Here is a selection of the reviews written by many of our happy guests who have stayed with us aboard one of our narrowboats throughout the years. To see a larger selection of reviews then please visit our reviews page.
Reviews here are automatically imported to our website from verified sources such as Google, Trip Advisor and Airbnb. Because of this level of transparancy and automation you can be confident that these are written by verified guests in their own words.
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My wife and I had a lovely stay onboard the cosy Colombian narrow boat. It was great to get an experience of life on the canal and Middlewich is a nice little town with some get pubs and restaurants. We did have an issue getting the gas and heating going one day but this was quickly rectified by Chris who showed us the ropes with everything we needed to know for our stay, having never stay on a narrow boat before. Would recommend if you want to experience a different type of accommodation.
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Great place to stay, lovely area with pubs, restaurants and takeaways nearby. Great place for plenty of walking too.Paul was helpful and showed us all we needed to know for our stay on the boat.
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We hired Lady Sylvia, suitable for 2 people. There was plenty of room, the boat is relatively new from around 2020. Paul and his colleagues were very helpful, what little things we needed they sorted immediately for us. The winter weather was certainly embracing but the heating was very impressive. The boat is very well appointed with everything you could need for your time on board. The king size bed in the bow was very comfy. We were given full instructions in a jovial friendly manner with plenty of jokes thrown in to lighten the mood in the cold climate, however we were warm on board and had a nice cup of tea whilst instructions were given. We had a great week full of adventure with various encouragement from other canal users ! One of which made quite a bit of noise when we passed his boat returning to Middlewich, however no lasting effect ! People suggest you should try a narrowboat in winter before you decide if the cut is suitable for you, floating holidays is one of only a few hire companies offering winter cruising. We would certainly recommend them. This helped us to make the decision to purchase in a few years time, no doubt we will hire agin before then. Thanks Paul and the team.
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first time on a canal boat, and during a wind storm too! having never been on a canal boat before I hadn't realised it is not as straightforward as collecting the keys and getting aboard. Paul showed us around and fixed up a couple of surprise issues which he couldnt have anticipated and got to work on straight away. Paul was very friendly and happy to help out and have a good chat whilst getting things ready for us. I hadn't realised how smelly canal boat toilets are when you flush, but I think that's a city person problem more than a issue with this venue. it was a little chilly (being winter...) and the heating plus our own heated blanket kept us toasty warm through the night. I would definitely stay again, it was quiet and calm even with the wind and rain.
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Had a great stay , we chose a stationary holiday but going back next year for the full barge experience, they give you lock tuition as there are locks just around the corner. The people in the town are very friendly, had such a great time!
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canal boat was lovely and homely only down side is the TVs didn't tune in but over all a good experience.
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We hired a boat for two weeks from Sam and Paul and had a ball, everything was excellent, from the free advice from Paul on routes to the fabulous hidden English countryside, we’re home two weeks and still smiling.
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Had a brilliant week cruising from Middlewich Wharf on Casanova. The Floating Holidays team were fantastic and supported us through the whole process from booking to training to being just a phone call away should we need them. As novice boaters we were a little apprehensive but we needn’t have worried. The boat and her facilities were everything we needed for a first class experience. We’re already plotting another trip next year.
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We thoroughly enjoyed our first holiday on the canals on Lady Isabella. Paul taught us the basics, which was welcomed, very informative and friendly, then off we went. Lovely family business to deal with. It was an Amazing experience which we're looking forward to repeating as soon as possible.
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Floating Holidays are 5 star First time on a narrow boat and had a fantastic weekend with my Brother and my 3 adult nephews.Staff guided us through the boat operating and mooring procedures in a thorough but interesting manner.Advice on canal ettiqutte and do's and don'ts. Walked through lock operating duties at first lock which is close to departure point and waved goodbye with the knowledge if something goes wrong they are just a phone call away.Travelling along at just over 1mph is so relaxing and the boat was a fully equiped home from home. Took advantage of canal side Pubs for meals and the odd drink or two and found canal boat people are incredibly friendly quick to help and offer advice and information to Newbees we are already planning our next trip for the Spring or early summer.
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really enjoyed the stay, good price and friendly host.. peaceful nights sleep and the bed was super comfortable, simple clear instructions sent before we arrived, really nice pub a few minutes up the road as well 5/5 would stay again in the future
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everything was as advertised. quiet location excellent for walks along the cannal.
