Booking your Narrowboat Holiday or Short Break
Week long breaks starting from under £900
Booking Online
To check availability or to book on-line click on the button below
Booking By Phone
To check availability or to book by phone call:
A £100 deposit (plus cancellation scheme fee, if applicable) secures your booking, with the balance due 28 days before your holiday start date. If you are booking for a start date less than 28 days away, please be prepared to pay the full amount at the time of booking.
Booking information
Short breaks and last minute deals
A short break is a great way to ‘dip your toes in the water’ so to speak!
Our Hire wharf operates on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays offering you the flexibility to choose a short break of 2, 3 or 4 nights.
Alternatively, if it’s a longer break you’re looking for, to allow you more time to relax and explore or maybe complete a cruising ring, you can book up to 3 full weeks online via the Hoseasons booking portal or call us direct to make a booking of any length that suits you.
There are choices of many varied routes from our base, all of which will give you a great introduction to boating on the Great British Canal Network.
See our Narrowboats for yourself
Not sure whether a canal boat holiday is for you? You can visit us and see our boats for yourselves.
The boatyard at Calcutt is open to visitors everyday, including Saturday and Sunday, all year round (except Christmas week!).
There’s no substitute for seeing the canal boats first hand and we’d be delighted to show you around and answer any questions you may have.
For viewing the boat interiors we suggest you visit between March and October. If there is a particular boat you wish to view, please call ahead to check it will be here.
Holiday Cancellation Scheme
If you have to cancel your holiday once you have booked – and haven’t taken out our Cancellation Scheme option – you will be liable for the full amount of the hire fee.
Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details of the scheme.
Booking the Holiday
Our Hire wharf is open on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays for arrivals and departures.
We offer bookings of any length over 2 nights that start and finish on these days.
Our boats sleep between 2 and 9 people. The number of berths depends on the length of boat you hire. Have a look at the ‘Our Boats’ pages and they will show you the layouts and how many the boats sleep.
We do allow pets on our boats but ask that they are kept off the seats and bedding.
One pet can travel for free, with a £30 charge for additional pets, up to a maximum of three.
Please advise us at the time of booking if you will be bringing your pet.
There must be at least two adults over the age of 18 in every party unless otherwise agreed at the time of booking.
We take a £100 fuel deposit when you book. When you arrive your boat tank is filled to our set fill mark with diesel. After your hire is complete and you return the boat we top the tank back up to the fill mark, and then charge for the fuel you have used. If you use less than the £100 deposit you will get some money back; if you use more then there will be a charge. All fuel is charged at our current prices – see the wharf services page.
Bottled gas is used for cooking and is included in the hire charge.
Bedding is provided for you, free of charge – double and single duvets with covers and sheets as required, with a pillow per berth. You will be asked to let us know in advance how many berths you are going to use, and the bedding will be provided accordingly ready for your arrival.
There are extra blankets onboard.
Towels are provided for you, free of charge – each berth booked will get a small bath towel and there will be a hand towel in each bathroom. If you require anything different then please bring these with you.
All boats have a single bath mat for each shower.
Planning for the Trip
Once you have booked you will receive a confirmation email from us which will give you the details of what we would like you to do before you arrive for your holiday.
We ask you to fill in our Hire Log online, which gives us some information about you and also your requirements, such as the bedding that you need.
We also ask you to watch a couple of videos to familiarise you with our boats and to prepare you for your trip.
All the routes available to you from our base are detailed for you on the ‘Routes’ page.
Route planning information and downloadable canal guides can be found on the Canal and River Trust website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/go-boating/planning-your-boat-route/downloadable-waterway-guides
The following websites can help you plan a journey:
Canal Plan AC https://canalplan.org.uk/ or
Narrowboats.org https://www.narrowboats.org/canal_route_planner.aspx
There are also a few apps available for your devices such as Open Canal Map, WaterNav and Canals.uk.
The key to planning your holiday is to be flexible and be open to changing your plans according to the weather or if you find a spot you would like to explore further.
Whichever route you take you should be able to plan around a pub for most evening meals or you have a kitchen on board for cooking your own.
Google maps is usually the best for information about what points of interest and facilities are next to the canal.
If we can be of any further help then please call or email.
During the ‘boating season’, March to October, the Canal and River Trust make every effort to keep all their waterways open. Occasionally it may be necessary for them to close a section of the canal for emergency repairs, or to remove a fallen tree for example, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the Canal and River Trust Stoppages webpage when planning your trip.
On longer trips you may plan to reach a river navigation, and these can be affected by high rainfall. You would need to look at the website of the relevant navigation authority (Environment Agency, River Avon Navigation Trust etc.) for updates.
Calcutt Boats is in an excellent location with many routes to choose from, so even if one option was not available for your holiday, you should be able to easily find an alternative route to suit your wishes.
What's Onboard & What to Bring
You can view the full inventory for all our boats.
Buoyancy aids are available for you free of charge.
These are optional not compulsory, unless you are going on a river. We have a selection of sizes to fit all crew members.
On each boat you will find:
Full size oven & hob
Fridge with small freezer compartment
TV/DVD
Hairdryer
Tea towel
Oven glove
Welcome Pack- including bin bags, scourer, cloths & soap to get you started
Torch – there is only one torch on board, so if you are a large group you may want to bring more with you for going out after dark.
The boat comes with bedding set up as per your confirmation.
