London Eye
Oct 1, 2006, 2:49 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,527
Originally Posted by RichardInSF
I have a better alternative: pay me a small fee and I'll let you use my name with the security guard at the V&A and Tate so you can get in for free. Works at the British Museum too! ^ ^
Oct 5, 2006, 11:07 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 612
In the summer, book ahead!
We went at the end of May and booked ahead with a guide, it was only like a couple of dollars more than regular and it was just amazing. We arrive right at the appointed time and were taken into a waiting room where everyone in our capsule gathered, took about two minutes and then we went out and went to the front of the enormous line, hopped on straightaway and had the guide pointing our various things and taking our pictures and stuff like that. It was just splendid, the most perfect way to do it. I can't imagine having to have waiting in that line which would have taken hours. As it was it was a fantastic experience, with that sort of wait, not worth it.
Oct 6, 2006, 6:12 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
Programs: BA
Posts: 8,491
When the London Eye first opened (year 2000) and for a few years after that you really needed reservations for it.
In recent times the demand has tailed off. I suppose many people have done it now. The queueing area on the Waterloo station side of The Eye now seems unused. There might be some busy times but even this last summer people just seemed to be walking on.
In the current rainy season it seems sensible to wait until you know if you will see anything. As I write this the rain is torrenting down again and there wouldn't be much view at all (and the cars are not fitted with windscreen wipers ! ). This is always the problem with advance reservations on this sort of attraction.
Regarding the V&A, Tate, British Museum etc all the major national museums in London are FREE, courtesy of me the UK taxpayer. There are a range of sneaky, and sometimes it seems downright dishonest, attempts to get people to part with their money for admission, ranging from making the "voluntary donations" look like admission fees, or selling tickets for special exhibitions in part of the museum (which they are allowed to do) and pretending it's all part of the admission to the main museum.
In recent times the demand has tailed off. I suppose many people have done it now. The queueing area on the Waterloo station side of The Eye now seems unused. There might be some busy times but even this last summer people just seemed to be walking on.
In the current rainy season it seems sensible to wait until you know if you will see anything. As I write this the rain is torrenting down again and there wouldn't be much view at all (and the cars are not fitted with windscreen wipers ! ). This is always the problem with advance reservations on this sort of attraction.
Regarding the V&A, Tate, British Museum etc all the major national museums in London are FREE, courtesy of me the UK taxpayer. There are a range of sneaky, and sometimes it seems downright dishonest, attempts to get people to part with their money for admission, ranging from making the "voluntary donations" look like admission fees, or selling tickets for special exhibitions in part of the museum (which they are allowed to do) and pretending it's all part of the admission to the main museum.
Oct 6, 2006, 1:39 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LHR / BHX / MAN / ATL
Programs: DL DM 2MM - IHG Diamond
Posts: 4,054
Originally Posted by WHBM
Regarding the V&A, Tate, British Museum etc all the major national museums in London are FREE, courtesy of me the UK taxpayer.