland and Ireland - hotel and self-drive boats.
  • France Cruises: - France - hotel boats.
  • Special Places Travel - hotel boats - all Europe - very comprehensive France list

• Agencies based in Australia

  • canalboatholidays.com

• Agencies based in New Zealand

  • France - The French Way - France (represents Locaboat Holidays) - self-drive boats.

Large Hire Firms - U.K.

For another view of these, see Map of Hire Bases in England and Wales, and Map of Hire Bases in Scotland

• Alvechurch - see UK Boat Hire below
• Anglo-Welsh Waterway Holidays. Eleven bases.
• Black Prince Holidays. Eight bases, including one in West London, and one at Falkirk in Scotland. New base at Ely (northeast of Cambridge) on the Great Ouse
• Marine Cruises. Three bases, including one at Falkirk in Scotland.
• Oxfordshire Narrowboats. Four bases.
• Tillerman Boats - see UK Boat Hire below
• UK Boat Hire. Fourteen bases, including one at Falkirk in Scotland. (combines Alvechurch, Viking Afloat, Wessex, Tillerman, Reading Marine, and Red Line - all operated by ABC Leisure)
• Viking Afloat - see UK Boat Hire above

Hire Firms with Specialised Offerings - U.K.

Canal Holidays for the Disabled

• Accessible Boating Association - two boats on Basingstoke Canal
• Bruce Charitable Trust has a fleet of four specially constructed broad-beamed boats on the Kennet and Avon Canal, available for hire by groups including the disabled. Two bases.
• Canal Boat Project - (on R. Stort in Harlow)
• Disabled Afloat Riverboats Trust - Thames, K&A, Yorkshire Ouse
• Ethel Trust Community Barge (Thorne, n. of Doncaster, on Stainforth and Keadby Canal)
• Lyneal Trust - nr. Ellesmere on Llangollen Canal; cottages also
• Mary Sunley canal boat (Macclesfield Canal)
• National Community Boats Association - "... encourage and support community boating organisations within the UK ..."
• Pennine Cruisers of Skipton - boat 'Hetton' has "full wheelchair access throughout including hydraulic lift" (Skipton, N. Yorks., on L&L)
• Peter Le Marchant Trust - (Loughborough, Leics.)
• Seagull Trust - free canal cruising (Scotland)
• South Staffordshire Narrowboat Company - (Wolverhampton, West Mids.)
• Stockport Canalboat Trust offers day trips and short holidays for people with disabilities around the canals of North West England.
• Swansea Community Boat - (on the Tawe River Navigation in Swansea, Wales)
• Willow Trust - (Saul Junction, on G&S)

Canal Holidays for Schools and Youth Organisations, and Other Groups

• Canal Boat Project - (on R. Stort in Harlow)
• Dacorum Narrow Boat Project - (Hemel Hempstead, Herts., on GU)
• Ethel Trust Community Barge (Thorne, n. of Doncaster, on Stainforth and Keadby Canal)
• The Pirate Castle - evening, half-day, day, weekend, and longer trips
• South Staffordshire Narrowboat Company - (Wolverhampton, West Mids.)
• Swansea Community Boat - (on the Tawe River Navigation in Swansea, Wales)
• nb Tarporley - "the only original working boat available for hire as a community boat in London".
• Tideway Adventurers - based in the Catford/Bromley area South London
• Tuptonia Narrowboat - a 12 berth narrowboat owned by Guides and available for hire, preferably by youth groups

