Reviews

We went as a family (11 of us plus 3 dogs!) on a 2 hour boat trip to celebrate Paddy’s (Grandpa’s) 75th Birthday. We were given brilliant instruction about the hire, the parking and gate code, the person who would welcome us and even places we could book for Birthday lunch afterwards. The safety talk was clear and very helpful. Our outing was a fabulous success; great fun and full of laughter. Our 2 hours just flew by! The stretch of river is stunningly beautiful as were the wild fowl we shared it with. Thank you Cotswold Boat Hire. Brilliant treat🙏😍

Amazing experience from start to finish with Cotswold Boat hire. My initial email to Shirley was promptly answered and she went out of her way to make sure our booking was secured and we had all the information we needed. We arrived on the morning of the hire to meet with polite and friendly staff who showed us the ropes of the boat. Everything was explained and there was information on board the boat should we have needed it. A wonderful day going up and down the river in the Dawn Walker. I would wholly recommend this company.

Perfect day out. My family and I recently hired a boat from Cotswold Boat Hire and found the whole experience value for money. The route was so pretty and the boat clean. We would have no hesitation in recommending this company. Thank you.

Had a great time on our boat we hired out for half a day! Such lovely friendly staff and owners. We definately be going again

Booking was easy online and email confirmation provided us with loads of really helpful and essential guidance and links in advance. Nikita and Dan greeted us and gave us our briefing on the day. Gave us great advice about our route and off we went. We were complete novices but managed quite well. The locks are a bit scary but lots of people around to guide us, but be prepared to manage the locks yourself. If we went again we would be a lot more confident now we have had a go. Do book a whole day so you can really enjoy your time. We saw lots of wildlife including Kingfishers.

We had s great day out up and down the canal, it was a beautiful stretch and the boat was superb and easy to drive. Life jackets were provided for the little ones and the staff were really friendly, a special mention for Lewis who we spent a little time talking to and was a lovely chap. Would highly recommend and will be back for sure.

I had a fantastic experience with Cotswold Boat Hire. The boats were well-maintained and easy to operate, making for a smooth and enjoyable trip along the Thames. The staff were friendly and provided clear instructions. The scenery was beautiful, and it was a perfect way to spend a sunny day. Highly recommend for anyone looking to explore the Cotswolds from a unique perspective.

Superb experience! Excellent customer service, booked direct over the phone less than an hours notice. Upgraded to a larger boat to ensure we had a comfortable time. Easy instructions on how to use the boat, given a brief safety briefing and told to enjoy ourselves. 🙂 Beautiful location down the river, even had a fly over from the local armed forces which made our day after seeing some of the local wildlife too

Avalon V...we love you! We have just got back today from a four night cruise on the Thames. Avalon may not have youth on her side but she makes up for that with charm and character. I must say I think Cotswold Boat Hire are under selling this little (big) gem! There were two adults and two 16 year old boys on our trip...and a dog. The double cabin at the rear was comfortable enough and had plenty of storage space. Adjacent to this was the rear toilet and shower which again was more than satisfactory. The kitchen is superbly kitted out with a large, split fridge freezer and full size sink and drainer. The gas oven with a four burner hob was great and there were more than enough pots and pans, cutlery and utensils (maybe a Cafetiere would be a good idea but we took our own). There was also a washing sponge, tea towel and washing up liquid. The lounge area is spacious and has more storage space. The mechanism for opening and closing the roof is a good daily workout (in addition to the locks) however simple enough to operate. One of the cupboards has a tv with aerial and a cigarette lighter thingy to plug a normal plug into...sorry, couldn't find the words. All the power on the boat is through this method so don't be thinking you'll be charging a laptop and a handful of mobiles whilst watching tv....we did none of this and the escapism was really nice however there is mobile / 4G reception on 90% of the river. There is also a DAB radio with desktop speakers and the reception was great...cant get Absolute 80's out of our heads (showing our age). The front bedroom is deceptively spacious and was more than big enough for the two 5'10" teens. This again had loads of storage and a toilet / shower room en suite. We travelled from Lechlade to Oxford and back, mooring up at The New Inn, Lechlade on our last night which is just beyond the Trout turn and through one more lock. We found the whole experience exhilarating and the vast majority of people we met on our travels were really friendly and offered us novices a helping hand and advice when needed. At least 50% of the locks we went through were manned and the assistance they give is brilliant eg. How to throw a rope properly when mooring etc. Some of the locks are electronic (only two I think before oxford) and whilst much easier to operate do not have the charm of the older ones but sometimes it's a welcome break. All in all this was a break that we will never forget and we hope to be back again next year. Thank you Avalon and Cotswold Boat Hire!