A canal boat holiday is a great way to enjoy the splendid colours of autumn in the hedgerows and trees that line our waterways. 

Narrowboats are like floating holiday cottages, with everything holiday-makers need on board for a self-catering adventure afloat.

Drifters offers the choice of 550 narrowboats available to hire from 45 bases across England, Wales and Scotland, many still with autumn availability.  Autumn 2022 hire prices start at £561 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four people, £865 for a week.

Here are Drifters' top seven canal boat holiday destinations for Autumn 2022:

1. Potter through the Shropshire countryside to Market Drayton – from Drifters' canal boat hire base at Autherley on the Shropshire Union Canal, it takes around 12 hours to reach the historic market town of Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Along the way, boaters pass through 26 miles of beautiful Shropshire countryside, seven locks, and a series of wooded canal cuttings, now havens for wildlife.  The route passes through the historic villages of Brewood, Wheaton Aston and Gnosall, and a series of canalside pubs, including the Junction Inn at Norbury and the Hartley Arms at Wheaton Aston.  There are nature reserves to visit at Wheaton Aston (Mottey Meadows), Norbury (Loynton Moss), and Brewood (Belvide Reservoir).  The journey to Market Harborough and back takes around 24 hours, perfect for a relaxed week away.  ***The 54ft 'Pegasus' narrowboat for up to six people is available for a week 23-30 September for £1,169.  Price includes VAT, cancellation protection, gas, diesel, tuition, bedlinen, car parking and life jackets.  Pets are extra, charged at £35 each.
2. Visit Georgian Bath afloat - on a four-night mid-week break from Drifters' Devizes base on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire, boaters can travel to the World Heritage Status City of Bath and back. The journey to Sydney Wharf takes around 10 hours, travelling across two magnificent aqueducts and passing through 10 locks.  There's a choice of canalside pubs, including the Barge Inn at Seend and the Cross Guns at Avoncliff.  Once in Bath, boaters can moor up a short walk away from the centre of Bath.  ***The 47ft 'Foxglove' narrowboat for up to four people is available for a mid-week break 26-30 September for £827.  Price includes diesel, gas, damage waiver, bed linen, towels, canal map, life jackets, parking and tuition. Pets are extra, charged at £30 each.
3. Sail to the historic market town Selby…on a week away departing from Drifters' base at Sowerby Bridge, narrow boat holiday-makers can cruise to along the Calder & Hebble and the Aire & Calder navigations to Selby. The journey there and back travels 96 miles, passes through 68 locks (34 each way) and takes around 40 hours.  The route passes through Wakefield, Stanley Ferry, Castleford and Knottingley.  The scenery ranges from leafy cuttings on the Calder & Hebble and farmland along the Aire, to industrial hinterland on the Aire & Calder.  At Selby, boaters can explore the ancient Abbey and market, and enjoy a good choice of pubs and restaurants.  ***The 48ft 'Suffolk 4' narrow boat for up to four people is available from Sowerby Bridge for a week 30 September to 1 October  for £1,155. Price includes damage waiver, pre-holiday information, comprehensive instruction, fuel, gas, parking, buoyancy aids and bed linen.
4. Cruise to Manchester & back – on a week's break from Drifters' narrowboat hire base at Acton Bridge, canal boaters can cruise to Manchester and back. The route, which passes through a mixture of urban and rural landscapes, travels 68 miles of waterway (34 each way) and passes through just one lock.  Places to stop off at along the way, include Stockton Heath, with a choice of shops, boutiques, restaurants and pubs, and the historic village of Lymm.  On arrival in Manchester, there are places to moor at Castlefield Basin, within easy reach of City Centre attractions. And to visit the Trafford Centre, boaters can return via Worsley on the Bridgewater Canal. ***The 48ft 'Princess' narrowboat for up to four people is available for a week 1-8 October for £1,099.  Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.  Fuel is extra, charged on return based on use, circa £15 per day.
5. Go blackberry picking on the Stratford Canal - from Drifters' canal boat hire base at Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal, it's a picturesque seven-hour cruise to Stratford upon Avon. The route, which is perfect for a short break, passes through 17 locks.  Along the way, boaters cruise through the Warwickshire countryside, with plenty of hedgerow foraging opportunities along the way.  Once at the birthplace of the Bard, there are over night moorings in Bancroft Basin, perfect to use as a base to explore the town's many independent shops, restaurants, theatres and museums. ***The 66ft 'Poppy' luxury narrowboat for up to four people, is currently available for a weekend 7-10 October for £840, saving £280. Price includes boat hire, gas, parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, towels, bedding and first pet.  There's a compulsory £50 damage waiver and fuel is extra: a £50 deposit is taken for a short break, £90 for a week. Cost based on fuel used, circa £15 per day.
6. Glide across The Stream in the Sky – on a week's break from Drifters' canal boat rental base at Wrenbury Mill on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire, boaters can cruise through the Shropshire Lake District to the pretty town of Llangollen. The journey takes 19 hours, passes through 12 locks, two tunnels and crosses over the magnificent World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, with amazing views across the Dee Valley and the Welsh Mountains. ***The 47ft 'Cape Weaver' narrowboat for up to four people is currently available for a week 30 September to 7 October for £1,190, saving £209. Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, gas, parking, tuition on arrival, towels, bedding and up to two pets.  Fuel is extra: a £50 deposit is taken for a short break, £90 for a week. Cost based on fuel used, circa £15 per day.
7. Cruise through the Scottish lowlands to Ratho - from Drifters' base at the Falkirk Wheel boat lift, it's a peaceful eight-hour cruise along the Union Canal to the historic village of Ratho.  The route to Ratho travels 24 miles, passes through three locks, two tunnels and over two aqueducts.  It also passes close to the historic town of Linlithgow, home to the ruins of Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.  ***The 58ft 'Shakespeare' narrowboat for up to six people is available for a weekend hire 30 September to 3 October for £869.  Price includes boat hire, damage waiver, gas, car parking, tuition, buoyancy aids, bed linen, towels and first pet.  Fuel is extra, charged on return based on use, circa £15 per day.

A licence isn't required to steer a canal boat and all Drifters operators provide hirers with boat steering tuition as part of their holiday packages.

For more information about Drifters boating holidays call 0344 984 0322 or visit www.drifters.co.uk. 

For more information about visiting the canal network go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

ENDS

For Drifters press enquiries contact Debbie Walker on 01628 318069/077486 40577 walker.debbie@sky.com 

Notes to Editors:

Drifters Waterway Holidays is made up of nine hire boat companies: ABC Boat Hire, Anglo Welsh, Black Prince, Countrywide Cruisers, Foxhangers, Kate Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Shire Cruisers and Union Canal Carriers.  Between them they offer over 550 boats for hire, operating from 45 bases across England, Scotland and Wales.  2022 hire prices start at £550 for a short break, £760 for a week on a boat for up to four people.  Narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate up to 12 people.  All Drifters operators provide hirers with life jackets and boat steering tuition.  www.drifters.co.uk Tel 0344 984 0322.