Uber boat review: A fun, easy, affordable way to travel through London

My first mistake was assuming that uber boats are for tourists, I had never really taken the time to look into how they work and shrugged them off as an over-priced way to sight see.

But I could not have been more wrong.

Uber boats work like their own tube line, only instead of an underground train you are on a boat zooming along the river Thames.

Uber boat map (Image: Emma Fradgley)

It can take you from Barking Riverside through Woolwich, Royal Wharf, North Greenwich, Greenwich and numerous other stops through central London before finishing at Putney.

You can tap in and tap out just as you do on the bus without needing to waste time with a ticket machine.

Before trying it out for myself, I really had no idea how quick and convenient it was.

Uber boat (Image: Emma Fradgley)

They run every 20 minutes so it’s a reliable, regular form of transport and it’s much more affordable than you might think.

Like the underground, the price varies depending on which zones of London you are going through.

It can cost anywhere from £6.20 through to £18.60 if you go through all zones.

So, I hopped aboard the uber boat to make the quick journey from North Greenwich to Greenwich and to see what uber boats are all about.

When I got on, I was surprised to see quite how many seats there were, it almost felt like stepping into the Tardis.

View from the Uber boat (Image: Emma Fradgley)

The layout reminds me of a plane, with three columns of seats with aisles separating them.

It was very clean and looked after when I got on, something that definitely can’t be said for all forms of transport in London, so I bagged myself a window seat and waited for the boat to depart.

I had so much fun getting to see the sights without the fuss and expensive ticket price of a boat trip made for tourists.

View of the Cutty Sark from the Uber boat (Image: Newsquest)

I really like the fact you can hop on and hop off just by tapping in and out making it a flexible and easy way to travel.

There is even a bar on board if you fancy a tea, coffee or even a beer or glass of champagne.

If you would prefer to really immerse yourself in the boating experience, there are even seats outside where you can enjoy fresh air as the boat sweeps across the river.

It’s such a fun way to make your way through London, I really felt like a celebrity as I enjoyed my journey to Greenwich even though I was on the nautical version of the bus.

If you need to head over to west London but the thought of spending an hour on the train makes you feel somewhat nauseous, then I would 100% recommend jumping on an Uber boat instead, I for one am converted.