Day Boats

• APCO's list of Companies offering Day Hire Boats
• Allington Belle - paddle-type trip boat; day boats; short-break hire boats (Maidstone, Kent, on R. Medway)
• Bath and Dundas Canal Co. - (Bath on K&A)
• Bath Narrowboats - 6 day boats (Bath on K&A)
• Beacon Park Boats - 2 day boats (on Mon. & Brec., in S. Wales)
• Bidford Boats - (Bidford-on-Avon, Warks.)
• Blisworth Tunnel Narrowboats (Blisworth, Northants., on GU)
• Boating Days - (Northwich, Ches.)
• Bridgehouse Marina - (on Lancaster Canal)
• Bronte Boats (Hebden Bridge, W. Yorks, on Rochdale Canal)
• Caversham Boat Services - cruiser-style (Reading, Berks., on R. Thames)
• Chertsey Meads Marine - Chertsey, Surrey (Thames)
• Copt Heath Wharf - (near Solihull, W. Mids., on northern GU)
• Cotswold Boat Hire - cruiser-style (Lechlade-On-Thames)
• Devizes Marina (Devizes, Wilts., on K&A)
• Ellerbeck Narrowboats (nr. Chorley, Lancashire, on L&L)
• Farncombe Boat House - (Godalming, Surrey, on R. Wey)
• Foxton Boat Services Ltd. - (Foxton, Leics., on GU, Leicester section)
• Freedom Boats - (Macclesfield, Ches., on Macclesfield)
• Grebe Canal Cruises - (Pitstone on GU)
• Kennet Cruises - (Reading, Berks)
• Kris Cruisers - (R. Thames at Windsor)
• Lee Valley Boat Centre (North East London, on R. Lee)
• Mid Devon Hire Boats - (Tiverton, Devon, on Grand Western Canal)
• Oxfordshire Narrowboats - (2 day hire locations: Lower Heyford and Thrupp, both on the Oxford Canal)
• Pennine Cruisers of Skipton (Skipton, N. Yorks., on L&L)
• Pontymoile Marina - day boat hire, tea room, moorings (M&B, Wales)
• Punting and self drive boats in Oxford
• Saisons (Daventry, Northants.) [was Coronet]
• Saltisford Canal Trust - (Warwick)
• Sileby Mill Boatyard - ( Loughborough, Leics.; on GU, Leics. section)
• Snaygill Boats of Skipton (Skipton, Yorks., on L&L)
• Stewart Marine (Surbiton, Surrey, on R. Thames)
• Streethay Wharf - (Lichfield, Staffs., on Coventry Canal)
• Tooley's Boatyard - day boats; boat trips (Banbury, on Oxford Canal)
• Trafalgar Marine Services - (Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire on Peak Forest Canal)
• York Marine - cruiser-style boats (York, on R. Ouse)

Highly flexible booking schedule

• Copt Heath Wharf - near Solihull, W. Mids. (northern GU)
• Narrowboat Zinfandel - nr. Cambridge (River Cam)
• Carrickcraft - 3 bases; cruiser-style; Shannon-Erne Waterway in Ireland (english, deutsch)

Long Term Hire/Lease

• Escape The Rat Race

One-way trips

• Carrickcraft - 3 bases; cruiser-style; Shannon-Erne Waterway in Ireland (english, deutsch)
• Shire Cruisers - (Sowerby Bridge, W. Yorks., on Rochdale Canal; secondary bases at Foulridge and L&L and Ashton on the Ashton Canal)

Broad-beam "narrowboats"

• Barrowline Cruisers - broad-beam "narrowboats"; on R. Barrow Ireland (english)
• Bath Canal Boat Company - (Bath, on K&A)
• Beacon Park Boats (on Mon. & Brec., in S. Wales) - several broad-beam in fleet
• Calmer Cruising - broad-beam "narrowboat" (near Marlow, on R. Thames) (SL7 1RT)
• Moonraker Narrowboat Company (K & A, nr. Bath)
• Riversdale Barge Holidays (Ireland, on the Shannon Erne Waterway)
• Silsden Boats - narrow and broad-beam boats [The broad-beam boats are "Hum Drum", "Helen's Drum", and "Marley's Drum".] (Silsden, W. Yorks, on L&L)
• York Marine - (York, on R. Ouse)

Electric Boats

"Trad" (traditional) Narrowboats

• Black Country Narrow Boat Hire - No longer trading - 70ft R.W.Davis Northwich Trader Class Tug (Oldbury, W. Mids.)
• Braidbar Boats - (on Macclesfield Canal)
• Middlewich Narrowboats - has some gas-free boats; under new management from Nov 2011 (Middlewich, Ches., on T&M)
• Tradcraft Hire Boats (Market Drayton, Salop.)

