Catching a riverboat along the Thames has to be up there as one of the loveliest things that you can do, so it is strange that so many tourists do it, yet so few locals.
I had been one of those people until recently. Then, one summer, my brother came back to visit from California, it had been so long since he had been in London or near Hampton Court Palace that he saw it like a tourist. Leaving Kingston one day we spotted Turk Launches which have a series of riverboats - they wouldn't look out of place steaming through Mississippi - and decided to hop on back to Hampton Court.
The journey only took half an hour but it was lovely. We sat outside on the open deck and watched the scenery of Hampton Court Palace gardens pass as by as we chugged along. It was £4.50 one way which I thought was reasonable - after all, a ticket on the bus is half that, and this is a much more idyllic way to travel.
Unfortunately, this ride only operates from April to September, so if you are in the area then I would suggest you hop on and see another side to the Thames. read more