Punting on the Cam

Punting on the River Cam is the defining Cambridge leisure activity. The flat-bottomed punts are propelled with a long pole pushed against the riverbed, and navigating them along the Backs past the college gardens and bridges is either meditative or humiliating depending on your proficiency. Hire companies operate from both ends of the college stretch — Scudamore's has the largest fleet, with departure points at Magdalene Bridge and Mill Lane.

You can hire self-drive punts by the hour (approximately £25–30 for up to four people) or take a guided chauffeur punt (approximately £20–25 per person for a 45-minute tour). For independent exploration, the upstream route to Grantchester takes about 90 minutes each way and is quieter and more rural than the Backs. Punting is available from mid-March to late October; summer weekends are busy.

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A story
Punting looks easy. It is not. The pole catches on the bottom and refuses to come out; the boat spins sideways; the pole remains stuck in the riverbed while the punt drifts away from it. This happens to almost every first-timer. A chauffeur-punted tour will spare you the embarrassment and give you a knowledgeable guide; a self-hired punt will give you a story to tell.

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