Review: London Eye

See London from a different point of view

The London Eye is one of the most famous and unique attractions in the capital. It stands 443 feet tall and when it was built, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. On clear days, you can see around 25 miles from the top, and with half an hour before you reach the ground again, there’s plenty of time to take in everything.

My experience

The Eye is one of my personal favourite things to do in London. The queues can be annoying, around half an hour on a sunny day, but it’s worth it once you actually make it onto the ride. The capsules keep moving as you step onto them, making it feel a little as though you’re stepping onto a ship – or a spaceship!

The wheel moves fairly slowly, so it takes a while to get up and over the river. I usually spend the first five minutes or so wandering round irritating the other people in my capsule – there’s about twenty-five people to a pod, so you won’t know everyone.

Once you start to get a bit higher, the fun really begins. For a while you’ll be too distracted giggling at the way everyone’s turning Barbie-sized to actually take in the view, but once you notice it, you won’t be able to look away. The River Thames turns from muddy brown into a sparkling line of water that makes you want to swim in it.

The thing I always like best is coming up to eye level with the clock on Big Ben, then going up past it – once you’re above the Houses of Parliament, you know you’re going places!

You can see the London skyline stretching out in every direction, and if you’re well acquainted with the city or taking a ride with someone who is, you’ll be able to distinguish the features that mark the different areas – look out for the cranes around Canary Wharf, tower block upon tower block towards the east, and the old buildings around Bank.

At the very topmost point of the ride, you can actually end up in the clouds, which is wildly exciting for almost exactly the length of time it takes to start coming back down. The second of half of the Eye is always slightly less fun than the ascent, but it’s still nice to watch everything coming back towards you and people starting to look human-size again. Getting off is as disconcerting as getting on – prepare to feel wobbly when on land!

The London Eye is definitely worth a visit while you’re here. There’s no other way you’ll be able to experience London in such an original and unique way – and you’ll be able to say you’ve ridden the world’s (ex) largest wheel!

Directions

The Eye is located just a few minutes’ out of Waterloo station on the Northern, Jubilee and Bakerloo lines – it’s well signposted, so just follow the directions.

Hot tip

Whatever you do, don’t forget to bring your camera. Although the glass walls of the pods can make it tricky to get a good picture, it’s great to get a permanent reminder of the trip.

If it’s a sunny day – try and make sure it is, as this will give you the best views – take a bottle of water or something else to drink with you. The glass again, effectively putting you under an enormous microscope.

More info

Go to http://www.londoneye.com/ to see their official website.

Opening times:

May and June: 10.00am – 9.00pm daily

July and August: 10.00am – 9.30pm daily

September: 10.00am – 9.00pm daily

October to April: daily 10.00am – 8.00pm

Prices (tickets available at the Travelshop):

Adult: £17.00

Child (4 – 15 yrs): £8.50

Senior/disabled: £8.50

Fast track, no queues: £27.00

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