Forget the river buses. If you want some excitement on the Thames – the kind that 007 himself would encourage – step aboard the RIB. This ‘rigid inflatable boat’ will have you hurtling up and down the river in no time with 740 horse power behind you and ‘V8’ twin turbo thrust. No, we don’t know what that means either, but we do know that the RIB can do speeds of up to 30 knots (roughly 35 mph). It’s a pure adrenaline experience.
Journeys range from 20-minute blasts to a full 75 minutes. The former either takes you from Tower Milenium Pier past The Shard, Tower of London and HMS Belfast or from The O2 Arena past the Thames Flood Barrier and Greenwich. The longest trip includes the lot. It truly is the quickest, most thrilling way to travel the Thames.
Life jackets and waterproof clothing is provided, and all ages are welcome, but there is have a minimum weight requirement of three stones (15kg).