London Eye
Things to Do in London
Meant to be more of a moving observation platform than a midway ride, the London Eye (aka the Millennium Wheel) is nonetheless a popular ride, hosting about 3.75 million visitors per annum. Located on the south shore of the Thames in the borough of Lambeth, it provides an excellent vantage point from which to view the city and understand its complex layout (regardless, later on the ground, you can still find many ways in which to get lost). It is the most popular attraction in the United Kingdom.
Eclipsed in height by London’s own commercial tower, The Shard, with its viewing platform on the 72nd storey, the Eye is still more favoured by tourists. Like a giant, spoked bicycle wheel (that lights up at night), the London Eye has 32 pods, or capsules, each sealed and air-conditioned, that carry a maximum of 25 passengers each; they are large enough that people can walk about, but seats are also provided.
The London Eye moves very slowly — 26 centimetres (10 inches) per second, such that it doesn’t need to stop to let passengers on and off. Other than sheer height, it has no sense of motion that might make riders queasy. The structure is 135 metres (443 feet) tall, and the wheel’s diameter is 120 metres (394 feet); it was only intended as a temporary attraction, but proved so popular, it has remained in use. To get there by tube, get off at the Waterloo Underground station.
Things to Do in London
London Eye
Meant to be more of a moving observation platform than a midway ride, the London Eye (aka the Millennium Wheel) is nonetheless a popular ride...
Tower of London
Few buildings in London, or for that matter in the world, can be truly called as multi-purpose as the Tower of London. Building began on...
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is assuredly one of the most famous buildings on the planet. London is rich with such places, but this one is special; we...
The British Museum
Do not attempt this in one day! A visit to The British Museum, the first (established 1753) and largest public museum of its kind in the...
Westminster Abbey
The formal name for this living, working, royal church is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster. It has been, since 1066 when its first...
Big Ben
The famous clock, wrongly (curiously) called Big Ben, affixed to the Elizabeth Tower at Westminster Palace, next to the British Houses of Parliament is a...
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is better than an affordable thing to see and do in London, it’s free! This large, 110 metres by 110 metres (360 feet) public square...
Globe Theatre
To rebuild or not to rebuild, that was the question. The answer? Get it done. Thanks largely to an initiative by American actor Sam Wanamaker...
The O2 Arena
The O2 is a large entertainment district located in the southeast sector of London, known as the Greenwich Peninsula. It has for years been fun-central...
Royal Albert Hall
Contrary to what the Beatles sing, the Royal Albert Hall is not filled with holes, just beautiful music. Guitarist Eric Clapton has played there so...
Things to Do in London
London, England. The words still evoke an era, probably the 1960s and 19670s of mods and rockers, Carnaby Street, youth culture, Princess Margaret, the Beatles...
Destinations to Discover
Most Amazing Festivals in the World
We humans work hard and when we play, we celebrate. The array and variety of amazing world festivals is an example of how lavishly we...
Canadas Most Scenic National Parks
From sea (Pacific) to sea (Atlantic) to sea (Arctic), every province and territory in Canada boasts designated national parks for visitors from around the world...
Incredible Must See Sacred Places
Where is your sacred place? What is a sacred place to you? For those of us living in modern times, a sacred place might literally...
Amazing U.S. National Parks
The United Sates of America is vast, and not only contiguous; it has offshore islands and territories in faraway locales. Its large northern peninsula, the...
Things to Do in New York City
New York City is an expensive place to live (it boasts the highest number of resident billionaires of all the cities on earth), with the...
Things to Do in Paris
What more can be written about Paris that has not already been scribed, spoken or filmed? It’s one of the foremost cities of the...
Things to Do in Athens
Athens, Greece, has been the city of cultural imagination and classical history for over three millennia. The largest city in Greece, Athens, the namesake of...
Things to Do in London
London, England. The words still evoke an era, probably the 1960s and 19670s of mods and rockers, Carnaby Street, youth culture, Princess Margaret, the Beatles...
Things to Do in Venice
In the global battle for most romantic city in the world, the Venice versus Paris finals often switch winners, but here at Affordable Travel, we...
Things to Do in Aruba
Part of the Netherlands Antilles group of Caribbean islands — the “A” in the “ABC” (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) — Aruba is surprisingly affordable. It lacks the...