Family boating holiday

If you are interested in boating with the family check out our competition this month with Emerald Star to win a three night weekend on a cruiser on the Shannon worth over €2,500. We also have three copies of Lakeshore Loops Exploring Ireland's Lakes by John Dunne to give away.

A family boating holiday or a family cruising holiday offers you the chance to take your family on holiday at a slower pace. You can explore beautiful countryside with rural canals and travel the waterways of towns and cities. Speeds are slow and when you want to stop for the evening you can tie up more or less anywhere on the canal side or in ports if cruising. There are lots of family activities to keep the whole family busy, such as fishing, operating locks, piloting the boat and relaxing and lots of opportunities to take a break, visiting local attractions and walking.

Have a look at our articles by John Dunne on Lakeshores and lakeshore legends which the kids will love.

You do not need any experience or a driving licence to hire a boat for inland waterways, although we would suggest that you do take instructions provided by your rental company seriously and make sure all members of the family pay clear attention.

There are a number of options in Ireland, UK and the Continent. A canal boat is a narrow boat; however you can also hire small motor cruisers for lakes and larger boats on the continent.

A family boating holiday provides lots of tranquillity, the option to stop in various different locations, the ability to work together as a family, no seasickness and it is generally cost effective. You should note though that working the locks can be a pretty hard work and it can get a bit messy.

The top tips on booking a family boating holiday

You need to consider whether there is a minimum age for children, or any restrictions on the number of people who can be accommodated comfortably on the boat. Space can be tight so go a bit bigger if you can.

When choosing your itinerary investigate whether the lakes and canals are in a good state of repair. Is there enough water, are there many locks to be navigated and other things to do along the way. Knowing some interesting attractions close by and some nice waterside pubs with gardens for the children can be a big plus.

Make sure you are insured in case of a collision and that there is a good back-up service in the event of a problem with the boat.

Be clear as to what is and it’s not provided by the rental company including linen, towels, crockery and cooking utensils.

As always, near water safety should be a top priority and make sure you have harness for very young children and age appropriate life jackets.

Further information for booking your family boating holiday

You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday. 

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