So don't take our word for it, see what thousands of our customers are saying about us!
prettige medewerkers, goede instructie, prima boot.
13 Oct 2025
Folks were knowledgeable and helpful.
13 Oct 2025
A little bit old boat, but everything else from marina to staff and handover - just excellent.
12 Oct 2025
Excellent experience, very-very friendly and helpful staff, nice and well equipped boat. For sure will hire again, for sure from the ABC company.
12 Oct 2025
communication was timely and informative from everyone. boat was very clean, much appreciated, and well appointed
12 Oct 2025
our first trip, 4 days was perfect, weather was great, canal was great, people we met were very nice......our walks into towns were fun and people very welcoming and very helpful when we needed directions
12 Oct 2025
Arrived to a warm welcome nothing is too much trouble, helpful is the word. Made a long weekend was great with the family of four no problems with the boat it all went swimmingly 5 stars a brill weekend
11 Oct 2025
Thank you for your 5 star review from our Alvechurch Marina. We are thrilled you enjoyed your holiday with us and we hope to see you onboard in the near future.
12 Oct 2025
A month before our trip a lock had been fire damaged making it unusable unless booked with volunteers to get the boat through. We weren't informed about this until we arrived at Hilperton marina to take the boat, had we known we would have rearranged our holiday. Realising that we were less than happy, the manager at the marina spoke to the CRT who managed to arrange volunteers to get us through the lock towards Bristol on Monday morning and back on Thursday morning. However as the boat was due to be returned by 9am Friday morning we didn't have enough time to get it back. The manager suggested we have an extra day to get the boat back, we said we could organise things at home to make that work, but ABC refused, despite, presumably, the boat being available or the manager wouldn't have suggested it. As it only takes a day to get to Bath, and there is no point going any further if the lock to Bristol is unusable, we effectively paid for a very expensive floating apartment. ABC had three opportunities to show. at least a modicum, of customer service. Firstly by emailing us to let us, and other people hiring boats from Hilperton marina, to inform us of the situation. Secondly, since they failed to do that, supporting their manager's suggestion to allow us an extra day to get the boat back. Thirdly, when I made a complaint their response was that it wasn't their responsibility to inform us, they had provided a link to the CRT website at the bottom of the confirmation email. We'd booked the boat seventeen months prior to our holiday, and ABC had our money all that time, and as lay people we wouldn't know what we should be looking for on the CRT site, it certainly wouldn't occur to us that a lock would be burnt out. This could and should have been handled much better. It is very clear that once ABC have your money they have no interest in the success of your holiday, and take no responsibility for keeping you updated with anything which may affect your enjoyment.
11 Oct 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent experience at Hilperton Marina. At ABC Boat Hire, we are committed to supporting our customers and ensuring they have an enjoyable and memorable holiday. We completely understand your disappointment and appreciate the opportunity to clarify the situation. While we always do our best to help guests plan their cruising routes, we are unfortunately unable to guarantee specific itineraries. The UK canal network is owned and managed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT), who are responsible for carrying out essential maintenance and addressing operational issues as they arise to maintain the safety and integrity of the waterways. As a result, ABC Boat Hire cannot accept liability for any disruptions caused by CRT works or unforeseen closures. We do kindly remind customers that it is their responsibility to check for planned or current stoppages both before and during their trip. This information is available on the CRT website at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices. This guidance is also clearly outlined in Section 22 of our Terms and Conditions (“Acts Beyond the Parties’ Control”), which can be viewed at https://www.abcboathire.com/conditions-of-hire. In your particular case, the lock you mentioned was subject to restricted operating hours due to an unforeseen incident that occurred prior to your departure. Upon your arrival, our Marina Manager offered an optional one-night extension (with an additional hire charge) to allow for safe passage through the lock and completion of your intended route. We understand this option was declined. Our Marina Manager also contacted the Canal & River Trust directly to explore whether the lock could be opened earlier to accommodate your request but was advised this was not possible. Despite the restriction, there remained two scenic and enjoyable cruising routes available from Hilperton Marina: - Towards Bath and return - Towards Devizes Both routes provided excellent cruising experiences unaffected by the lock restriction. Our Booking Office Manager and Marina Manager responded promptly and worked within the circumstances to support your plans and offer suitable alternatives. We genuinely appreciate your understanding that, despite our best efforts, occasional disruptions can occur across the 16 marinas we operate. Please be assured that our team remains fully committed to assisting our customers and helping them make the most of their time on the water. ABC Boat Hire
13 Oct 2025
Due to a lock being impassable, and not being told about it before our holiday, our trip was severely curtailed and all the time spent researching and planning was wasted. Rather than travelling on the boat we had to spend most of the holiday moored up. Not what we planned, or paid for.
