Top 8 luxury canal boats for hire in 2018

Today’s canal boats are fully equipped with all the essential mod cons – central heating, hot water, TV, fully-equipped kitchens, showers and flushing toilets. To create ever higher standards of accommodation, the length of boat per berth is increasing and new canal boats for hire are arriving on the network with extras like baths, drinks fridges, larger showers, fuel stoves, King-sized beds and WiFi.

Here at Anglo Welsh we’ve been investing in the construction of top class narrowboats, all boasting exacting standards of craftsmanship, comfort and finish.

Our ‘Bond’, ‘Constellation’ and, new for 2018, ‘Heritage’ Class narrowboats are the stars of our fleet, with full-size showers; a range of flexible and private berths; fuel stoves on the four and six berth boats; a large TV and Wifi; spacious kitchens with modern fittings and lighting; and a stylish new livery.

We now offer luxury canal boat hire from eight of our bases, with boats providing top class narrowboat accommodation for either four, six or twelve people.

Here are our Top 9 luxury canal boats for hire in 2018:

1. Float across ‘The Stream in the Sky’ aboard ‘Lily’. The brand new luxury four-berth ‘Lily’ Heritage class boat is now available to hire from our canal boat rental base at Trevor, on the Llangollen Canal in North Wales.  This 66ft long semi-traditional stern narrowboat offers ‘heritage’ features, including a Belfast sink, port holes and a fuel stove in the saloon, alongside modern home comforts, including two showers and two toilets, two double beds (one of which can be made into twin beds) in separate cabins, LED lighting, full radiator central heating and WiFi. On a short break from Trevor, canal boat holiday-makers can travel to Ellesmere and back, passing over the incredible World Heritage Status Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way. On a week’s break, boaters can reach Whitchurch and Wrenbury. Prices for ‘Lily’ start at £740 for a short break, £1,060 for a week.
2. Travel to Stratford aboard ‘Aries’. The beautiful brand new four-berth Constellation Class ‘Aries’ is now available to hire from our Wootton Wawen narrowboat hire base on the Stratford Canal. This 65ft semi traditional stern narrowboat features two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins ranging from two doubles to four singles, full radiator central heating and WiFi. On a short break (three or four nights) from Wootton Wawen, narrowboat holiday-makers can travel to Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and back. On a week’s holiday, boaters can reach historic Warwick or Birmingham’s City Centre. Prices for ‘Aries‘ start at £730 for short break (three or four nights), £1,045 for a week.
3. Charter ‘Cassiopeia’ to Chester. The super 67ft six-berth Constellation Class ‘Cassiopeia’ is based at Bunbury on the Shropshire Union Canal near Tarporley in Cheshire. ‘Cassiopeia’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation ranging from three doubles to six singles. It takes just seven hours by boat to reach the historic city of Chester, perfect for a short break. While on a week’s holiday, hirers can travel to the pretty Eisteddfod town of Llangollen and back. Cassiopeia’s 2018 hire prices start at £750 for short break, £1,070 for a week.
4. Cruise the Kennet & Avon Canal aboard ‘Phoenix’. The brand new 66ft four-berth Constellation Class ‘Phoenix’ is available to hire from our canal boat hire base on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Bath. ‘Phoenix’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins ranging from two doubles to four singles. From Bath, it takes around 10 hours to reach Fox Hanger Wharf at the base of the Caen Hill Flight of locks, perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday, boaters can travel on to Pewsey. 2018 prices for ‘Phoenix’ start at £730 for a week, £1,045 for a week.
5. Travel the Trent & Mersey in style aboard ‘Centaurus’. The new Constellation Class ‘Centaurus’ will be available to hire for the 2018 boating season from our narrowboat hire base at Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal from the beginning of July. This luxury 65ft four- berth boat has a spacious semi traditional stern, two showers, two toilets, full central heating, a traditional fuel stove, well-equipped galley and flexible accommodation in two cabins ranging from two doubles to four singles, full radiator central heating and WiFi. There are a variety of short break routes from Great Haywood, including the option to travel south along the Trent & Mersey Canal to the historic market town of Stone. On a week’s holiday, boaters can travel to Market Drayton, home of the gingerbread man. Prices for ‘Centaurus‘ start at £730 for short break (three or four nights), £1,045 for a week.
6. Explore Warwickshire aboard ‘Lynx’. The 69ft 12-berth Constellation Class ‘Lynx’ is available to hire from our canal boat rental base at Stockton, on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire. ‘Lynx’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two shower rooms with a toilet in each, two dinette doubles in the lounge, four single bunks and four singles in two cabins. On a short break from Stockton, boaters can reach the beautiful county town of Warwick and its stunning Castle on the banks of the River Avon. On a week’s holiday, canal boat holiday-makers can travel to Banbury on the Oxford Canal or Foxton on the Leicester Line. 2018 prices start at £825 for short breaks on ‘Lynx’, weekly hire from £1,175.
7. Hire ‘Hydra’ and head to Birmingham. The 65ft long four-berth Constellation Class ‘Hydra’ is available to hire from our narrowboat hire base on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Tardebigge. ‘Hydra’ has a semi-traditional stern, two shower rooms with a toilet in each, plus two doubles or four singles in two cabins. From Tardebigge, it’s a five-hour, lock free journey to Birmingham City Centre, perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday from Tardebigge, narrowboat holiday-makers can head to Stratford, Warwick or Worcester, or travel the Stourport Ring. 2018 hire prices for ‘Hydra’ start at £730 for short break (three or four nights), £1,045 for a week.
8. Enjoy a Thames boating holiday with ‘Delphinus’. The 69ft 12-berth Constellation Class narrowboat ‘Delphinus’ is available from our Oxford base, on the River Thames at Eynsham. ‘Delphinus’ has a spacious semi traditional stern, two shower rooms with a toilet in each, two dinette doubles in the lounge, four single bunks and four singles in two cabins. From our luxury canal boat hire base on the River Thames, it takes just over three hours to reach moorings at Hythe Bridge in Oxford City Centre, perfect for a short break. On a week’s holiday, boaters can continue along the Thames to Henley. 2018 short breaks on ‘Delphinus’ start at £825, weekly hire from £1,175.

To book a holiday or break on any of Anglo Welsh’s fleet, call our friendly booking team on 0117 304 1122.