holiday routes and information | The Piano Boat
Holidays can now be booked from August 2021
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ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS
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Cruise with us in the hidden beauty of West London's canals. Beginning in Harefield on the Grand Union Canal, join us for 3-6 nights as we explore the Colne Valley Regional Park and surrounding areas.
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Holidays are inclusive of all meals and a selection of house drinks, as well as refreshments during the day.
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We can accommodate two people in the guest quarters, which can be arranged either as a king-size double, or two comfortable single beds.
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On the first day, arrival is at 2pm and, weather permitting, we can enjoy a drink on the stern deck before setting off for a couple of hours' cruising to our first night's mooring.
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In the subsequent days, we'll usually cruise for around 6 hours, stopping for lunch and then mooring up for dinner at around 5.30pm.
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Your holiday will also include up to two musical soirée evenings with acclaimed concert pianist Masayuki Tayama.
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Departure on the final day is 10am.
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There is no formal dress code on board; come prepared for British summer, and be comfortable! You may wish to walk along the towpath or help with the locks, so bring suitable footwear as well.
Pricing and Routes
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3 nights
Harefield - Cassiobury Park - Harefield
£715 per person
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Join us for a short break for a taster of canal life. Journeying north up the Grand Union Canal, our furthest point will be Cassiobury Park, a green oasis of woodland and countryside spanning 190 acres which the canal runs straight through.
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We will often find ourselves surrounded by greenery as we pass through between lakes, reservoirs, nature reserves, and cruise by the famous Rickmansworth Aquadrome. The towpath provides a lovely setting to stretch your legs if you wish, or you can enjoy the tranquil pace of travel from the boat itself.
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This journey involves 18 locks, which you are welcome to try your hand at if you wish!
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4 nights
Harefield - Hunton Bridge - Harefield
£935 per person
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With 3 full days of cruising on this 4-night break, there will be plenty of time to relax and unwind, stretch your legs or simply watch the changing scenery pass by. Although just a stone’s throw from London, you’ll feel apart from the bustle of it all as we make our way up towards Hunton Bridge, a small settlement in the west of Hertfordshire.
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The canal winds its way through a number of nature reserves and parks, past lakes and reservoirs, and alongside the River Gade for a time, and we begin our journey in the midst of the beautiful Colne Valley Regional Park.
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This journey involves 24 locks, which you are welcome to try your hand at if you wish!
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5 nights
Harefield - Kings Langley - Harefield
£1155 per person
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Separated from the River Colne only by a green wall of trees as we set off on this 5-night break, we’ll first journey north through the tranquil Colne Valley Regional Park, which stretches an impressive 43 square miles across the area.
Take a stroll along the towpath or through Cassiobury Park as we pass by, or simply put your feet up with a glass of something as we slowly make our way up to Kings Langley and back in the changing landscape from Greater London to Hertfordshire.
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This journey involves 34 locks, which you are welcome to try your hand at if you wish!
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6 nights
Harefield - Hemel Hempstead - Harefield
£1350 per person
Join us for relaxing and slow-paced break on the water, following the Grand Union Canal north through Hertfordshire. On our journey, we’ll pass lakes, reservoirs, parks, nature reserves and even a few golf courses.
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We’ll follow the River Colne early on, and later the path of the River Gade, a globally rare ‘chalk stream’, able to support a wide variety of nature with its clear waters and stable conditions. Our furthest point will be where the Grand Union and River Gade meet, creating a junction in the waterway.
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Every day brings a change of scenery and whilst cruising, you can choose between staying aboard, walking the towpath (the boat only travels at a slow walking pace!), or even helping with the locks if you’d like to.
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This journey involves 44 locks, which you are welcome to try your hand at if you wish!
All cruises include:
Breakfast
Lunch
3-course dinner
Refreshments during the day
Up to two musical soirée evenings on board
A deposit of 25% is required to secure your holiday dates, and the balance due 4 weeks before the start date.
We will contact you after you have submitted the booking form to arrange this and finalise the details of your holiday.
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Prices are based on two people sharing the double or twin cabin. No single-person discount is given and a single occupant will bear the full fee of the cabin.
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Returning cruise guests will receive a 5% discount on holiday fees.
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