11 Oct 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent experience at Hilperton Marina. At ABC Boat Hire, we are committed to supporting our customers and ensuring they have an enjoyable and memorable holiday. We completely understand your disappointment and appreciate the opportunity to clarify the situation. While we always do our best to help guests plan their cruising routes, we are unfortunately unable to guarantee specific itineraries. The UK canal network is owned and managed by the Canal & River Trust (CRT), who are responsible for carrying out essential maintenance and addressing operational issues as they arise to maintain the safety and integrity of the waterways. As a result, ABC Boat Hire cannot accept liability for any disruptions caused by CRT works or unforeseen closures. We do kindly remind customers that it is their responsibility to check for planned or current stoppages both before and during their trip. This information is available on the CRT website at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices. This guidance is also clearly outlined in Section 22 of our Terms and Conditions (“Acts Beyond the Parties’ Control”), which can be viewed at https://www.abcboathire.com/conditions-of-hire. In your particular case, the lock you mentioned was subject to restricted operating hours due to an unforeseen incident that occurred prior to your departure. Upon your arrival, our Marina Manager offered an optional one-night extension (with an additional hire charge) to allow for safe passage through the lock and completion of your intended route. We understand this option was declined. Our Marina Manager also contacted the Canal & River Trust directly to explore whether the lock could be opened earlier to accommodate your request but was advised this was not possible. Despite the restriction, there remained two scenic and enjoyable cruising routes available from Hilperton Marina: - Towards Bath and return - Towards Devizes Both routes provided excellent cruising experiences unaffected by the lock restriction. Our Booking Office Manager and Marina Manager responded promptly and worked within the circumstances to support your plans and offer suitable alternatives. We genuinely appreciate your understanding that, despite our best efforts, occasional disruptions can occur across the 16 marinas we operate. Please be assured that our team remains fully committed to assisting our customers and helping them make the most of their time on the water. ABC Boat Hire
13 Oct 2025
It seems that everything flowed from unloading car with trolleys to & from the boat to briefing to office details all good apart from the weather raining on & off but that didn’t dampened the event
11 Oct 2025
Thank you for your 5 star review from our Alvechurch Marina. We are thrilled you enjoyed your holiday with us and we hope to see you onboard in the near future.
12 Oct 2025
Great trip just a couple of issues with the boat but the staff from the marina sorted these out very quickly
10 Oct 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We're so pleased to hear you had a great 4-night trip from Gailey to Stone and back, and that the boat met the needs of your group. We appreciate you mentioning the minor issues you experienced and we’re glad to hear our marina team were able to resolve them quickly for you. We hope to welcome you and your crew back again for another memorable trip soon!
12 Oct 2025
Had a lovely 4 night trip from Gailey to Stone and return. Boat was adequate for 6 ladies.
10 Oct 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We're so pleased to hear you had a great 4-night trip from Gailey to Stone and back, and that the boat met the needs of your group. We appreciate you mentioning the minor issues you experienced and we’re glad to hear our marina team were able to resolve them quickly for you. We hope to welcome you and your crew back again for another memorable trip soon!
12 Oct 2025
Excellent service and well organised and competitive prices
10 Oct 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience. We hope to welcome you and your crew back again for another memorable trip soon!
12 Oct 2025
Well organised and a very helpful team to deal with !
10 Oct 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience. We hope to welcome you and your crew back again for another memorable trip soon!
12 Oct 2025
Very freindly staff, and good instruction, will definately go again as have done for the last 6years
09 Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words and for being such a loyal customer over the past six years. We're delighted to hear that your group has such a great time year after year, and that our staff, instruction, and well-equipped boats continue to meet your expectations. It’s always a pleasure to welcome returning customers. We look forward to seeing you again next year for another memorable trip.
12 Oct 2025
