According to Ratty “there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”. Well, today we took Smallest Child on what I think is possibly her first boat trip, and the first one in ages for the boys. We were very kindly invited to review The Little Trip Boat Aylesbury, however they didn’t see the review prior to publication and had no input into its contents.
This review of The Little Trip Boat Aylesbury is based on our experiences at the time of our visit. Things can change over time, including the facilities available. If you have any specific requirements such as access it’s always best to check with the site directly before visiting. If anything I’ve said in this review is no longer accurate then please do let me know. Thank you.
The key details
The Little Trip Boat is based in the Aylesbury Canal basin, right next to the Waitrose front entrance. They do three trips per day; 11am, 1pm and 3pm and last for approx 90 minutes. All trips are weather dependent so iced-over canals or “it’s so hot we need to close the schools” might have an impact! They’re a really lovely duo though so I’m sure they’d be accommodating if that happened. The boat can have the sides on it so if it’s raining then you don’t have to get wet if you don’t want to.
There’s no age limits, but you’re on a boat in water so you will need to keep a close you on younger kids. Smallest Child is 5 and was absolutely fine, they mentioned that they’d had a 3 year old on recently.
The trip
The Little Trip Boat starts off at Aylesbury Canal basin (which I have to say is a significant improvement on what it used to look like 20-odd years ago!!). There’s a box of hats that the kids can dress up in if they wanted to. So Biggest Child is now captain of the ship!
It’s funny how whenever someone is on a boat pretty much everyone who walks past waves at you. But they all did. The route took us under a couple of bridges that have murals painted on them – and surprisingly they hadn’t been completely destroyed by tagging!
The locks
You’ll go through four locks during your trip. Again, there is something fascinating about a lock and each time we got to one people would stop and watch us go through it. I suppose it’s because it’s such a rare sight now.
Whilst we were going through the first lock Liz went through some of the history of the canals. Including the fact that we nearly lost all the canals in the mid 20th century, which would have been a real shame. My Dad has always (quite randomly) taught me a lot about canals so I was telling Smallest Child all about tow paths, locks and how you’d get through tunnels that didn’t have a tow path etc. The oldest ones already knew because I’d told them before. I was a bit surprised they didn’t cover this kind of thing in the chat, but that might have been because I’d already told the kids?
The best bit about the locks though is that on the way back we got to operate the lock for ourselves. Again, this is something I’ve done before, but not for a long time. The kids have never done it and thought it was great. It’s not hard, but it’s not something you do every day!
The mid-way point
Before we knew it we’d been on the boat for almost an hour and it was time to turn around and go home. The mid-way point is the new canal basin at Kingsbrook. This route doesn’t take you through beautiful countryside routes, but it does give you a different view of Aylesbury. It’s actually the same route I took on my canalside walk if you wanted to walk it instead. I was surprised how many people were walking along the route for mid-morning on a Sunday. Clearly it’s getting more and more popular.
Our The Little Trip Boat review
The Little Trip Boat Aylesbury is a really nice way to spend 90 minutes. It’s a little bit different and definitely something that you’ll remember. I think it’s also something that appeals across the generations, which isn’t something you can say about that many activities!
Admission cost
Hiring the boat for up to 6 people is £75, then it’s £12 per adult and £8 per child (up to a maximum of 12 people). You can also go in smaller groups on certain trips (£12 per adult, £8 per child), but you will be sharing with other people. All trips must be pre-booked either via their Facebook page or via 07939 331890.
Prices are correct at the time this review of the Little Trip Boat, Aylesbury was written. Please contact them directly for the latest prices and availability.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – use town centre car parks
Address – Aylesbury Canal Basin, Exchange Street, Aylesbury HP20 1UG
Toilets
Basic facilities on-board, but they do recommend you go before your trip
Food
You can take your own drinks and snacks with you.
What else is there to do nearby?
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook