We regularly book with Le Boat, usually from Benson on the River Thames. The booking staff are brilliant and it is so easy to speak with someone. They understand our needs and are extremely helpful. T... See more
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Review summary
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Reviews shaping this summary
A fabulous week in the Aquitaine region of France. The Le Boat team Jamie, Veronique, Magda, Sebastian, Juan to name some in a great team at Le Mas D’Agenais were the best right from day one through... See more
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We had a fabulous trip on the Rideau Canal. We picked up a horizon, three model and went north from Smith Falls to Ottawa and back. the boat was clean and relatively easy to operate. Had all of the b... See more
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Yes, navigating a boat through the canals of Belgium is an incredible adventure and well worth the time and money. But the people at the Nieuwpoort base truly made our journey exceptional. Bieke and M... See more
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Company details
- #1 of 2 best companies in Boat Hire Service
- #6 of 18 best companies in Self-Catering Accommodation
- #14 of 32 best companies in Vacation rental
Written by the company
Le Boat are world leaders in river & canal boat hire in the UK, Ireland, Europe & Canada. Find out more about 'self-drive' boating vacations.
Contact info
Platinum House, St. Marks Hill, KT6 4BH, Surbiton, United Kingdom
- www.leboat.com
4.7
Excellent
2k reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 95% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 24 hours
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Looking forward to making memories.
The experience was made great by the easy accessible website as well as the booking process. I also found that I needed some more details and contacted the office where they were quick to answer my call and we’re able to find my booking very easily so no hassle looking forward to making memories on our trip next year.
7 December 2025
Reply from Le Boat
Thank you very much for your lovely review — and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.
We’re delighted to hear that you found our website easy to use and that the booking process was smooth and accessible. It’s also wonderful to know that when you needed a few more details, our team was able to assist quickly and locate your booking without any hassle.
Providing helpful and reassuring support from the very beginning is an important part of delivering memorable Le Boat canal boat holidays, and we’re so pleased your experience so far has been a positive one.
We wish you a fantastic trip next year and hope you make many unforgettable memories on the water. We’d love to hear all about it once you return!
Warm regards,
Colin from Le Boat
Friendly and enthusiastic staff who are…
Friendly and enthusiastic staff who are well informed and extremely helpful
4 December 2025
Reply from Le Boat
Thank you very much for your kind review — and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.
We’re delighted to hear that you found our team friendly, enthusiastic and so helpful. Providing well-informed support from the very beginning is an important part of delivering exceptional Le Boat canal boat holidays, and it’s wonderful to know our staff made such a positive impression.
We wish you a fantastic trip ahead and hope you have a truly memorable time on the water. We’d love to hear all about your experience once you return.
Warm regards,
Colin from Le Boat
Decent boats and decent prices
Decent boats and decent prices. The checking in was very late in the day and so confused. Good induction process, but too protracted, so they have the greatest excuse to hold you over night without leaving the marina.
The hand over/ checkout is very early in the morning, so you'll basically lose one rental day.
Yhey also hit you with heft EXTRAS, prepaid fuel, insurance waiver etc
26 June 2025
Reply from Le Boat
Thank you very much for your review — and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.
We’re pleased to hear that you found our boats and pricing to be good overall, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on the check-in and check-out experience.
We understand how disappointing it can feel if check-in takes longer than expected, especially when you are eager to begin your holiday. Our induction process is designed to ensure that all guests feel safe, confident and fully prepared before setting off, but we recognise that it should also be as smooth and efficient as possible.
We also appreciate your comments regarding departure and return timings, as well as the additional costs such as fuel, damage waivers or optional extras. We do our best to communicate these charges clearly during the booking process, but we’re sorry if they were not fully clear or came as an unexpected surprise ahead of your trip.
Thank you again for your honest feedback — it helps us continue improving the overall experience of our Le Boat canal boat holidays. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future.
Warm regards,
Colin from Le Boat
Personal touch that I received from the…
Personal touch that I received from the le boat sales team exceeded my expectations
26 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Thank you very much for your kind review — and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.
We’re delighted to hear that the personal touch you received from our sales team exceeded your expectations. Providing attentive, knowledgeable support from the very first enquiry is an important part of delivering exceptional Le Boat canal boat holidays, and it’s wonderful to know that this made a positive impression.
We wish you a fantastic trip ahead and hope your time on the water lives up to the excellent start. We’d love to hear all about your experience once you return.
Warm regards,
Colin from Le Boat
First class service as always
First class service as always . Quoted and booked in 24 hours. Looking forward to another great couple of weeks on the Canal du MIDI, Thanks again to Gemma.
22 November 2025
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Brian,
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that the booking process was smooth and that Gemma was able to assist you so quickly. It’s fantastic that you’re already looking forward to another great couple of weeks on the Canal du Midi — we can’t wait to welcome you back!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
The Best Trip!!
This was quite possibly the best trip ever, we had fun sailing the boat, it was super easy to do and a really enjoyable experience. We went up the caledonia canal in scotland, absolutely stunning. I look forward to the next one!
11 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Julie,
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that your trip along the Caledonian Canal was one of your best ever. It’s wonderful that you found the boat easy to handle and the experience so enjoyable — Scotland truly is stunning from the water.
