Canal Boat Holidays For Beginners | What to bring?
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING ON YOUR CANAL BOAT HOLIDAY?
When it comes to packing, we have put together a handy checklist for you based on experience. First time canal boaters often feel nervous, but proper guidance and preparation can ensure a confident and enjoyable adventure.- Use soft bags, hard suitcases take up a lot of space (for overseas customers we are happy to look after your bags while you are away cruising).
- Clothes…. casual, warm, and comfortable depending on the time of year, layers are a good idea so as the sun comes out you can peel off a layer. The boats have plenty of storage space but hanging space is limited, so leave your ball gowns at home. Along the canal are plenty of excellent pubs and restaurants where the dress code is smart casual.
- We suggest a good waterproof coat, pair of waterproof trousers – we do provide one set, but if you are all well equipped then the great British weather cannot spoil your holiday… and you may even enjoy the odd wet day!
- Foot wear: non slip is a must
- Hats to keep the sun off your heads
- First aid kit
- Lip salve
- Insect repellent
- Sun tan cream – the sun is stronger when you are on the water
- Torches (you go to the pub in daylight but tend to come back in dark)
- Walkie talkies are bit of fun for the kids
- Board games and cards; canal holidays are a great way for families to spend time together forget the telly, play games instead – Marks and Spencer do some great ones!
- Books and magazines; canals are excellent places to relax with a good book
- Towels and tea towels (sorry no dishwashers on board). (NB: overseas customers will have towels provided; UK customers can rent for £5 per person.)
- If you are bringing a very small person, please ring and discuss your requirements, some boats just do not have room for a travel cot. Reins are a good buy to stop small people who are feeding ducks from falling in and a buggy is very useful at locks. We can supply cot sides – please request.
- Understanding canal etiquette is crucial for a smooth and enjoyable holiday. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the basic rules and behaviors expected on the canals.
SUPPLIES FOR THE WEEK’S CANAL HOLIDAY CRUISING
We advise you bring with you enough food for a few days; there are places along the canal to buy milk and bread. The majority of our customers tend to have breakfast and lunch on board and then use one of the many pubs or restaurants along the South Oxford Canal for their evening meal (see our useful information page for names and telephone numbers.) When you get to Banbury you are able to moor at Castle Quay and restock for the next few days. There are lots of shops within and food shopping a short walk away (Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco) depending on where you moor. All the kitchens on our narrow boats have ample storage, the fridge is a good size in boat terms. All boats have a freezer compartment to make ice but this is not huge. For those new to boating, day boat hire is an accessible option to experience boating with minimal commitment.You can bring your supplies with you, or use the local supermarkets in Oxford, we are happy for you to arrive at College Cruisers early, park your car, do your food shopping, and have lunch. Returning just in time, to board your College Cruisers narrow boat. We are also happy for you to use you own internet supermarket and have the shopping delivered to College Cruisers, this must be arranged with us beforehand. Failure to do so, will result in a £25.00 handling charge. Consider exploring holiday routes specifically designed for canal boat beginners to ensure a pleasant and enjoyable experience.Disposable barbecues are useful; there are lots of places to have a evening Barbie, just make sure it is not used on the boat and that you take away any rubbish.ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
All boats have hairdryers, TV with DVD player, Radio/ CD player. It is OK to bring with you electrical items such as laptop, phone chargers, battery chargers for iPods, shavers and camera batteries, power cables for hand held computer games etc. Items such as hair straighteners, and small electrical kitchen items are NOT allowed. Please contact us if you have any queries regarding any electrical items.Fishing rods are welcome at College Cruisers, you must have a valid rod licence, and live bait must always stay outside the boat!We do not allow bicycles or small boats without prior agreement.We hope that this advice has been of some help, but if you have any questions please call Charlie or Carys on 01865 554433 .Happy Packing!Our Customer Reviews
Four of us took a 3 night short holiday on the boat Nuffield the first weekend in October. Chris was brilliant with our narrowboat tutorial. We were brand new to cruising, and Chris’s expertise and instructions made us feel prepared and at ease about our voyage ahead. The boat was clean, comfortable, and well-outfitted. We particularly appreciated the availability a wood-burning stove in the evenings. We had an amazing time cruising the canal, operating the locks and drawbridges, and visiting local pubs where we moored up at night. We couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable experience, thanks to Carys and her team. We highly recommend College Cruisers!