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After a 4 year delay due to Covid we were able to fulfill a bucket list wish & spend 4 days on Casanova. Paul & his team were especially patient with us Aussie first timers & we had a wonderful time.The bed was so comfortable & everything else was cosy & accessible.Basing ourselves backwards & forwards around Middlewhich gave us easy access to shops for our supplies & the pub at the Big Lock had great meals & service.
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Having booked this only a week before hand was not sure what to expect as we had little time to look things up etc, but was not disappointed at all. The boat was beautiful and had everything you could possibly want in it. On arrival we loaded our bags onto the boat and then had tuition from Paul who was very good and patient with me as I started to steer the boat into the locks I was a bit nervous but I think Paul realised this and after the second lock he left us in control and we continued on our holiday and to be honest Brian and I soon mastered it and my nerves were gone . Thankyou Paul for your patience and great customer service .
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Stephanie and I had booked three mights on a narrowboat from Floating Holidays and I can honestly say the whole experience was wonderful. Floating Holidays staff were easy to deal with right from the initial contact through booking and then throughout our holiday. We hired Lady Isabella. What a lovely boat. Well laid out and definitely well equipped. The hand over was easy and Paul helped us through the first 3 locks then waved us good bye.I can recommend both Floating Holidays and narrowboating as a great holiday.Thank you Floating Holidays. We will return for another trip.
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I have always wanted to try canal boating. We came from New Zealand on a 9 week european holiday, and started with 4 night trip with 3 people. Great responce to all queries.All staff very helpful and considerate .A family run business. Will recommend to all my friends. Great experience all around.
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Excellent service from the canal boat hire company. Everyone we dealt with was helpful and cheerful! We loved our experience and would certainly hire from this company again.
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Me and my husband spent Easter weekend on Golden Princess. It was our first time on a barge. The boat was beautiful and throughly enjoyed the experience. Paul and the staff were very helpful and welcoming. Would definitely recommend 😁
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Little Lisa Pole Dancer
Apr 2024
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10 days on the four counties ring, great service and handover, well laid out craft, and even after a minor fault on the first night ‘immediately’ rectified by the amazing owner Paul coming out to fix in the dark on a Sunday night !! These guys deserve every praise and great success
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We hired the RakiRaki boat from Floating Holidays. There were 5 adults hiring.Was a great 4 days away. We took plenty of provisions with us but still went to the Big Lock for dinner on the first night.Ate FAR TOO much over the weekend.Anyway, the team from checking-in through to the end were fab. We had a great tour showing us around the boat and what to do at the end of each day etc. Each of them had a great sense of humour and the dogs were even weighing us well.Good tuition through the first three locks. One guy showing us the locks and another guy helping the skipper to drive.Then we were on our own. It was all good. All took turns driving the boat, and if we can do it, anyone can.Really relaxing weekend.Got back on time and greeted again by the team and the dogs, pretty sure one of the dogs was more excited about seeing us than anyone else...Yep, highly recommend for anyone.
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This company is exceptional. I rented a large canal barge for several days with a group of friends and we had an awesome weekend. The chap who showed us the ropes was a true gent and very professional, showing us how to operate the barge and use the locks etc and because it was our first time he put us at ease. We had such a great time that we're considering doing it again next summer. Highly recommended. Thank you folks so much!
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First rate canal boat hire! This was our first (but certainly not last) canal boat holiday and Paul and Samantha made it great. They worked with us in the months before our vacation (from across The Pond) and answered all of our many questions. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted and checked out on the boat, then sent on our way. Even though we got one of their smaller boats (Lady Sophia), it was was comfortable, easy to maneuver and well equipped for a two week trip. We had a blast and will be returning customers.
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Great first time on a canal boat! The boat was lovely and just as described on the website. The was plenty of room for the 2 of us and would be for 4. The staff at floating holidays were extremely helpful and gave clear instruction regarding the operation and safety of the boat. Paul also lent me his hat as I'd fogotten mine so the customer service really is outstanding! It felt a bit intimidating going through the 3 locks of middlewich but it was a great way to learn the locks and how to manoeuvre the boat (you can go the other way, less locks in one go). That said, it was one of the most relaxing holidays we've ever had and we are definitely going back. We wanted to stay for another week but due to other commitments we were unable. Highly recommend, such a great way to completely unwind.