Lists of Hire Firms and Agencies - France

Boat Rentals - called "French Tourist Office" but is a commercial firm

See also Hotel Boats

For web pages of individual hire firms, see the French Waterways Links page .

Large Hire Firms - Europe

• Locaboat Holidays France, Holland, Germany, Ireland. (site in English, Français, Deutsch)
• Friesland Boating Holland. (site in English, Nederlands, Deutsch)
• Le Boat: - US-firm that operates Crown Blue Line, Connoisseur, and Emerald Star. France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland - (site in English, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Español, Nederlands)
• France Afloat
• Cardinal Boating - Germany, France, Italy, Poland (website available in 6 languages)

Smaller Hire Firms - UK and Europe

England

Canal name abbreviations used below

Have a look a APCO's description of the English Tourist Board's Canal Boat Grading Scheme. APCO (the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators) has regional lists which show which member firm's operate graded boats, and which take part in the British Marine Federation Hire Boat Handover Programme. Here's an example: Hire Boat Companies in the North & South Midlands. (Links to other APCO regional pages will be found at the bottom of the example page, in the right-hand column.)

• Acier Narrowboats (nr. Lichfield on T&M)
• Afloat Boat Hire - (Kings Bromley Marina, on T&M) (WS13 8HT)
• Allington Belle - paddle-type trip boat; day boats; short-break hire boats (Maidstone, Kent, on R. Medway)
• Andersen Boats (Middlewich, Ches.)
• Aqua Narrowboat Hire (Burton-on-Trent)
• Arlen Hire Boats (Lancaster Canal)
• Ashby Boat Company (Ashby Canal)
• Banks Hire Boats - ceased hire operation (Selby, N. Yorks.)
• Barnes Brinkcraft - (Wroxham, Norfolk, on Norfolk Broads) (NR12 8UD)
• Bath and Dundas Canal Co. (Bath on K&A)
• Bath Canal Boat Company - two broad-beam "narrowboats" (Bath, on K&A)
• Bear Boating - one-way hires between Apperley Bridge and Barnoldswick on L&L; pet friendly
• Bettisfield Boats - two 35-foot narrowboats (Bettisfield on Llangollen Canal)
• Bidford Boats As of 2011, no longer offering hire boats - (Bidford-on-Avon, Warks.)
• Boating Days - (Northwich, Ches.)
• Braidbar Boats (on Macclesfield Canal)
• Bridge Boatyard - narrowboats and cruiser-style boats (Ely, Cambs.)
• Bronte Boats (Hebden Bridge, W. Yorks, on Rochdale Canal)
• Calcutt Boats (Rugby, Warks., on N. GU)
• Calmer Cruising - widebeam "narrowboat" (near Marlow, on R. Thames) (SL7 1RT)
• Canal and Tipi Experience - Thames and K&A (Reading, Berks.)
• canalbarge.co.uk - hire of available weeks on Shakespeare Classic Line timeshare fleet (at Mercia Marina, Willington, Derbyshire, on T&M)
• Canal Boat Cruises - Riley Green, on L&L
• Canal Boat Escapes - (Barnoldswick, on L&L)
• Canalbreaks Narrowboat Holidays (Coventry)
• Canal Cruising Company (Stone, on T&M)
• Caversham Boat Services - cruiser-style (Reading, Berks., on R. Thames)
• Challenger Stealth Canal Hire Fleet has been absorbed by ABC Leisure Group
• Chas Hardern Boats (Beeston, Cheshire, on SU)
• Cheshire Cat Narrowboat Hire (on SU)
• Churchdale Canal Cruises - one 58-foot narrowboat (Rugeley, Staffs., on T&M)
• Claymoore Navigation - many boats with hydraulic drive (Preston Brook, Cheshire, on Bridgewater)
• Clifton Cruisers (Rugby, on N. Oxford)
• College Cruisers (Oxford)
• Copt Heath Wharf - near Solihull, W. Mids. (northern GU)
• Cotswold Boat Hire - cruiser-style (Lechlade-On-Thames)
• Countryside Cruising - (Endon, Staffs., on Caldon Canal)
• Countrywide Cruisers (Brewood, on SU)
• Crabtree Narrowboat Hire - (Barton Grange Marina, on Lancaster Canal) (PR3 0BT)
• Crest Narrowboats - (bases at Chirk on Llangollen and Stoke-on-Trent on T&M)
• Distinctive Charters - Website defunct; private boats for hire; various locations so not on hire base maps
