As you travel there are many stores along the canal or in the small towns. Some people eat their main meal of the day ashore, often in one of the many canal-side pubs. Using the 4 to 6 hours cruising per day as a guide, we end up travelling some 16 to 24 lock-miles per day. Of course, life is a bit more complicated than this. Some experienced canallers enjoy covering as much ground as possible, others spend more and more time enjoying the canal-side people and the pubs.
Some people seem to be aghast at the thought of having to do a 'there and back' cruise.
Such a journey also has the advantage that you don't have to make initial estimates of how far you will travel - you simply turn round half way through your hire period. However, there are a few circular tours, where several canals join together to make a ring. They can make for an interesting holiday. Like many routes, this cruise combined canals with rivers, the River Avon being one of the most beautiful in England. This trip had tunnels, boat museums and Windsor Castle.