London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [92]
Thames River.
The twists and turns of the Thames River through the heart of the capital make it London’s best thoroughfare and most compelling viewing point. Once famous for sludge, silt, and sewage, the Thames is now the one of the cleanest city rivers in the world. Every palace, church, theater, wharf, museum, and pub along the bank has a tale to tell, and traveling on or alongside the river is one of the best ways to soak up views of the city.
“On the smallest pretext of holiday or fine weather the mighty population takes to the boats,” wrote Henry James in 1877. You can follow in the footsteps of James, who took a boat trip from Westminster to Greenwich, or make up your own itinerary.
Frequent daily tourist-boat services are at their height between April and October.
In most cases you can turn up at a pier, and the next departure won’t be far away. However, it never hurts to book ahead if you can.
Westminster and Tower piers are the busiest starting points, usually with boats heading east.
The trip between Westminster Pier and the Tower of London takes about 30 minutes, as does the trip between the Tower and Greenwich.
A full round-trip can take several hours. Ask about flexible fares and hop on/off options at the various piers.
For a rundown of all the options, along with prices and timetables, contact London River Services (0843/222–1234 | www.tfl.gov.uk/river), which gives details of all the operators sailing various sections of the river.
London Ducktours(Departs from the London Eye [on land], | SEI 7NJ | 020/7928–3132 | www.londonducktours.co.uk | £20 | Summer, daily approx. every 30 min 9:30–6; times vary in winter) offers sightseeing with a twist—amphibious patrol vehicles used in World War II have been painted like rubber duckies and traverse land and sea.
The playfully polka-dotted Tate Boat (Departs from the pier at either museum | 020/7887–8888 | www.tate.org.uk/tatetotate | £5 one-way | Daily every 40 min; approximately 18 min one-way) ferries passengers across the river from the Tate Britain to the Tate Modern, with a stop at the London Eye in between the two.
For ultimate glamour (and expense), look into lunch and dinner cruises with Bateaux London (Departs from Embankment Pier | 020/7695–1800 | www.bateauxlondon.com | £27.50–£39.50 lunch; £75–£120 dinner | For lunch: Apr.–Dec., Wed.–Sat., also Tues. in July and Aug., noon; Jan.–Mar., Thurs.–Sat. noon; for dinner: Apr.–late Dec., daily 7:30; late Dec.–Mar., Tues.–Sat. 7:30), often formal affairs with surprisingly good two- to five-course meals. Variations include jazz lunch cruises on Sundays and London Eye combo packages.
The London Showboat (Departs from Westminster Pier | 020/7740–0400 | www.citycruises.com | £75 | Apr.–Oct., Wed.–Sun. 7:30 pm; Nov., Dec., Mar., Thurs.–Sat. 7:30 pm; Jan. and Feb., Fri. and Sat. 7:30 pm; boarding begins 15 minprior to departure. Approximately 3½ hrs) lives up to its name, with four-course meals, snazzy cabaret acts from West End musicals, and after-dinner dancing.
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