• Empress Holidays (Nantwich, Ches., on SU) is now Welsh Gateway Canal Holidays - but website now defunct (in Jan 2013)
• Farncombe Boat House (Godalming, Surrey, on R. Wey)
• Foxboats (March, Cambs., on Nene-Ouse)
• Foxhangers Canal Holidays - weekly and short breaks (Devizes on K&A)
• Foxton Boat Services Ltd. (Foxton, Leics., on GU, Leicester section)
• Galleon Marine (Basingstoke Canal)
• Grebe Canal Cruises (Pitstone on GU)
• Guildford Boat House (River Wey)
• Hapton Valley Boats - 2 narrowboats and 1 broad-beam (Burnley, Lancs., on L&L)
• Heritage Narrowboats (Scholar Green, Ches., on Macclesfield)
• Hire a Canalboat Ltd - (Sawley Marina, nr Nottingham) (Also uses name Robin Hood Boats)
• Kate Boats (Warwick, on N. GU)
• Kennet Cruises (Reading, Berks)
• Kris Cruisers (R. Thames at Windsor)
• Lee Valley Boat Centre (North East London, on R. Lee)
• Mary Gray Narrowboat Holidays - (Church Minshull, Ches., on Middlewich Branch)
• Maestermyn & Welsh Lady Cruisers (Whittington, Salop., on Llangollen)
• Mid Devon Hire Boats - No longer offers narrowboat hire; (Tiverton, Devon, on Grand Western Canal)
• Middlewich Narrowboats - has some gas-free boats; hires out boats year-round; under new management from Nov 2011 (Middlewich, Ches., on T&M)
• Moonraker Narrowboat Company (K & A, nr. Bath, broad-beam boats)
• Moor Time Narrowboat Holidays - (on Prees Branch of Llangollen Canal)
• Napton Narrowboats (bases at Napton, at junction of GU and Oxford, and Autherley at junction of SU and S&W)
• Narrowboat Zinfandel - nr. Cambridge (River Cam) - must have some boating experience
• Narrow Escapes (Sandbach, Ches., on T&M)
• Nene Valley Boats (Oundle, Northants., on R. Nene)
• Norbury Wharf Ltd. (Stafford, on SU)
• Norfolk Broads Yachting Company - "sailing yachts for hire on the Norfolk Broads" (Horning, Norfolk)
• On the Wey Narrowboat Hire - one 60' narrowboat (Guildford, on R. Wey) (GU1 1LH)
• Oxfordshire Narrowboats - see Large Hire Firms - U.K. above
• Pennine Cruisers of Skipton (Skipton, N. Yorks., on L&L)
• Portharb Narrowboat Holidays - (Worcester, on R. Severn) (WR3 7AF)
• Reading Marine - fleet now operated by UK Boat Hire (Aldermaston, on K&A)
• Richardsons Boating Holidays - cruiser-style boats (Stalham or Acle, on Norfolk Broads)
• Rose Narrowboats (nr. Rugby, Warks.)
• Royalls Boatyard (Hoveton, Norwich, on Norfolk Broads)
• Saddleworth Canal Cruises - (Oldham, on Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
• Saisons (Daventry, Northants.) [was Coronet]
• Sally Narrowboats - (Bradford on Avon, on the K&A)
• Savanna Canal Boat Hire (Guildford, Surrey, on R. Wey)
• Shire Cruisers (Sowerby Bridge, W. Yorks., on Rochdale Canal; secondary bases at Foulridge and L&L and Ashton on the Ashton Canal)
• Sileby Mill Boatyard ( Loughborough, Leics.; GU, Leics. section)
• Silsden Boats - narrow and broad-beam boats (Silsden, W. Yorks, on L&L)
• Snaygill Boats of Skipton (Skipton, Yorks., on L&L)
• Starline Narrowboats - boats offered year-round (Stourport, Worcs.)
• Teddesley Boat Company (Penkridge, Staffs., on S&W)
• Tek Holiday Narrow Boat Hire - (Kings Bromley, Staffs., on T&M)
• Union Canal Carriers (Braunston, Northants., nr. junc. of GU and Ox.)
• Valley Cruises - under new ownership from Autumn 2011 (2 bases - Nuneaton, Warks., on Coventry, and Stratford-upon-Avon)
• Water Babies (Lancaster Canal)
• Welsh Gateway Canal Holidays - website now defunct (in Jan 2013) - (Nantwich, Ches., on SU)
• White Horse Boats (Devizes on K&A)
• Willow Wren Cruising Holidays (Rugby, Warks., on N. Ox.)
• Wyvern Shipping Co. (Leighton Buzzard, on GU)
• York Marine - 2 broad-beam "narrowboats" and one "vintage" cruiser-style boat (York, on R. Ouse)
• Yorkshire Narrowboats - boat building; hire boats; on Sheffield & S. Yorks Canal, Sprotbrough, Doncaster, DN5 7NB

