credit: Fox Narrowboats

1) A Floating Home Full of Surprises

There’s something magical about stepping aboard your very own boat for the week. It’s not just a holiday; it’s an experience. Fox Narrowboats come fully equipped with all the comforts of home: a galley kitchen, shower, toilet, and separate bedrooms. Boats like the 55 foot cruiser, Platinum Fox, even offer a double bed and two singles — ideal for families.

platinum fox narrowboat double bed cabin

As you unpack and explore, the kids will love claiming their bunks, opening every cupboard, and plugging in their gadgets to the USB sockets. (Yes, there’s power for tablets!) But don’t be surprised if the real fun starts when the devices are forgotten and they’re out on deck watching the world go by.

platinum fox narrowboat single beds in cabin

Browse the boats: Choose a holiday narrowboat.

2) Everyone Gets Their Own Space

Unlike cramming into a tent or squeezing into a hotel room, a narrowboat offers separate cabins, giving children and parents a little space. Older kids can chill with their phones or read a book, while adults enjoy steering the boat, making lunch, or catching up over a cuppa. It’s the best of both worlds: togetherness, with the option to retreat.

3) Bring the Dog Too

Yes, the family pet is invited. Our canal holidays are dog-friendly, so your four-legged friend can join the adventure. Dogs love trotting along the towpath, exploring mooring spots, or snoozing on deck while the boat gently chugs along. Just remember a life jacket for smaller breeds, and a lead for adventurous ones!

credit: dog with life vest Matt Seymour

The kids will appreciate that the dog can come to the pub, tag along on walks, and be part of the fun every step of the way.

You may also like: Canal Boating With Your Dog: The Ultimate Guide

4) A Screen-Free Adventure (Sort Of)

They may not know it yet, but the children are actually going to enjoy being outdoors. A child that was previously glued to a screen may find themselves sitting on deck watching the ducks, or walking the towpath, simply because there is so much to see and do. The boat will be travelling at less than four miles per hour so it’s possible to walk and keep up with the boat. Simple jobs like mooring up the boat together give a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of being part of a team. At the end of the day the whole family should feel tired in a good way, relaxing at a waterside pub, before taking a short walk back to the boat for a good night’s sleep.

Marmont Priory Lock

5) Easy Access to Family-Friendly Days Out

Our hire boat base in Cambridgeshire allows easy boating access to the Middle Level and several navigable rivers, with plenty to explore along the way. Think picnics in the sunshine, spotting kingfishers, and visiting historic sites like Ely Cathedral or Oliver Cromwell’s House. Interested in culture? You can cruise all the way to Cambridge and explore the University colleges or try punting on the river Cam. Museums, windfarms, old churches, local music festivals, quaint villages, ancient mills, medieval streets, fish and chips, and traditional pubs are just some of the things you can enjoy when you’re cruising in the Fens.

There’s something for everyone, from curious teens to inquisitive little ones (and grown-up history geeks, too).

6) Become Part of the Crew

If your weekdays feel like ships passing in the night, a narrowboat holiday brings you all back together… in the same boat! (Groan.) Before you set off, we’ll show you the ropes (literally), teaching your crew how to navigate and handle the boat safely. When you cast off and begin your first cruise there is a wonderful sense of freedom, and you’ll find you begin to spend quality time together.

credit: Scott Precious

Kids love getting involved, learning mooring knots, working the locks, or even having a go at steering, under supervision. Suddenly, everyone has a role. Even doing the dishes feels like an adventure when you’re chugging gently along on the river, with the countryside rolling past your window.

Ready to Make This Summer Unforgettable?

Whether it’s the freedom of the open water, the novelty of boat life, or the simple joy of shared experiences, a narrowboat holiday creates memories your kids will treasure for years.

credit : Fox narrowboats

Book your floating family adventure with Fox Narrowboats today, and discover the joy of slow travel, together. Booking on our website gets you an instant online discount.

Don’t miss more articles about what to see and do when narrowboating in the Fens: Sign up to follow this blog in the sidebar on the right.

Photos credits: dog life vest Matt Seymour on Unsplash, mooring Scott Precious on Unsplash

The post Why Your Kids Will Love a Narrowboat Summer Holiday appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Are you looking for a family holiday with a difference?

Beautiful scenery and quality time together?

Want to explore new places and learn to work a lock?

A narrowboat holiday could be just what you and your family need. When you arrive at our narrowboat hire base you will be given full training in boat handling, before setting off on your own adventure. Here are our top tips for enjoying your family holiday.

• Know Your Canal Etiquette

Our staff will teach you the basics, such as ‘drive’ on the right, and use your horn before going around blind corners. We will also advise you to keep to a leisurely three or four miles an hour, and slow down when passing moored boats. But before you arrive you could also read some basic boating tips on our blog. Do You Make These Three Boating Mistakes?

• Choose Your Route

Fox Boats staff can help you to decide upon a route, but you may also like to look at the options online: Fox Boats Routes. Even if you have never navigated a lock before you will find it is manageable with two adults on board. Older children may enjoy helping with locks and mooring the boat, you just have to make sure they understand all of the relevant safety information. Sometimes there is the opportunity to share a lock with another boat, which means the work can be shared between the two boat crews.

• Plan Where to Eat

You may want to plan in advance where you are going to stop. Some pubs and restaurants could require booking in advance. But every boat’s galley is well equipped for self-catering, so you can always keep some ingredients for a meal on board in case you decide on a spontaneous stop in the middle of nowhere. A route map will be provided with your hire boat. This will help you to find moorings and plan your journey. It also shows service points where you can fill the water tank if necessary.

• Be Prepared

Take waterproofs and wellies for everyone. Occasional showers are a traditional part of the British summer and children love to splash in towpath puddles, or go off exploring on nature trail walks.

To find the nearest children’s playground to wherever you are moored check the website of the local borough council. The home page should have a link to leisure facilities and playgrounds; parks and gardens can usually be found in this section.

5)     Bring Entertainment

If the children are too young to help or don’t want to help with the locks then indoors they may enjoy jigsaws from The Inland Waterways Association or canal-themed books. For example, Muddy Waters are the canal based adventures of narrowboat characters, or look for the Rosie and Jim books by John Cunliffe.

Wi-Fi is available on all of our holiday hire boats. There is a 1.25GB allowance for short breaks and 2.5GB per week. However, this is mobile internet, so the connection cannot always be guaranteed. Any mobile device, laptop computer, tablet, mobile phone, or gaming device that has Wi-Fi as part of its hardware set up can access the Wi-Fi device on board the boat.  You won’t be able to stream movies, but all boats have a colour TV and a DVD player, so you could bring some DVDs from home. All boats are fitted with a 12v and 230v socket for charging mobile phones, laptop computers and camcorders.

See the full list of what’s on board.

And finally, have some simple safety rules for younger children, such as no running on the towpath, stay close to a grown-up and keep away from the edge.

Be prepared and you may find that discovering rural England at a lazy three miles per hour with your family by your side is a holiday memory to treasure.

You may also like: 5 Family Goals You Can Achieve on a Narrowboat Holiday

Ready for your family canal adventure? Try booking a daytrip or a narrowboat holiday now. Check availability here.

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The post The Top 5 Tips for a Family Narrowboat Break appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.