MBNA Thames Clipper with Emirates Air Line Review
Reviewed by David Savage
Me and my girlfriend have just returned from a few days in London, a well needed mini-break. I grew up in London and have seen most of the sights and attractions, such as the Tower of London, The London Eye and the other Merlin attractions on the South Bank, but my girlfriend has never visited our capital city and wanted to get the most from the visit and see as much as possible. One way to do this was to see it by river, so we booked tickets for the MBNA Thames Clipper and the Emirates Air Line cable car.
The MBNA Thames Clippers are the fastest way to travel on the River Thames through London. They are not a guided tour, more of a water taxi stopping at several points along the way. This is a great way to see some of London most famous Landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, The Shard, The O2, The Golden Hinde, St Paul’s Cathedral, House of Parliament and Big Ben (although Big Ben is covered in scaffolding at the moment) and loads more. You can travel from Putney to North Greenwich going via Battersea, Chelsea and Westminster among the stops.
There are several ticket options including single and return fares (cheapest way is with an Oyster card), and also hop on/off all day tickets. We had the hop on/off all day tickets, the River Roamer. This is definitely the best way to enjoy the Thames and the sights as you can get off at each place you want to visit, roam around and do your sightseeing and then jump back on the next clipper. With a price of £19 per adult (£16.30 if you have an Oyster card), £9.50 per child (£8.15 with Oyster) and £38 for a family ticket (£32.60 with Oyster) it is a very reasonably priced way to sightsee and travel quickly between landmarks (the MBNA Thames Clippers come along approximately every 20 minutes).
If you are making a day of it using the river, then the MBNA Thames Clippers have licensed on-board bars where you can buy tea, coffee, snacks or even a glass of wine or champagne.
With out ticket we also decided to use the Emirates Air Line – a cable car across the Thames. If buying with the MBNA Thames Clippers River Roamer the combined price is £23.10 per adult, booking online. This is a fantastic price for 2 sightseeing experiences on and over the River Thames.
The Emirates Air Line is in Greenwich, close to The O2 arena, and travels to the Royal Victoria Docks. It has magnificent views over the River Thames and on a clear day you can see for miles – you can see Canary Wharf, Container City II, Cutty Sark, ExCel London, Greenwich Peninsula, The Crystal, The O2, the Thames Barrier, City Airport, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Royal Observatory, SS Robin and lots more.
As long as the wind is too bad (it doesn’t run in high winds) it is a gentle flight across the Thames and is a very relaxing way to see the sights.
The MBNA Thames Clippers and the Emirates Air Line are the perfect to see the sights of London from near and far.
Rating: 5/5
For more information or to book tickets for the MBNA Thames Clippers or a combined ticket with the Emirates Air Line visit www.thamesclippers.com.
About MBNA Thames Clippers:
MBNA Thames Clippers is London’s leading river boat service, connecting many of the capital’s top attractions and providing passengers with the chance to take in the iconic London skyline from the river along the way. Tickets from Central London to Greenwich cost £6.50 for an adult single journey and £3.25 for a child single journey when using contactless or Oyster to pay as you go. Or, book a River Roamer ticket online to enjoy unlimited hop on, hop off travel all day from £16.30 for adults, £8.15 for children or £32.60 for a family. For more information, please visit www.mbnathamesclippers.com.
About the Emirates airline:
At just under 300ft, the Emirates Air Line cable car is the highest observation point over the Thames, spanning just over 1km across the River between the Greenwich Peninsula (near The O2) and the Royal Docks (near ExCeL London). Just 15 minutes from the city centre, the cable car is a must do leisure attraction among Londoners and tourists alike. Giving visitors a unique opportunity to experience the city’s iconic skyline as they sit back, relax and take in 360° aerial views of the capital. Just some of the sights and attractions that can be seen include Canary Wharf, St Paul’s Cathedral, historic Greenwich, the Shard, The O2, the Thames Barrier, Royal Docks and Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park. For more information please visit www.emiratesairline.co.uk.