Scotland

• Caley Cruisers Ltd (Inverness)
• Capercaillie Cruisers (Falkirk, on Forth & Clyde Canal)
• Ness and Moray Yacht Charters - sailing yacht hire (Inverness, Scotland, on Caledonian Canal)
• West Highland Sailing - sailing yachts and motor cruisers (nr. Ft. William, on Caledonian Canal)

Note: several of the Large Hire Firms - U.K. have bases in Scotland

Wales

• Beacon Park Boats - narrowboats and several broad-beam in fleet (on Mon. & Brec.)
• Cambrian Cruisers (on Mon. & Brec.)
• Castle Narrowboats (on Mon. & Brec.)
• Country Craft (on Mon. & Brec.)
• Road House Narrow Boats (on Mon. & Brec.)

Ireland

• Barrowline Cruisers - broad-beam "narrowboats"; on R. Barrow (english)
• Canalways Ireland - narrowboats; Rathangan, on Barrow Line branch of the Grand Canal
• Carrickcraft - 3 bases; cruiser-style; Shannon-Erne Waterway (english, deutsch)
• Corraquill Cruising Holidays - Dutch barges; Shannon-Erne Waterway (english)
• Emerald Star - 3 bases; cruiser-style; Shannon-Erne Waterway (english, français, deutsch, italiano, nederlands)
• Jennifer's Travels - 42 ft narrowboat (Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, on Barrowlink)
• Riversdale Barge Holidays - broad-beam "narrowboats"; on the Shannon Erne Waterway (english, français, deutsch)
• Shannon Castle Line - cruiser-style; R. Shannon (english, deutsch, italiano)
• Silver Line - cruiser-style; R. Shannon (english, deutsch)
• Waveline Cruisers - cruiser-style; on R. Shannon (english, deutsch)

France

Germany

• Marina Lanke-Berlin - cruiser-style (deutsch)

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