An English narrowboat break

We are thinking about taking a narrowboat holiday on the English canals for a
week in summer. Can you advise which company to go with and where to spend
our week? There are only the two of us and I am fond of my luxuries (good
bed, comfy seats, good shower, TV). - Juliette Fraser, via e-mail

Times Travel expert Julia Brookes responds: Your first port of call
could be Holidays in the UK (0845 2262485, www.holidayuk.co.uk),
which has a large selection of canal holidays in more than 50 locations.

Its website contains all the information a narrow-boating novice could need,
from advice on how to negotiate locks to virtual tours of boats, which are
graded according to comfort, and suggestions for one-week itineraries.

A week on the Hereford (highest comfort rating and suitable for beginners) on
the Kennet and Avon Canal would cost %26pound;1,210 in mid-June. From its base near
Trowbridge you could meander towards Bath and Bristol.

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