Tips for Riding the London Eye

View From the London Eye

The London Eye is one of the most popular things to do in London, even for people who live in this great city. The Eye dominates the city landscape opposite the towers of Westminster and Big Ben and the views when riding the Eye are spectacular.

Here are a few tips on how to maximize your experience.

1) Book online

Booking ahead saves you both time and money. You can get anywhere from a 10% to a 30% discount depending on what sort of ticket you buy and you’ll save the half an hour wait in the ticket queue. The only downside is that you can’t predict the weather in advance, so you might end up riding on one of those misty London days. You’ll still get to see a lot though.

2) Combination Ticket

You can buy tickets which combine a London Eye ride with Madame Tussauds, the SeaLife London Aquarium, the London Dungeon or even a River Thames sightseeing cruise. The cruise needs to be taken at a time you choose when booking, but the other combination tickets are valid for a month after your London Eye date.

3) Time of Day

Some people like to take the London Eye trip during the day so they can see across the whole of London, others like to ride at night when the lights of London twinkle and you can see the bridges lighting up the Thames, Big Ben’s glowing clock and the colored spires of the BT Tower and the Oxo Tower. If you time it just right you can spend your half hour on the Eye getting the best of both worlds as the sun goes down and the lights come on.

4) Map

The London Eye operators provide some information about what you’re looking at across the city, but to maximize the experience bring your own map.

5) Special Experiences

If it’s a special occasion or you just feel like royalty, book for the special Champagne Experience and be served a glass of bubbly while you view London. You can buy a second glass but you would need to do so in advance. If it’s a really special moment, you can even book a private champagne capsule to travel in. They also do children’s parties complete with a cake (although not during the Olympics).

- Philippa Burne

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