StevieD63

Thanks again for all of the recommendations. I've made some enquiries regarding our requirements to Naptons, Black Prince, Aqua Narrowboats, Wyvern, and Galleon in Odiham. We'll see if any have something that suits and are not already booked. Steve

Perhaps I was too disparaging on the graffiti - I think I was focusing more on the programme (Great Canal Journeys with Tim West and Prunella Scales), which presented the Oxfordshire canal (at least from Oxfordshire to Banbury) in a less than flattering light. I have been on a narrowboat before, but that was many many years ago during school holidays, and I’m sure things have changed considerably. That said, we are looking for a more rural route - we’d like a stop each night near a pub, but as it’s a short trip (3-4 days), we don’t need restocking or anything like that. This would be our first narrowboat trip, so we are very raw recruits. S

Thanks for the suggestion - my only concern on Oxfordshire is that I watched an episode of Great Canal Journeys, and it presented the canal in a dreadful condition, with graffiti everywhere, and generally poor condition. Has this changed? These are all good suggestions - I’m glad to find that shorter hires are possible.

Hello, This is my first post on this forum. My wife and I (both late 50’s) will be traveling to London in mid-May (we live in New York). It’s a business trip for me, but we are thinking of tacking on a short holiday to the business trip. Neither of us has done a narrowboat holiday before, but we are keen to give it a try. A few questions for the more experienced boaters: 1. Is it possible to do a shorter hire - perhaps 3-4 days? 2. Are there any canals and routes you would recommend that are relatively easy to reach from London? 3. Does anyone have any recommendations for hire companies (we are not driven by cost - we are more focused on quality operators with quality boats and experience with first time boaters). Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice. Steve