- Estimated Cost: $2200.00
- Deposit: $600.00
- Max Trip Size: 8 people
This is a two-week canal boat trip in the counties of Shropshire and Cheshire bordering Wales, and Staffordshire and the West Midlands north of London. We will be cruising the Shropshire Union Canal, Staffordshire and Worcester Canal, Trent and Mersey Canal and the Middlewich Arm. The canal boat will be our moving base of operations, a sort of floating RV with a kitchen, bathrooms, showers and bedrooms. Each day we will cruise down the canal, through the lovely English countryside, for about 4-5 hours, leaving us 8-10 hours each day to explore scenic villages, ancient castles and churches, and dramatic overlooks. It’s also possible to take short rail or bus journeys to visit some of the larger historic towns of the region. The area is criss-crossed by multiple long distance hiking routes. For those who are interested in less than two weeks on the boat, it will be possible to leave or arrive during the cruise, as we will be close to rail stations most of the time. There will also be an optional hiking trip, probably in the Peak District, after the main boat trip.
Dates are approximate and subject to change depending on boat availability!
Due to the close quarters on the boat, everyone will be required to be fully vaccinated and boosted.
For the hiking part (4 or 5 days), I’m planning to take the English “Gentleman Hillwalker” approach, where we set up a base in some central location, and walk circular day trips along the high ridges and through picturesque villages, using trains and buses to reach trailheads when needed. This would be immediately after the boat trip, in an area within about 20 miles of the canal.
I estimate a total cost for the 2 week canal portion at about $2200 which includes airfare (currently about $940 roundtrip). It also includes boat rental, shared food, train transport to and from London, and lodging before and after. The optional 4-5 days of hiking afterward would be about $350 more. I will be reserving HALF the spots for people who have not gone on any of my previous canal boat trips.
Email me, and I will send you an email with links to the trip plan, maps, and attractions. You will also get links to a video showing how easy it is to run the boat, and videos produced by one of the British TV networks called “Great Canal Journeys” showing what it is like cruising the canals.
NOTE: The 2024 trip filled very quickly, so in order to level the playing field a bit, I will again be using a lottery system for the 2025 trip, as follows: anyone who contacts me by February 8 will go into the “jar” and names will be drawn by a computer at random on February 8. Four spaces will be reserved for those who have not been on a canal boat trip before. Preference will be given to those who are willing and able to act as transportation co-coordinator and lodging co-coordinator!