We were lucky enough to fit in a week on canal boat whilst doing UK! Week was spent with friends and family non stop laughing, jumping off and on learning about locks, bridges and the engineering of the system!
Amazing time had! Massive thanks to Carys and her team - especially Chris as he made the information session entertaining and made sure we were confident!
Would absolutely do this again on another trip!!
Amazing time had! Massive thanks to Carys and her team - especially Chris as he made the information session entertaining and made sure we were confident!
Would absolutely do this again on another trip!!
My husband and I booked a 3 day narrowboat holiday with College Cruisers and It was our first time on a narrowboat! We are so impressed with the time and care that they took to show us how the narrowboat runs, gave us an hour lesson and went over maps and details of everything we would need to know! You can feel their passion for the narrowboats and canals and we really appreciated their kindness, patience, and wisdom! The narrowboats are well taken care of, and they've thought of everything for your holiday! Well stocked with your basic necessities! Everyone is so friendly and helpful! We highly recommend College Cruisers and we will be back for another (longer) adventure! Thank you all so much! Scott and Bridget
Have just returned from a week on the Oxford canal on a boat called Exeter! Amazing week, beautiful boat with everything you could need. Such a peaceful time away. Cary’s and her staff members were so welcoming! Very helpful and informative. Would recommend College Cruisers for an awesome boating holiday! Thank you to all 😊 we will be back!
We just spent 14 days on 2 different narrowboats. The staff were wonderful from the moment we walked in from the bus station. Friendly, doesn't even cover it. More than that. With a bit of coaching we were soon on our way. 4 days on the canal, then 10 days on the River. Easy to manoeuvre craft and lots to see and do in any direction. Pubs along the way with lots of food and drinks available. Shopping quite easy at bigger towns. Peace and tranquility ruled our trip. Everything we needed was catered for, even the one rain shower. Would do it again in future, however wife wants to do canals in France. Happy wife ,happy life. Thanks again.
We had our very first narrow boat holiday with Collage Cruisers, and it was such a lovely surprise trip! The boat was spotless and cosy on arrival, and after a detailed induction we were soon on our way.
We were given a helpful map with recommended stopping points, which made exploring the scenic canal so easy and enjoyable. It was such a treat to slow down and take life at a gentler pace for a few days.
Carys and the team were fantastic, so friendly and attentive, nothing was too much trouble. A brilliant family-run business that we’d highly recommend. Thank you for a wonderful holiday
We were given a helpful map with recommended stopping points, which made exploring the scenic canal so easy and enjoyable. It was such a treat to slow down and take life at a gentler pace for a few days.
Carys and the team were fantastic, so friendly and attentive, nothing was too much trouble. A brilliant family-run business that we’d highly recommend. Thank you for a wonderful holiday
While we did not charter a Narrow Boat from College Cruisers, they did help repair our boat. We had a failed alternator and were moored a mile or so from their marina.
I phoned a number of boat yards and was quoted weeks before they could help! College Cruisers had one of their engineers on our boat in less than an hour and booked into their marina with a minimal of delay. Having determined that we needed a new alternator, they loaned us a used one as a stop-gap until a new one could be fitted - no charge for the loan!
Their whole team was knowledgeable, amazingly friendly and helpful. I cannot recommend them enough; if I need any assistance in the future, they will definitely be my first port-of-call.
College Cruisers are ideally located at the end of the Oxford Canal. Even though many canals are closed this year, due to a lack of water, boats leaving from their marina have navigable access to a long stretch of the canal. Additionally, the River Thames is only a few hundred meters away.
Also, because of the short distance to a lock, clients benefit from lock navigation training - something few other charter companies can offer.
I phoned a number of boat yards and was quoted weeks before they could help! College Cruisers had one of their engineers on our boat in less than an hour and booked into their marina with a minimal of delay. Having determined that we needed a new alternator, they loaned us a used one as a stop-gap until a new one could be fitted - no charge for the loan!
Their whole team was knowledgeable, amazingly friendly and helpful. I cannot recommend them enough; if I need any assistance in the future, they will definitely be my first port-of-call.
