Self drive day boat hire on the River Thames

Thames boat hire – a great day trip near London

There’s nothing quite like motoring along the River Thames on a glorious summer’s day. I’m not talking about the section of the river which flows through the heart of London, but the quieter stretches to the west of the capital. We have enjoyed several family outings taking a self drive day boat hire on the River Thames. It’s a great option for extended families – our kids and their grandparents love this day out.

This is a review, not a paid or sponsored feature – we have undertaken this trip three times over the last eight years and have paid full price on each occasion.

Fancy a different waterway near London? Read my review about canal boat hire on the Basingstoke Canal.

Hiring a day boat in Caversham – what to expect

We use Caversham Boat Hire in Reading – they have a spacious Thames day boat – the Montego – which holds up to 12 people. Although it is for day hire, it does have two bedrooms so there’s plenty of space to spread out (or shelter from the rain). There’s a large seating area at the bow (front) of the boat with a retractable roof, called the state room. This is also where the skipper steers the boat so it’s a very sociable space.

The seating area is sufficiently spacious for the nine of us to have lunch around the table. When you’re not eating the table can be folded away so that everyone can walk around more easily. Right at the front of the boat is a further area where passengers can sit – this is a great spot to really take in the scenery and relax.

The galley kitchen is well equipped with a kettle, fridge and oven plus all the crockery and cutlery you might need. The boat also has a toilet with shower.

The cost for eight hours over a weekend in 2024 is £420. Although it’s not cheap, it does work out good value when the cost is divided between the whole of our family.

Day boat hire on the Thames: will the kids get bored?

We first took our kids and their cousin on this Thames boat trip when they were aged five, seven and nine. They still love the novelty of being on the boat and the different spaces to explore. There’s so much to see as you’re travelling along the Thames – the locks, the interesting houses and house boats, the bridges, the wildlife. There’s also plenty of other people out on the water – canoers and kayakers, paddle boarders and swimmers.

The Montego has a little bedroom with bunkbeds which our kids love playing in. As it’s small, it’s like a little den so they often spend quite a bit of time in there.

Gazing at the river is quite mesmerising. As you travel along the river, you leave behind the busyness of Reading and the riverside homes. Townscape gives way to meadows and woodland, ducks drift past, other watercraft glide by; it is a serene way to spend a day.

From time to time, you have to navigate through a lock. This is great fun – there are ropes to tie, water levels change and eventually the gate opens – our children love watching the process, sometimes on the boat and sometimes from the towpath.

How fast does the boat travel?

There’s a maximum speed on the Thames of five miles per hour but this actually feels fast enough. Sections of the Thames are quite busy so any faster than this and it would be tricky to navigate around the other river users.

Can you swim in the Thames?

Yes! We didn’t stop to swim but we passed many swimmers during our day trip on the Thames. There were lots of kids splashing around at the edge of the river at Pangbourne Meadows while more serious swimmers could be seen at various points during the day.

I’m really glad the swimmers in the centre of the river had hi-vis tow floats so we could see them. I don’t think we saw anyone swimming the first time we took a boat out several years ago – it’s a far more popular activity now, despite the pollution our rivers suffer.

Looking for other open water swimming locations? Check out my guides to where to swim outdoors in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

How far along the Thames can you go in one day?

Taking a boat out on the Thames is all about slowing down and admiring the scenery, and enjoying the company of the people you’re on the boat with. The boat goes slowly and you’ll probably moor somewhere for lunch. On a day trip, you could get as far as Henley if you travel downstream, and Goring if you head upstream.

Which direction should you travel from Caversham on a Thames day boat?

On the three occasions we’ve taken a self drive boat on the Thames, we’ve always headed upstream towards Goring. If you head towards London it tends to be a lot busier, particularly around Henley.

When is the best time of year to hire a boat on the Thames?

We have always taken our boat trips in early summer. May and June tend to have mild and dry weather (don’t quote me on that!). Late spring and early summer is also a great time of year to spot wildlife. There are always lots of swans and ducks with their young gliding along next to the boat.

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Have you done self drive boat hire on the Thames? Let me know in the comments below.