I rented a boat for 2 hours to go on the river with my children. They were really good and I will…read moredefinitely use them again. Upon arriving the manager was really friendly and could not have been more helpful. I did not have the feeling of any schedule for other things he had to do, even we were only renting for 2 hours, there were other customers and it was probably a busy day for them. The service was quick, efficient and no one was left waiting. He took us out on the boat and showed us what to do, recommended a route and all went well. It is a lovely part of the river as is most of the Thames in that part of the world. My children were a bit nervous as it was their first time on a boat like this and so we came back early. Chertsey Meads Marine Hire were understanding and accommodating, we did not feel silly in any way. On entering the place there are old vehicles, loads of boats, engines and other things all over the place, this is a proper boatyard and not an amusement theme park. The people working there seems to be proper experienced boating people. The boat was not new, it was not passed it either, but certainly well used. The cushions were perfectly clean, the rest of the boat not that clean but still fine. However it was a strong boat probably meant to the massive use that comes with boat rentals, it seemed totally reliable and felt totally secure which to me is what mattered. I was very happy with it There were many other customers, all seeming really happy, having a good time and enjoying the boats. On a great sunny day in that part of London on the river, it would be hard not to. I hope to return again soon.

meny happy days spent on you. sorry to see you go .read more

The highlight of our London trip so far was exclusive service we received on the Thames Limo! What…read morea beautiful boat, spectacular service and great commentary from our captain, who kept us in stitches with his funny historical stories of different landmarks we passed on the river. My niece had the most spectacular 16th birthday, that she said she will never forget thanks to this amazing charter boat service. We especially loved the union jack painted on the sides that made for some great photos to take back home with us. The interior was spectacular too with white leather tufted couches. Highly recommend it, especially for a special occasion.

What a beautiful and romantic way to see London! We literally got the royal treatment, sipping…read morechampagne on this exquisite boat during the Queen's jubilee. Everything on this charter was first class. Certainly worth the splurge! Thank you captain Phil!

The Fat Swan, your first port of call for luxury cruising on the River Thames in Reading 0700…read more349 6713 info@thefatswan.co.uk Come aboard The Fat Swan and enjoy a decadent boat cruise. We are a grand party boat that is a great venue for hosting an array of special events to be celebrated on the Thames. The Fat Swan is decked out with luxurious fixtures and fittings and she is ideal for those looking to celebrate in style The Fat Swan is ideal for formal and informal events, unique parties, business meetings, corporate events, afternoon and evening cruising . We provide the highest standards and best value for money when it comes to parties on the Thames

I went on an excellent stag weekend and we went wreck fishing on the first day with these guys…read more I've done a fair bit of sea fishing and they can be a bit ropey but this trip was so well organised and all of the equipment was really modern and in good condition. Surprisingly there's a lot of pollack, cod, and bass to be had above some of the many boat wrecks scattered around the Sussex Coast. We paid around £50 per head for our trip and I think it was worth every penny. You get to keep some of what you catch which is always a bonus!

We had a delightful afternoon tea cruise (1.5 hours) that was not only scrumptious (best scones I…read morehad this trip), but the guide was quite hilarious. Back to the food for a moment: Finger sandwiches, scones, cake, and tea! AND they had gluten-free option available meaning my spouse could enjoy as well (I did order in advance, but same day). We had a lovely cruise on the river and enjoyed seeing the Christ Church meadows, all the rowing clubs, and going through the Iffley locks. Our boat could accommodate eight people (maybe ten?), so it was a cozy experience. It was the first thing we did when we arrived in Oxford and it was a delight!

This was a nice float down the river, but not much more than that. I was looking forward to…read morelearning more about...anything really. The river itself, the wildlife, the connection to classic literary works, etc. Instead, the guide seemed to have limited information and only spoke about licensing on the river, the poor conditions of many of the boats, and the names of the colleges associated with the rowing houses (only some, though). He admitted hadn't been living there long and didn't know very much. He also let one group member dominate the trip, and spent most of the time answering his questions, which were completely unrelated to the river and really only related to himself. The trip started late because we were waiting for a group of seven, which was annoying. We had literally run from the train station to be there on time. The tour therefore felt rushed and still got back late, which made us late for our next event. Overall, I would not recommend as it is not worth the cost.