College Cruisers are ideally located at the end of the Oxford Canal. Even though many canals are closed this year, due to a lack of water, boats leaving from their marina have navigable access to a long stretch of the canal. Additionally, the River Thames is only a few hundred meters away.
Also, because of the short distance to a lock, clients benefit from lock navigation training - something few other charter companies can offer.
We spent a week on the narrowboat Magdalen with our family and friends — 4 adults and 4 kids in total. We had such a great time! Cruising along the canal, going through the locks, and watching the birds and beautiful scenery was so relaxing and fun. We’ll really miss our beloved Magdalen. Highly recommended!
We had an absolutely fabulous day from start to finish Gavin was great explaining everything before we let the mariner it was a great way to celebrate Steve’s 50th Birthday cruised to The junction arms for a pre booked lunch did three locks and cruised back perfect fun day ten of us all together we all want to do it again
My wife and I recently had the experience of attending our daughter’s wedding ( in Somerset )and going on a narrowboat cruise on the South Oxford Canal. We chose ( upon our daughter’s researched recommendation) an outfit called College Cruisers out of Oxford.
Our dealings with them could not have been more pleasant. The owner was extremely accommodating and kind when we experienced an illness in the family that required adjusting our plans, and when we had a minor mechanical difficulty, they dispatched a gentleman (who had to make a long trip) to rectify the problem. He was so nice and interesting we almost asked him to join us on the trip!
The boats themselves were very well stocked with (in our case) the necessities of cooking and baking that we were quite happy to make our (gourmet )meals on the boat when no pub was available.The boats were clean and beds were comfy and we had a great training session and introduction on how to operate the boats efficiently. Everyone we dealt with was very friendly, helpful and accommodating and we would highly recommend using this family operated company for your Narrowboat experience. The Oxford canal was a beautiful and a less busy canal than others we have been on, and we never had any problems finding a beautiful and quiet spot to moor for the night.
Our dealings with them could not have been more pleasant. The owner was extremely accommodating and kind when we experienced an illness in the family that required adjusting our plans, and when we had a minor mechanical difficulty, they dispatched a gentleman (who had to make a long trip) to rectify the problem. He was so nice and interesting we almost asked him to join us on the trip!
The boats themselves were very well stocked with (in our case) the necessities of cooking and baking that we were quite happy to make our (gourmet )meals on the boat when no pub was available.The boats were clean and beds were comfy and we had a great training session and introduction on how to operate the boats efficiently. Everyone we dealt with was very friendly, helpful and accommodating and we would highly recommend using this family operated company for your Narrowboat experience. The Oxford canal was a beautiful and a less busy canal than others we have been on, and we never had any problems finding a beautiful and quiet spot to moor for the night.
I got to do a short narrowboat trip back in the late 70's in high school and loved it, so for our 30th wedding anniversary my husband and I wanted to do one together with our young adult children. We had a beautiful week boating out from Oxford to Cropredy and back. Carys, Wayne, Mike, Chris--everyone at College Cruisers was fantastic, so helpful, friendly, informative. We really enjoyed being on the Balliol, it worked really well for our group, and we had all the teaching and support we needed as new boaters. It's a beautiful route, as well. Watching the countryside and villages go by, working the locks and bridges, it never got old. We've been off the boat now two weeks and frankly still feeling pretty sad that it's over. It was a wonderful way to visit England and though we enjoyed a brief time of sightseeing in London after the boat, it was not nearly as enjoyable as being on the canal.
What an amazing family vacation this was. The boat was well appointed, super reliable, and the smallest details were thought out. Though I didn’t know it, this boat also has a heater and USB ports for charging electronics. Both came in super handy in keeping us topped off and warm and toasty. The boat handling training prior to departure was excellent. I wish I could’ve had more time. But next time, we will do a longer cruise.
We took the Narrowboat Nuffield for a weekend, absolutely wonderful experience. Staff were lovely, boat was clean and well equipped, they were flexible and helpful. It did help that the weather was fantastic but I thoroughly recommend this if you want a relaxing trip on the canal.
Small-scale family business. Extremely nice people and very helpful. Nice boat...well equipped...great sailing area on the Oxford Canal
A fantastic experience provided by a genuinely, lovely family business. Comms were great and we were made so welcome from the minute we arrived.