Towels are provided: you will get one small bath towel per berth booked, one hand towel per bathroom and a bathmat per shower.
If you require anything else please make sure you bring it with you.
Waterways holidays are informal and so we suggest casual clothing and something for a night out if you fancy it.
On a boating holiday you will spend quite a lot of time outdoors, so suitable non-slip footwear is a must. If the weather forecast doesn’t look too great you will want waterproofs and possibly wellingtons, bearing in mind that some stretches of towpath can get muddy.
If the sun is out you’ll want to think about sun hats, sun cream and so on.
Depending on what kind of holiday you’ve got in mind, and on the British weather, you might want to pack some or all of the following:
DVDs and CDs
Playing cards & games
Laptops & games consoles (can be charged on the boat)
As Wi-Fi on a boat is accessed via mobile networks, we cannot provide a guaranteed service that would be better than your own devices, so we do not provide Wi-Fi on board.
You can bring bicycles. They will need to be stored on the roof of the boat, so please bring a rug or blanket to protect the boat. You can loop a bike lock through the handrails on the roof of the boat when storing overnight.
If the weather is going to be good it is a great idea to bring some folding chairs with you.
There is some room on the rear deck to use seating and, depending on where you moor, there is often room to use chairs on the towpath next to the boat.
Yes, there are standard UK mains sockets that will provide you with 240v up to a total of 2000w.
You are more than welcome to have an online grocery delivery to your boat on arrival, but this must be booked by yourselves and co-ordinated with your arrival time. Please include the boat name on your order reference, and let us know that you are expecting a delivery.
Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are local supermarkets known to deliver to our site.
The tank aboard the boat holds about 200 gallons of water. This is filled up before you set off but will need topping up, ideally daily, from a canalside or boatyard fresh water taps. The water from these taps is drinking quality. You can use the water in your boat’s tank for washing, showering, brushing teeth and making hot drinks, but if you usually drink a lot of water straight from the tap we would recommend bringing bottled water with you as you may prefer the taste.
Our on-site chandlery and shop contains a number of emergency supplies, treats and gifts, but you should make sure that you have all the things that you need for at least the first night with you. After you have checked in you will only be able to leave our site by boat! Depending on your route there may be opportunities to stock up with more provisions on the way.
Arriving for the Holiday
All arrivals are welcome at 1.30pm. If you want to arrive later than this please contact us first to arrange. Unfortunately, if you arrive later than 3.30pm there may not be enough time left in the working day to complete your tutorial.
In certain circumstances, when boats are available early we may contact you to offer an 11.30am arrival.
After you have checked in at 1.30 p.m. you need to get your belongings onto the boat, then we will begin your instruction. Our RYA qualified instructors give you as much tuition as you – and we – feel you need, including practice going through a lock. Depending on your previous experience it can be 3.30p.m. by the time you are through the Calcutt locks and heading off on your own.
On the day of return all boats must be back no later than 9.00am.
All hirers will be met at the lock by one of our staff who will bring you in.
While you are away on holiday your car can be left with us in open-air parking. Parking is free, but at your own risk.
The main entrance to our site is locked at night for extra security.
We suggest taking a train to either Leamington Spa or Rugby station and then taking a taxi on to us. There is a marker for Calcutt Boats on Google maps at our postcode CV47 8HX.
Getting Underway
You don’t need a “driving licence” to handle a canal boat. Cruising couldn’t be simpler; you don’t even have to worry about “port” and “starboard” – it’s “left” and “right” on the canals!
Our RYA qualified instructors will give you instruction on how to handle the boat when you arrive.
If you are interested in more in-depth training why not consider one of our RYA training and holiday packages?
Have a look at our Training page for more information.
Our boats are licensed for all the canals and waterways maintained by The Canal and River Trust, which includes nearly all the routes open to Calcutt hirers.
However, there are charges for travelling on the rivers Thames, Wey and Warwickshire Avon, these are payable en route.
Please advise us if you intend to navigate any rivers as some will require additional paperwork and an anchor.
When you take over your boat our RYA qualified instructors will give you as much tuition as you – and we – feel you need, including practice going through a lock. Two of you will then be asked to sign an instruction sheet and from here on in you are responsible for the boat.
There is a manual onboard which contains lots of helpful information about your boat, locking, mooring and your safety.
The tuition we give you takes into account your previous experience and confidence.
Whichever route you choose you will go through at least one lock with your instructor.
Depending on your previous experience it can be 3.30p.m. by the time you are through the Calcutt locks and heading off on your own.
On the canals you can moor almost anywhere on the towpath side with the following exceptions: lock landings, water points, in or opposite turning points and marina entrances or anywhere there is a sign stating otherwise. Thought should also be given to avoiding mooring too close to bridges and sharp/blind turns.
Sometimes official moorings have bollards or rings that you can tie up to. Our boats are all equipped with mooring hooks, stakes and a mallet, so your options are not limited.
On rivers you can usually only moor in specific locations, some of which may charge a fee.
If your route includes a river we recommend that you purchase a guide book which will give you navigation tips and mooring locations.
Canals mean slow boating. Technically there is a limit of 4mph, but in practice it is rarely possible to achieve even this speed. Normal cruising will cover around 2 or 3 miles in an hour, which is a moderate walking speed. A good way to judge pace is to keep an eye on the boat’s wake. If the wash breaks into a wave the engine is probably running too fast. Ease off, and the boat may actually travel quicker!