We’re already looking forward to welcoming you back for your next adventure!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
What an experience! Fantastic!!
We hired a boat for the Caledonia Canals in the Scottish Highlands, and what can I say... The boat was spacious, comfortable and super easy to sail. The views were stunning and absolutely look forward to the next time!!
11 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Scott,
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience! We’re so pleased to hear that your Caledonian Canal adventure was everything you hoped for — from the comfort and ease of the boat to those breathtaking Highland views.
It’s wonderful to know you’re already looking forward to your next trip. We can’t wait to welcome you back aboard!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
Leboat benson.
Leboat benson. Picked up the boat in August from Benson set up on the cruise all seemed okay 24 hours into the cruise had to return to Benson for some issues which we assumed they're corrected. Affair the 24 hours into the cruise we had to stop the boat as we had a major issue with damp. We took the boat back two and a half days early. The boat clearly had not been checked properly, Benson were useless. It has taken is eight weeks the sort this out with the boat in France has Benson did not washed there hand of it. Would I use the boat again no never
18 August 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Guest,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m truly sorry for the issues you faced during your cruise from Benson. Having to return twice and end your trip early because of damp and technical problems is understandably frustrating, and this is not the level of preparation or support you should have received.
Your feedback is important, and we’re reviewing what went wrong so we can prevent this from happening again. I’m also sorry for the time it took to get the situation sorted.
If you’re open to it, please get in touch with our team at customerservice@leboat.com
so we can close this properly with you. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
Best Regards
Customer Service Team
The personal connection with Alejandra…
The personal connection with Alejandra made our booking very easy. She was able to answer all of our questions. We have 3 couples from different parts of the country signing up fpr the trip and she made it easy for everyone
8 November 2025
Reply from Le Boat
Dear James,
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're so glad to hear that Alejandra made the booking process smooth and stress-free for you and your group. Coordinating three couples from different parts of the country can be a challenge, and it’s great to know she made everything easy for everyone.
We truly appreciate you choosing Le Boat and can’t wait to welcome you all on board!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
Very personal attention from Le Boat.
Very personal attention from Le Boat to ensure we got the boat and the holiday we were looking for.
22 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Nigel,
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that our team’s personalised support helped you find the perfect boat and holiday experience. It’s wonderful to know we met your expectations.
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
This was our 3rd trip with LeBoat..
This was our 3rd trip with LeBoat... Our first was Canal Du Midi about 20 years ago, then Venice about 12 years ago.... We decided to do Canal Du Midi again in Sept of 2025. We were taking friends so decided to get a comfort plus boat. As it turned out, the boat had no generator (as promised in the description) and the A/C did not work in the aft cabin..the slide bolts that held the hatches open were misaligned and ineffective, the water gauge did not work... all of this we found after we left the first port. We reported it in the next port (Homps) but they told us everything was fine and they ignored further protests. We decided to just make the best of it and finish the trip (which we did).
Most of the boats in their fleet are in terrible shape. Some are incredibly bad... I am not sure that paying more for an upgraded boat gets you anything other than a bigger bill.
Canal du Midi used to be shaded by thousands of Sycamore trees.. there were so many places to tie up... but... a blight has killed the trees and grass has grown on the banks so it is treacherous to get off of the boat to tie up.
There are also hundreds of derelict boats tied up alone the few decent docking stretches.. many burned up.
It's quite sad.
The towns and people are lovely... we do love rural France... But Le Boat was pretty bad.
6 September 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Hi Mary,
We’re truly sorry to hear about your recent experience and that your third journey with Le Boat didn’t meet your expectations. We’ve reviewed your complaint with our customer service team and issued a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill. It’s always disappointing for us when a returning guest leaves unsatisfied — especially someone who has shared so many memories with us over the years.
Thank you for your honesty and for giving us the chance to improve. We do hope you’ll remember the good moments on the Canal du Midi and that we may one day have the opportunity to welcome you back under better circumstances.
Warm regards,
The Le Boat Team
Our go to for family river holidays
Have used them many times as a family. They are friendly, helpful and very organised. we have only ever had good experiences when boating with them.
1 July 2025
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Alan,
Thank you for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that Le Boat continues to be your go-to for family river holidays and that every experience has been positive. We look forward to welcoming you on board again soon!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
Fantastic Weekend Boating from Nieuwpoort!
We had a wonderful 3-day trip with Le Boat from Nieuwpoort to Brugge and back. The team at the Nieuwpoort base, Bieke, Stephanie, and the mechanic, were outstanding! They prepared the boat perfectly, surprised us with a lovely welcome gift of local Belgian beers, and showed complete flexibility around our arrival and departure times.
Their guidance was excellent: clear boating instructions, navigation maps, and great local tips for attractions, moorings, and restaurants. They remained available throughout the weekend and always went out of their way to help.
The base itself is well maintained, with free parking and everything you need for a smooth start. Thanks to the whole team for making our trip so easy and memorable. Highly recommended!