A thorough and friendly intro to the boat and off we went with top tips, detailed maps / guidebook and many thoughtful additional touches like firewood/coal, waterproofs for the inevitable rain and ice in the freezer for the equally inevitable G&Ts.
Such a beautiful part of the world to explore with herons, nesting swans, birds of prey above and ducklings below. Great pubs and restaurants along the way too.
Highly recommended - you won't be disappointed by Carys and her team at College Cruisers.
A thorough and friendly intro to the boat and off we went with top tips, detailed maps / guidebook and many thoughtful additional touches like firewood/coal, waterproofs for the inevitable rain and ice in the freezer for the equally inevitable G&Ts.
Such a beautiful part of the world to explore with herons, nesting swans, birds of prey above and ducklings below. Great pubs and restaurants along the way too.
Highly recommended - you won't be disappointed by Carys and her team at College Cruisers.
We went on a long weekend on Magdalen and had a lovely time!
A very special thank you to The College Cruisers team who were absolutely lovely to us, especially to my autistic, boat enthusiast, son Thomas.
A very special thank you to The College Cruisers team who were absolutely lovely to us, especially to my autistic, boat enthusiast, son Thomas.
I took a mid-week cruise on Oxford’s College Cruiser’s smallest boat (HMS Keble). It unexpectedly snowed on the first night but KEBLE kept me warm and toasty. The bed was comfortable and the little boat was well appointed. The price was very affordable!
The team at College Cruisers was friendly and helpful. The pre-brief was excellent and prepared a novice for navigating the locks and canal system.
Highly recommend this wonderful excursion to anyone, novice or pro, and recommend College Cruiser!
The team at College Cruisers was friendly and helpful. The pre-brief was excellent and prepared a novice for navigating the locks and canal system.
Highly recommend this wonderful excursion to anyone, novice or pro, and recommend College Cruiser!
Having hired from many different boat hire companies over the past 50 years I can honestly say that I have found College Cruisers to be one of the the very best. Standard of boats, yard location and exceptional customer service all make for a great experience and I do not hesitate in whole heartedly recommending them.
Thank you Carys and your team.
We look forward to returning again next year.
Thank you Carys and your team.
We look forward to returning again next year.
Had a wonderful time on the bank holiday weekend on the Nuffield boat and highly recommend this company. The boat was great perfect for a party of 5 one being 80 - kitchen had everything we pretty much needed, very clean and tidy - we would certainly be very happy to do use this company again!
Having recently completed our 3rd hire on the 20m EXETER, I can only praise College Cruisers for their services and standards. Always ready on time and the staff always friendly and helpful - the boat very clean and well equipped on collection. The accommodation was modified to include 4 bunk beds, which was ideal for the children, leaving 3 doubles as required. On this trip we returned from the Thames via Dukes Cut to join the Oxford canal, finally berthing 'bows south-east' at the yard as preferred by the Company.
4 of us ,plus 2 dogs have just returned from a lovely weeks holiday on board narrow boat Pembroke.
The team at the yard in Oxford showed us how to open and close locks and the basic handling of the boat .
We were very impressed with our boat,it had all we needed for a great break
The canal is very picturesque although its shallow in places and care must be taken near moored craft ..
All in all a lovely break on a very nice boat .
Highly recommend
The team at the yard in Oxford showed us how to open and close locks and the basic handling of the boat .
We were very impressed with our boat,it had all we needed for a great break
The canal is very picturesque although its shallow in places and care must be taken near moored craft ..
All in all a lovely break on a very nice boat .
Highly recommend
Great value narrowboat hire, the Oxford canal is really beautiful and the locks are easy, being just one gate. Thrupp is a lovely place to visit, the Boat pub there was the best one we went to!
We’ve just had an amazing weekend on one of the college cruises. We were a party of seven, everyone had a great time. The boat yard were really helpful and went out of their way for us. Would really recommend using college cruises, clean well maintained boats and very helpful staff. The kitchen was well equipped too, couldn’t fault anything
My partner and I just spent a week on Magdalen. It was clean, comfortable and well equipped. It was lovely having the log burner as it was late October. Cary’s and her team really looked after us and we can’t thank them enough for making this a wonderful week on the charming Oxfordshire canals. Good value for money and competitively priced. Highly recommended.
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