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We had a fabulous weekend on Ankka, loved every minute. Paul was very helpful and friendly when we arrived to pick the boat up, neither me or my husband had been on a canal boat before but had always wanted to try it. We were not disappointed, we enjoyed the boat, the peace & quiet and got to actually relax 😀 The boat was very clean, comfortable and enough space for the 2 of us plus a Pug 😊 The only down side, was handing it back 😅 We will definitely be doing this again...only next time, it'll be for longer than a weekend 😀
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Great boat, great service (courtesy phone call before we arrived to see if we had any questions - nice touch), comprehensive safety chat and info about the boat before leaving. Boat developed a fault and we had someone out to rescue us mega quickly.
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We had our NB for 12 days. Paul was easy to keep in touch with and the boat had everything we needed. Alex was a great asset to Paul’s business. Would highly recommend renting
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Had the best time with Floating Holidays. We spent 4 nights on Raki Raki, 4 adults and 2 18 month olds, plenty of room. Boat was spotless and really well equipped. We stayed when it was snowy and cold but the heating worked really well and kept us all warm.Paul and his team were amazing, answered any questions, gave us all a demo and took us through the first lock to make sure we knew what we were doing. No doubt if we'd had any problems (which we didn't) they'd have been on hand to help right away.Definitely recommend 😊
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I can highly recommend this company. We booked last minute in August (late review I know 🙈) and it was all really smooth and easy! Booked directly with Paul who was very helpful and reassuring with all my questions. Parked up at their base in Middlewich, had a H&S demonstration/talk and also was shown how to do the first lock which really helped us learn the ropes.'Our Time' the boat was really lovely and we were so impressed with how well equipped and clean it was. Absolutely no issues at all.We had the absolute best time, the best holiday and we will 100% be booking again. We've always said we wanted holiday on a narrow boat and it surpassed all our expectations. I can't talk about the holiday/canal boating without beaming ear to ear.Thank you Paul and the team at Floating Holidays!
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Excellent experience with Floating Holidays team and boat! We rented a 60' narrow for 6 people and a baby and we all had an amazing trip. Any issue or questions were swiftly resolved. The boat was very clean, well kitted out and incredibly comfortable, even for 7 people. We did a lot of cooking on the trip and the kitchen was really well equipped - better than a lot of Airbnb's.
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We called into the wharf for fuel one Sunday.Filled with fuel and discovered a fuel leak.Paul went out of his way to help that day and the following Monday offered to repair the boat for our builder. Am am sure they apply the same attention to thier boats. Many thanks top bloke.
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We called into the wharf for fuel one Sunday.Filled with fuel and discovered a fuel leak.Paul went out of his way to help that day and the following Monday offered to repair the boat for our builder. Am am sure they apply the same attention to thier boats. Many thanks top bloke.
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Our family of four just returned from a fantastic week on the “Our Time” boat on the Trent and Mersey and Caldon Canal. Paul and his team at Floating Holidays were amazing and fun and so helpful! Paul was even patient with entertaining with teaching our 13 year old son about how different parts of the boat work and answering hundreds of his questions. If we can make it back from Tennessee someday, we will definitely be booking with Floating Holidays again if they’ll have us. 🙂 Thanks for everything!
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Welcomed by Paul and Samantha and Loki ( lovely dog) as soon as we pulled up right by the boat. They showed us everything we needed to know and Paul took us to the first lock to make sure we were confident. Boat was clean and even had a bottle of prosecco for our honeymoon. We will definitely be coming back next year for our next journey, thanks guys.
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Enjoying a fabulous holiday on Casanova, a perfect narrowboat for 2. Regrettably halfway through our holiday now and getting ready to return to Middlewich. A big thank you to the Floating Holidays team - we're not wanting for anything. Skipper Sue and Capable Crew Geoff.
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Welcomed by Paul and Samantha and Loki ( lovely dog) as soon as we pulled up right by the boat. They showed us everything we needed to know and Paul took us to the first lock to make sure we were confident. Boat was clean and even had a bottle of prosecco for our honeymoon. We will definitely be coming back next year for our next journey, thanks guys.