10 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Sergej,
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience! We’re thrilled to hear that the Nieuwpoort team—Bieke, Stephanie, and the mechanic—made your weekend so memorable with their guidance, flexibility, and thoughtful touches. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the boating, local tips, and the smooth start at the base.
We look forward to welcoming you on another Le Boat adventure soon!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
Great autumn break for the family
Great autumn break for the family. Any concerns about boating in October fell away with the cosy boat, peaceful waterways and beautiful views. We had some lovely sunny days too! A real tonic away from life in the city.
17 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Annabel,
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that your autumn break was so relaxing and enjoyable, and that the cosy boat and peaceful waterways provided the perfect escape from city life. Sunny days and beautiful views are definitely the icing on the cake!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Delia,
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear you had a positive experience with our telephone communication. Clear and helpful support is always our goal.
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
Fantastic company/team/way to holiday!
From start to finish the LeBoat team was fantastic. They provided a wealth of information when doing our research, then during the booking process, and after booked when we had additional questions and special request. Everyone on the team was so pleasant and helpful, they couldn't do enough for us. I haven't had service like this in years, amazing! If you have ever thought of doing this for a holiday, do it! It's so easy to operate the boat and it's a great way to vacation with family and friends.
10 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Dan,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that the entire Le Boat team made your holiday seamless and enjoyable from start to finish. It’s fantastic to know you found our boats easy to operate and your experience with family and friends so memorable. Your kind words mean a lot to us!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
October Multi family Cruise on Caledonian Canal
Boat was great for a mixed generation and multi family group - and location was awesome - lots to do and lots of fund to had on and off the boat - even in October when the weather was a bit cold and lots of places closing down for the season. Also - Price in October was awesome!
20 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Tim,
Thank you for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that your multi-family group enjoyed the Caledonian Canal, both on and off the boat, despite the cooler October weather. It’s great to know you found the location fun and the seasonal pricing a bonus.
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
Another lovely tripon The Shannon
From when we arrived at Emerald Star in Portumna (again), we were met with a warm and friendly welcome at reception that immediately set the tone for our holiday. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful or accommodating ( as always).
The boat training was excellen and confidenc inspiring. The instructors were not only knowledgeable but also genuinely enthusiastic about boating and the Shannon, sharing great tips and local insights that made our trip even more enjoyable.
Our boat was spotless and beautifully maintained, reflecting the team’s pride and attention to detail. Everything worked perfectly, and it was clear that cleanliness and safety are top priorities for Emerald Star.
Overall, the entire experience was seamless and memorable. A huge thank you to all the team at Portumna for making our time on the Shannon so special.
10 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Dear Lee,
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We’re thrilled to hear that the Portumna team made you feel so welcome and confident from the very start. It’s fantastic that the boat training, local insights, and spotless boat all contributed to a seamless and memorable trip on the Shannon.
We’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to the team—they’ll be delighted!
Warm regards,
Catherine
Le Boat
The Venice lagoon is special
The Venice lagoon is something else! This was our fourth Le Boat holiday and sailing the lagoon is so different from the previous rivers and canals! Only one lock but very different moorings on huge poles. The Le Boat team (Houseboat Italia) was really good, the boat was in tip top condition but it was the whole Venice lagoon experience that was so amazing, navigating along the briccola channels, visiting so many amazing islands, seeing a dolphin and enjoying all the hospitality of the Veneto region.
13 September 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Thank you very much for your wonderful review — and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.
We’re delighted to hear that your fourth trip with us was such a memorable one. The Venice Lagoon really is something special, and it’s fantastic to know you enjoyed the unique experience of navigating the briccola channels and mooring among the lagoon’s distinctive poles — so different from traditional rivers and canals.
We’re also pleased that the Houseboat Italia team and the condition of your boat met your expectations. It’s experiences like this that make our Le Boat canal boat holidays so varied and inspiring, from inland waterways to the truly unique setting of the Venetian lagoon.
Seeing dolphins, exploring beautiful islands and enjoying the hospitality of the Veneto region — what an incredible adventure.
We look forward to welcoming you back on board for your fifth trip!
Warm regards,
Colin from Le Boat
BEST ON-THE-GO STAYCATION EXPERIENCE EVER!
The staff at Le Boat Chertsey were top clasd! The training received from Enzo was brilliant- informative and reassured us. The hospitality of Anti is one not to forget we were running an hour late when we arrived at check in and still welcomed us with a smile. Le Boat can be quite spenny but when you have a reliable team, beautiful boats to choose from and stunning routes set up for you the money was worth every spend!
22 October 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Le Boat
Thank you so much for your fantastic review — and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding.
We’re absolutely thrilled to hear that your Chertsey trip was your “best on-the-go staycation experience ever”! It’s wonderful to know that Enzo’s training left you feeling informed and reassured, and that Anti’s warm welcome made such a positive impression — even with a slightly later arrival. We’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to them both.
We truly appreciate your honest comment about pricing, and we’re so pleased you felt the experience, the boats and the beautiful routes made it worthwhile. Delivering memorable and high-quality Le Boat canal boat holidays here in the UK is exactly what we aim to do.
We hope to welcome you back on board again very soon for another unforgettable adventure.
Warm regards,
Colin from Le Boat
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