It's been a long time since I've been here, but I know I always get good advice here.

My husband and I are experienced, independent world travelers (maybe 30 to 40 countries) who live in the US. But, in all that traveling, we've never visited England. We are now looking at a last minute, week-long, self-drive boat trip in England in the first half of October--basically between the Oxford and Kingston areas, with leBoat bases at Benson and Chertsey. https://www.leboat.com/boating-vacations/england/thames

Three years ago we did a self-drive canal boat trip on the Garonne in southern France. Our experiences on that boat trip were mixed, and I wrote a long trip report on the experience. After that trip we decided if we were to ever try another trip of this sort, we'd be looking for a trip on a more interesting and meandering real river (rather than a canal) and would want a trip where there would be interesting places to stop and visit along the way. We spend plenty of time on a boat out in the rural countryside, so a purely bucolic experience of being on a boat is not our aim.

This is with leBoat (they seem to be the only game in town) who we used last time and were not super impressed with the quality or maintenance of their boats. Their brochure makes it sound as though this would be a very interesting portion of the river to go through with easy access from the river to interesting places to stop and visit. The Benson end of the river is supposedly more rural and offers access to Oxford, Reading & Henley. The Chertsey end of the river is supposedly more mansions to see along the river along with more towns. Their brochure gives tips on where to moor to visit various sites and the logistics of getting to the site.

Those of you who know this area, could this be an interesting trip or is it total marketing hype? Would we be fools to do this in early October? Are we wearing rose colored glasses because we have we watched too many period dramas where the royal barges go along the Thames? If we were to do this, do you have favorite places along the way you could recommend? We are experienced boaters and own boats, so navigation and boat operation is not my concern. All thoughts and comments are appreciated. Thanks much.

I do not know the vendor -- but just re my own experience: Once many years ago me, my ex, and our Scottie and Airedale spent a week self driving a cabin cruiser through the same stretch of the Thames and LOVED it. Absolutely everything. The locks and scenery and serenity and being able to dock in riverside villages. We collected the boat in Abingdon and went almost s far as Windsor and then back. Yes you can tie up in several towns and villages and explore lots of places within walking distance.

October would put me off and I've dodged the le boat bullet by using other suppliers in Europe.

Go south in October

I didn't see the 'October' bit. That would be AWFULY late in the season IMO. May, June, Early July, or maybe early September -- but October you'd have to be very lucky weather-wise.

Thanks so much to all of you! It sounds as though this could be very interesting if it weren't October. In addition to the weather issue, I am supposing another strike against the idea is that it starts to get dark about 6:00 or so.

Guess it is time to start thinking about other options for an October trip. Now at least I know if we would want to do this at some other time of the year it could be a good experience.

Can't see the issue with October, it can be and usually is a mild month, it's the 1st half of the month. The trees and the river are beautiful at this time. The clocks don't change until the end of October, starts getting dark at 6.30pm at the start of October getting darker earlier and earlier as the month progresses. May & June were really cold this year. Dark evenings means you go to the pub.
There are lots of boat rental companies, stretching from Kingston along the Dittons to Walton, Shepperton, Sunbury, Chertsey etc, and further along in Windsor, Maidenhead and beyond available for day rentals, less options for renting cabin cruisers for longer trips.

Odin, as we Brits say "there is no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes", you may get lucky with great weather and or you might not, personally, I'd not risk it and would rather be on the Canal du Midi in October

Agree. The canals and rivers can be joyous in warm sunny weather but dreadfully damp and miserable when it's gloomy and cold. In more recent years, there have been some glorious "summer" days in Oct but it's certainly not the norm.

Odin - IF one lived in the UK and could cancel and stay home in foul weather -- sure. But to plan an expensive transatlantic, boat-based trip in October could be a huge waste

The Canal du Midi suffered severe flooding last October.

Odin, I know I was cycling beside it. Welcome to climate change

Having done some Welsh canals with my kids in a narrow boat in early September, a number of years ago, I can second Heimdall's feelings. It rained a chilly rain every day save one during the week, and even my boys got fed up cranking the lock gates while soaked. At least in France the locks are almost all automatic and that makes things much easier and drier.

Nukesafe, good point about rain, as it is doing right now here in Suffolk. Were you able to dry off your clothes on the boat, or were you damp the whole time?