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Had the most amazing bank holiday weekend on the Casanova thanks to Floating Holidays. Super communication from start to finish. Highly recommend
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FANTASTIC Experience enjoyed every minute of it.thanks to the crew at floating holidays middlewich for making this possible definitely booking again.cheers sean,vicky,mark and julie
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We had Our Time for a week in July 2021...boat was clean, in good condition and well equipped. Access for cars next to moorings, so getting loaded up is a breeze. Midflewich is good starting point for lots of routes. Had a great time on Shropshire canal on nice stretch down to Gnosall and back. Really friendly and responsive team...will be first choice for next canal holiday (might venture down the Llangollen next time).
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Had a great time on our first boating holiday, the boat (Casanova) was lovely, well equipped and clean and perfect for us. Paul was really helpful when we arrived, showing us everything and staying with us until we got through the first lock. Would definitely recommend!
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Columbina Had a fantastic week aboard Columbina which was perfect for our family of 5. We cruised down the Shropshire Union and would recommend the route - plenty of pub stops along the way so you can eat out if you'd like to, enough locks to keep you on your toes and beautiful countryside. I wish we'd been able to go for more than a week though as it would have been great to do a ring rather than a there-and-back (we didn't fancy doing long days to fit in a ring in a week - we were on holiday and on canal time!). Anyway, Columbina was great, all the linens and towels were lovely and clean and our bed was incredibly comfy (and big!). Although our 3 boys (8, 10 &12) could all have fitted sideways on the second king size bed we did use the dinette bed for our eldest and he said it was comfy too. The shower was much better than I expected and having the second loo was really handy with so many of us. We didn't cook very much but the kitchen had everything we needed - even had a freezer so we could have ice in our gin and tonics! Thanks very much to Paul and the team for a great holiday, I'm sure we'll be back.
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Rakiraki Very large spacious boat, had everything u need for a holiday. Extremely comfortable. Staff very friendly and helpful with whatever you need any time of day, already booked again for next year Highly recommended
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CASANOVA We had a fabulous holiday on Casanova, doing the four counties ring. The team of Floating Holidays were really helpful, and the countryside was breathtaking. I will be looking to return! I loved the camaraderie of the canals, the quiet, and the self containment, and cosy nights in with the family listening to music and playing board games. I loved my daughter (16) doing the locks and my son (21) taking the helm to the manner born (sic).
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Christopher Brookes
Sep 2020
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Boat was clean and well equipped ready for use, easy to use and we had a really relaxed week sailing to the south and back with no pressure. Good support from Paul when things went wrong (a leak in the canal !) and at the start showing us how to use the boat and the equipment.Unexpectedly there was good central heating (not much used as the weather was generally good) and a hot shower. Cooking was easy with cooker and microwave....just had to run the engine to keep the power up and not drain the batteries but easy in practice.Useful map on board showing bridge numbers and local towns, though we generally used quiet, countryside moorings. We'd happily use Floating Holidays again.Thanks for a great weekPat & Rosie
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“Could not have found better for our purpose.” We are thinking of buying a narrowboat. We know what it is like when the weather is good and wanted to see what it is like when the weather is not so good. The week we spent on Lady Sophia was perfect for the test. Storms !! Wind !! Rain !!It would have been a dreadful experience were it not for the great little boat we hired and for Paul who made sure we were going to be comfortable. He put an extra duvet on the bed and made sure that the first outing for Lady Sophia in 2020 ran smoothly by checking the boat over before we took over.Paul's pre talk was comprehensive and clear. During the week we had only one simple issue, mainly because I had forgotten something Paul told me. I called him on the mobile, he answered immediately and clearly explained what I had to do. The problem was fixed in minutes!!!! Brilliant.I would highly recommend using Floating Holidays (even to my best friend). Paul has got it right. A really nice man. If you want to see how we spent the week go to YouTube and search either "Shall I buy a narrowboat" or go to my channel "Michael Chartres"
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“A very sucessful week on Lady Sophia” We hired the Lady Sophia for a week because we are thinking of buying a narrowboat and wanted to see what it like when the weather is not so good. We picked the perfect week !!! Cold, wet and very windy BUT we really enjoyed the experience mainly because the boat was warm and in good condition. Paul was excellent. Friendly, helpful and informative. In the entire week we only had one small issue which was our fault (I forgot what Paul had said about the heating). His advice on the phone, which was answered immediately, was clear and sorted the problem literally in minutes.Later this year Paul is moving his operations from Poynton a little further south but still in a great area for enjoying the canals and scenery.Whether you want a boat for the same purpose as us or just a simple holiday I would definately recomend Floating Holidays Ltd and I wish the company every success in the future,
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