Recommended Canal and River Cruising Books
- Berlitz Worldwide Guide to River Cruises by Douglas Ward
- This guide covers river and barge cruising around the world for first timers and the experienced. Includes reviews and descriptions, shore excursions, pictures and maps.
- Canal and River Cruising: The I.W.A.Manual by Sheila Davenport
- A practical guide about the aspects of cruising canals and rivers in Britain.
- Inland Boat Owners Book by Andy Burnett
- A guide to inland boating and boat ownership with information on costs, purchasing, maintenance, construction, shared ownership, safety standards and residential boating.
- Honey, Let’s Get a Boat: A Cruising Adventure of America’s Great Loop by Ron and Eva Stob
- The ultimate book about “loopers” in the USA who navigate the waterways year-round.
Other useful guides for touring British waterways include First Mate Guides, Pearson’s Canal Companions, Nicholson’s Ordnance Survey Guides and Waterways Guides.
- Narrow Boating Magazine (http://www.narrowboatmagazine.com)
- Magazine that you can order and see partially online looking at aspects of narrow boating on inland waterways in the UK.
- Britain’s Waterways - A Unique Insight by GEOprojects
- A directory of Britain’s navigable waterways, including those no longer navigable with full color maps and photographs.
- A Boaters Guide to Boating by Chris Deuchar
- This book includes practical tips from the author’s 30 years of handling boats combing a mixture of old and new waterway techniques.
Useful Canal and River Cruising Websites
General
- Gott-a-Travel (http://www.gott-a-travel.com)
- Advice on canal boating and ocean cruising, booking services and networking clubs and organizations.
- World Canals (http://www.worldcanals.com)
- Introduction to waterways country by country, with maps based on those published by Euromapping.
- Canals (http://www.canals.com)
- Canal Boating in the UK and Europe with some North American information.
- Inland Waterways International (http://www.inlandwaterwaysinternational.org)
- International organization linking people with waterways interests worldwide.
- Boating for Beginners (http://www.boatingforbeginners.co.uk)
- A starting point for newcomers to boating on inland waterways.
North America
- American Canal Society (http://www.americancanals.org)
- A society to support the use of the many American canals and waterways.
- Canal Society of New York State (http://www.canalsnys.org)
- Brings together canal enthusiasts from across the state, to learn about the history, development and ongoing activities associated with the Erie and other historic canals.
- The Trent-Severn Waterway (http://www.thewaterway.ca)
- A cruising guide for the beautiful Trent-Severn Waterway, in Ontario, Canada, which is part of North America’s ‘Great Loop’ circle route.
Australia
- Australian Canal Society (http://www.auscanal.org.au)
- A society of people with an enthusiasm for canals and other inland waterways at home and around the world, particularly those of the UK and Europe.
Europe
- Voies Navigables de France (http://www.vnf.fr)
- Manages about two thirds of the 5,282 miles of waterways throughout France, and is preparing new Seine-Nord waterway.
- European Waterways (http://www.waterways.cc)
- A useful portal to all European Waterways developed by an experienced inland navigator and barge-owner.
British
- Waterscape (http://www.waterscape.com)
- A huge selection of boating vacations and narrow-boat specialists to choose from.
- Canal Mate (http://www.canalmate.co.uk)
- Features updates and information about the First Mate travel guides to British waterways.
- British Waterways (http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk)
- The website of British Waterways, which manages two thirds of the UK’s inland canals and rivers.
- Canal Junction (http://www.canaljunction.com)
- Canal vacation guide and canal leisure directory of British waterways. Canal maps, canal vacation info, advice plus hundreds of links.
- Click here for the Top 10 Canal or River Cruise Vacations around the world