We look forward to seeing you onboard
Electra - canal cruises with a difference
Welcome to Electra, the all-electric 12-seater trip boat run by volunteers in Milton Keynes. Step aboard for a relaxing cruise on the Grand Union canal and get a whole new view of the city. Treat yourself to a food cruise. Or combine a cruise with a walk or a visit to a waterside pub. Electra makes a perfect day out with family, friends or colleagues. It’s great for celebrations too. Choose a public cruise or book a private group charter.
Bookings re-open on 13 January and Cruising starts 17 April
Cruising has now ended for 2024. Many thanks to all our 2,900 guests on board, and our 46 fabulous volunteers who’ve run an amazing total of 306 cruises this season!
From 23 December to 12 January our volunteers take a well-earned break and our bookings email is closed.
Cruise tickets for 2025 will go on sale online from Monday 13 January. If you’ve got a party date or group outing in mind – book early to get the date and cruise you’d like!
Electra Gift Vouchers – the perfect present
Give a Gift Card to the value of your choice and let family and friends choose the cruise they’d like to do.
For special couples with special dates in 2025 (birthdays, anniversaries, grandparents’ day) choose a Gift Certificate which gives them a morning Coffee & Cake Cruise or a Cream Tea Cruise in the afternoon. With over 70 cruise dates to choose from, and three different parts of the Grand Union canal to enjoy, they’ll be spoiled for choice.
Charter for a party in 2025
Electra is perfect for parties and celebrations! If there’s a special date you’d like to celebrate on an Electra cruise in 2025 email our Bookings Team. We’ll hold the date for you and firm up your booking in January.
Choose your cruise
Enjoy Milton Keynes’ best-kept leisure secret! Our peaceful cruises on the Grand Union Canal run from mid-April to mid-December. You’ll see parts of Milton Keynes you have never seen before through Electra’s picture windows. You’ll be eye to eye with swans, herons and even the odd kingfisher. Stand in the bow and enjoy the breeze on a warm summer’s day, or watch as leaves start to colour in autumn. Make sure you have your camera in hand as we glide through parkland, past waterside art, alongside local wildlife and all sorts of canal users.
Booking tips for planning a trip
– Food cruise bookings close 48 hours before the start time (for cream teas it’s just 24 hours), so remember to book a bit ahead of the day.
– Café bar cruises can be booked right up to the moment we sail, so if it’s a nice day and you can see spaces, book and come on down!
– Any public cruise with 12 seats available will become a private charter if you book all 12 – check which cruises these are on the monthly calendar below.
Get in touch
Electra is run by volunteers. Please email us with any booking queries, or to get updates on new cruises bookings.electra@bmkwaterway.org
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Electra – Milton Keynes all-electric community boat – won the Silver Award in the New Tourism Business category of the 2023-2024 Beautiful South Tourism Awards Thanks to all our wonderful volunteers, supporters and guests who are making Electra such a success!