Canal Guides and Maps help Make Getting There Half the Fun!
I tend to over prepare. I get all the canal maps and guides, and plan where we will moor,where the best pubs are, where the water points are etc. You don't have to go to that extreme, but a little preparation will help your narrow boat holiday run smoothly. Most important to have is a Canal Guide and Map to the canals you are cruising. There are three main Cruising guides, Nicholson, Pearson, and Waterways World. So let’s look at them all. NicholsonNicholson probably have the largest range of guides to the British canals available. They are bound in a solid cover, (all are red) and some have a spiral spine. We have not used them a lot, but many fellow boaters do. Our share owned "Stella" had a full set on board and we found them easy to use and robust.
Highly respected by canal folk, they feature comprehensive, reliable, (if rather formal) text, beside ordinance maps running from top of page down. At the start of each featured canal, is a run down on the history of the canal, plus info on mileage, number of locks, and dimensions They also have plenty of Derek Pratt's great photographs. Check out the Nicholson Canal Guides here. Waterways WorldWaterways World has had a checkered career in the canal guide market. We used them exclusively for our first ever trip in '85, and still have three of their original guides. For years waterways World have been the leading Waterways magazine, but for some reason they disappeared from the guide scene. They are back now, with guides to the Llangollen, Grand Union (South), Shropshire Union, and Oxford canals
However, they are bound in a sturdy wire bound cover, to lay nicely on the boats roof.They also run from top of the page to bottom, with the colour map on the right hand page. Lovely colour photos, there are more Waterways World canal guides planned. Check out the Waterways World Canal guides here. Pearsons
This is our choice. We have been using Pearsons since our ’85 trip, and have continued to do so. The very detailed maps run from left to right, with the corresponding text underneath, the only guides to be in landscape format. It is clear informative and accurate. At the top of each page, is the number of miles travelled, the number of locks, and the time taken to travel that particular length of canal. 
We find this particularly useful when planning our trip.Pearson writes in a unique, entertaining style,(eg " foxton village basks in the sun like a sleek cat that has just had two helping of cream"),with handy notes on each village and the facilities in the town. Their guides cover the majority of canals in the U.K., including Llangollen, Shroppie, Oxford, Grand Union and Trent and Mersey. My only problem with the Pearsons, is the covers tend to part company with the rest of the pages after a few outings. But this is easilly fixed with a stapler. Otherwise, we love them!
Oxford and Grand Union (Pearson's Canal Companions) 
Pearson's Canal Companion Kennet and Avon, River Thames: Oxford, Reading, Brentford GEOprojects
These are worth having, as they quite often show little villages nearby that are not on the Guides. In a typical fold out style, they can be tricky to fold and unfold on the rear deck with a bit of wind and rain around. Ours are looking decidedly tatty after a couple of trips. They are more technical in nature, with canal dimentions, recommended craft dimensions, and canal height above sea level given. 
The maps are clear and accurate, with facilities, including pubs marked.And that’s how we found both the Farmers Arms at Ravensmoore, (a very healthy walk from the Llangollen) and the White Lion, at Whittington, also reached from the Llangollen. It is up to your own taste whichever publication of Canal Guides and Maps you choose, but looking at them, and choosing is which one is all part of the preparation. Remember, getting there is halif the fun! Back to Great Canal and River Holidays Home Page
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