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| Canal choice (insert map of England/Wales) Most European canals were built at the start of the Industrial Revolution. Some earlier. In cruising with Canal Tours, you are following a world-historical event.
canaltours@aol.com for reservations and inquiries. Click here for cost of trip. Click here for discussion of canal locks.Click here for canaltours homepage.
    Click to enlarge. Leeds and Liverpool Canal: Skipton, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, is the base for fall tours. As you can see from the photos, the castle, open market, pubs and adjoining sheep studded valleys are visual joy. You can make side trips to picturesque villages tucked below limestone crags. And pubs...the best. You will normally overnight on board near pubs, villages and towns.
Llangollen Canal: The most beautiful canal in Britain. You chug through tunnels, soar over aqueducts, and spend time in ancient Llangollen. Base is usually Whitchurch, that's 3 hours drive from London, 1 1/2 from Manchester. Mooring at pubs, villages and towns, you can often catch singing in the valleys; it is a musical land. Old churches, Welsh choirs, cattle and sheep.
There are two tourist-trap type stores in Llangollen, good for silly things to take home as presents. The rest of the town is a delight, a beautiful and peaceful place.
English and Welsh pub food is a delight! Publicans and restaurateurs rival to prove their excellence and variety. The result: hearty sometimes even elaborate dishes, authentic local touches, a respect for tradition and good raw materials, in friendly surroundings.
      click on photo to see larger photos Canal Du Midi: Mature trees give shade as you float past towns and villages established over 2000 years ago. The canal, built in the 1670's, is more recent architecture. Sun-baked vineyards, sun-soaked wine. You visit wine growers, taste their best in the cellars, carry away what you can. In these parts, the fine wine often stays in the region. In cafes, the "local" wine is quite possibly a Parker's "excellent" grade, a wine-lover's dream.
You don't touch alcohol? No problem. The French have beautiful coffee and non-alcoholic drinks. And there is always food; superb, traditional, local. The Canal du Midi goes through Cathar territory, you can book side-trips to visit some of the sites where this religion flourished 9 centuries ago. The two-week cruises need six months notice.
Grand Canal: Whether rain or shine, on this immensely beautiful and relaxing trip you meet some of the friendliest people on earth. You meander through unspoiled countryside and become part of what other people go to Ireland to see, the local scenery. One is among friends. The Ireland we visit is the deep green centre. Meals must sometimes be prepared on board; regular dining is not well developed in the country regions where we chug through old bogs and rolling sheep pastures. We try to make sure we hit a Celtic evening where we will be the only foreigners in a tiny pub - just us, Guiness and the regulars...
Caledonian Canal: Clean air, sheep-clad hills and bagpipes. The sector of Scotland you visit is picturesque to the point of caricature. Camera country, through a land of kilts, castles, mountains, single malt whisky and the occasional glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster. But the steep-sided Loch Ness and those castles perched on islands and hill sides are no Disney fantasy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