I did the Stonehenge, Windsor castle and Oxford tour. James my was my tour guide and he was…read moreabsolutely amazing. It was an affordable option with great care. I highly recommend trying them!

We did the Warner Brothers Studio Harry Potter tour and had a terrible experience--zero stars! We…read morewere among the first on the bus and were told to sit upstairs, even though we were the first pickup and others who boarded later at the second stop got to stay downstairs. The upper level felt like an oven with no air, despite it not being a particularly hot day. Everyone was trying to adjust the vents, and one woman even went down to tell the tour guide it was hot. He came up and agreed, but nothing changed. They were incredibly unorganized, holding us up at the second stop while figuring out where to seat people. I think they even split up a parent and child behind us because when they were making people change seats, I heard a lady say "she's only 6 years old!". Why not just assign seats??? We left late, and the guide assured us they'd adjust our return time, but they certainly did NOT. Instead of the advertised four hours at the studio, we got off the bus at 2:50 and had to be back by 6:20, losing a full 30 minutes. They took forever letting people off the bus, letting the group that came on 2nd get off first, while we sweated upstairs. When I got off and complained about the heat and the time, the male tour guide was very rude, sarcastically telling me to "come back after four hours," implying we'd be left behind. I mentioned that the lady tour guide made an announcement saying "don't worry, your time will be adjusted so you will have the 4 full hours", and she said, "the time has passed". I have no idea what that means. The male tour guide denied it was hot, claiming some people said it was cold. I seriously doubt that. Maybe it was cooler downstairs, but we baked upstairs. Cool air didn't start coming through until we were nearly at the studios. If you read older reviews, which i should have, you will see this is an ongoing problem with them. Because of the sweltering ride, my husband got car sick (which he never does) and couldn't do the tour, staying near the entrance to rest and drink water. I took my kids, including my adult son with autism, and we rushed through everything, worried we'd get stuck and miss the bus, giving us more stress he didn't need, If you love someone with autism, you know what I mean. The studio itself was awesome, what we got to see of it. Funny, on the way back the air conditioner suddenly started working so they made everyone suffer in the heat for nothing. All of a sudden, they were also able to open the sunroofs on the top of the bus to get air, and as they did, they were hitting tree branches and pieces of the trees were falling on people's heads that were sitting there. The driver drove like a maniac and stopped short several times. And to finish the lousy day off, the bus hit something and the side mirror broke, and we were dumped at the side of the road with no explanation to use upstairs, nowhere near where we were supposed to be let off, so we had to pay even more money on a cab to get back to our hotel. I suppose I should be happy that he didn't hit something closer to the studios, because I'm sure they would have dumped us there too without a care. Go with any other company or just go on your own. I wish we did. Stay away from this company!

A lovely way to spend an afternoon after a tour of the countryside as we had the wrong postcode. We…read morewere going to celebrate a friend's 70th birthday and were given the post code from website but this is the website for their office. We called and were given an alternative post code which took us to the centre of Evesham by the river. There is a small car park just at the edge of the park next to the river. We boarded the boat and greeted by the crew. It is a large barge with tables and seats for 24. Our party was 19 so we had the boat to ourselves. We had a quick safety briefing we set off. The skipper commentated as we cruised the Avon. We were served our food. There was a choice of fish & chips, chicken & chips & pie & chips which was preordered. I opted for fish & chips. It came in a box with mushy peas and there were sachets of tartare sauce on the table. The fish and chips were lovely with the scenery going past. We bought drinks at the bar they sold alcohol, soft drinks and hot drinks. £2 for a Coke and £2.10 for a J2O- I was drinking. £3.00 for a cuppa tea. The cruise last 2 hours and cost £16.50. It was a lovely few hours.