How to get to the London Eye by train
The London Eye is about as central to London as it's possible to be, located on the South Bank, halfway between Westminster Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridges. It's also very close to London Waterloo Station, but all the London Terminals including Euston train station are connected via the Underground.
Waterloo Underground station (Bakerloo, Jubilee Line, Northern Waterloo & City) is the closest Tube station, but Embankment (Bakerloo, Circle and District, Northern), Charing Cross (Bakerloo, Northern) and Westminster (Circle and District, Jubilee) all put you within short walking distance of the South Bank attraction.
If you're travelling on Avanti West Coast to London Euston, both the Victoria and Northern Lines can be reached easily without leaving the station. Wherever you travel from, once you're in London city centre, you can easily catch a train to the London Eye on the Underground, via bus, taxi, bike or on foot.
There are a number of bus routes you can take if you prefer to travel by bus. Check out the Transport for London site for information, or the London Eye's Directions page.
What to do at the London Eye
The most important thing to do when you visit the London Eye is to look out of the window! We're pretty sure even the most smartphone-addicted member of the family will put their device in their pocket as they travel around the enormous wheel. The views are simply incredible, whether it's Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament just across the river, Tower Bridge and other London bridges crossing the River Thames, or County Hall, The Shard (from a different angle than usual) and pretty much any large building you can think of in the capital.
Unfortunately, you're not allowed to eat on the London Eye, so it's not a place for a picnic. You can take bottled water, but no soft drinks or alcohol are allowed. Just feast on the views and then go to one of the dozens of restaurants, cafes or bars in the locality, or eat a packed lunch overlooking the River Thames.
If you are planning on exploring more of London after your visit to the London Eye take a look at our London Attractions page to get tickets to all the major attractions.
About the London Eye
Here are some facts and statistics about the London Eye that might interest you:
- The London Eye was constructed completely (minus the capsules) on its side, reaching out into the Thames, until being hoisted upright, secured in place and completed.
- It was originally called the Millennium Wheel and was only scheduled to be in place for 5 years, but in 2002, the local council decided it should remain indefinitely.
- When you reach the top, you'll be 135 metres above street level.
- On completion in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, a record it held until 2006. It's still the tallest in Europe, though.
- It was also London's highest public viewing platform until The Shard opened in 2013.
- It takes about half an hour to travel all the way around.
- More than 3 million passengers travel to the London Eye every year.
- Its coloured lights are often used to mark public events like royal weddings. When people were clapping for the NHS every Thursday night, it lit up blue.
Buy your tickets for the London Eye here!
Ways to save on your train ticket to the London Eye
If you plan to travel to London and the London Eye by train on Avanti West Coast, read these tips – you might be able to make some serious savings on your ticket.
- Book your train tickets as far in advance as possible – the earlier you pre-book, the cheaper your travel will be.
- Consider a group or family train ticket if you're travelling with others. Not only will you guarantee neighbouring seats but your ticket might be cheaper too.
- Travel off-peak if you can.
- If you have a Railcard, make sure you use it when you book. If you don't have a travelcard, it might still work out cheaper to buy one for the trip, especially if your journey to London is long. It will get you cheaper off-peak train fares for one or three years, too.
- Try to avoid buying your ticket at the railway station or via an online ticket website. It's always cheaper to get your ticket on the Avanti website or through our app (see below) as there's no booking fee!
- If you're planning on using the London Underground during your trip, you can save time on your journeys by getting an Oyster card or prepaid travelcard in advance.
Learn about cheap rail tickets here.
Get the Avanti West Coast app
When you're planning your adventure to the London Eye, why not download the Avanti West Coast app? Not only can you use it to buy your rail tickets, but they'll be stored on the app so there's no cardboard ticket to lose. You'll also have up-to-date travel information, journey times, route information and platform numbers in the palm of your hand.
