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Back in 2004, I WON a FREE trip to London (from the US) through a radio contest. This was back when I was a poor college student and didn’t have much expendable income. As such, I didn’t get to do many of the famous London attractions, other than the freebies! So, when I planned a trip back to London with my husband over a decade later, going for a ride on the London Eye was one of the first things I arranged! Not wanting to spend much of our precious London sightseeing time in line, we booked London Eye Fast Track Tickets, in order to drastically cut down on our wait time!
You can book your tickets for the London Eye online in advance (recommended) or purchase tickets upon arrival. When you arrive at the Ticket Office, select the line pertaining to your situation- Ticket Collection (purchased online) or Ticket Sales (purchase on the spot).
London Eye Fast Track Tickets
You have the option to purchase a Fast Track ticket that will allow you to skip ahead in the queue. You may still have to wait in a small line, but even if you do; it moves rather quickly.
London Eye Fast Track Ticket Prices
Adult (16+) starting at £33.30 | $46.65 USD (online) or £37.00 | $51.83 USD (day of)
Child (3-15) starting at £28.80 | $40.34 (online) or £32.00 | $44.83 USD (day of)
Other London Eye Ticket Options
Standard Entry
Adult (16+) starting at £24.30 | $34.04 USD (online) or £27.00 | $37.82 USD (day of)
Entry Child (3-15) starting at £19.80 | $27.74 (online) or £22.00 | $30.82 USD (day of)
Prices and currency conversion current as of April 2018. For up-to-date ticket prices, visit the London Eye website
It’s like using the Fast Pass system at Disney. There is a separate entrance for London Eye Fast Track ticket holders. Skip the BIG queue and enjoy the benefits of your Fast Track ticket.
London Eye Facts
Each rotation on the London Eye takes approximately 30 minutes. Due to the slow speed of the rotation (.6 MPH/.9 km per hour), passengers are able to get on and off the wheel without it having to stop.
This also allows for plenty of great photo-taking opportunities.
Up to 800 passengers can be onboard in a given revolution.
Thirty-two 10-ton pods make up the London Eye, each holding a maximum of 25 people. (When we visited, the pods were not filled to capacity.)
The London Eye was initially known as the Millennium Wheel when it opened back in 2000.
It was originally going to be a temporary structure, but now that it has become the UK’s most popular paid visitor attraction, I don’t imagine it’s going anywhere soon.
In fact, they keep finding ways to make the experience even better! In 2009, a new 4D experience was added to the ride. This experience is included with all London Eye Fast Track Tickets.
This 4-minute experience includes a ground-breaking 3D film with real effects including wind, bubbles, and mist to add a magnificent fourth dimension. It’s a unique and fascinating way to see London! Don’t miss it during your visit!
Best Time of Day to Ride the London Eye
Although it was difficult picking a time of day, we chose 9 pm for our ride time (it was summer during our visit). We figured the twilight lighting would look magical! Bright daylight would’ve also been an awesome time to visit as well, given that you can see close to 25 miles (40 km) on a clear day.
Can’t decide whether to ride the London Eye during the day or at night? Why not do both?! Purchase a Day and Night Pass for two 30-minute rides, one between the hours of 11 am-4 pm and another from 4 pm until closing. Keep in mind, this is a seasonal ticket only available between October and March. The Day and Night Pass starts at £33.30 | $46.65 USD for adults (online) and £28.80 | $40.34 USD for children 3-15 years of age. (The London Eye is always free for children under the age of 3.) Though the pricing for the day and night pass is similar to the cost of the Fast Track ticket, please note that the day and night pass does NOT include fast track entry.
Views from the London Eye
No doubt, the London Eye offers some of the best views over London. The only thing that *might* provide better views is if you were to take a helicopter tour over London.
So guests know what landmarks are visible from the London Eye, 360 degree maps are provided. There are also interactive touch screens in each pod.
The London Eye is definitely one of the many attractions in London you should put on your list! I certainly had regrets about not doing it the first time I was there and it took me over a decade to finally fulfill my desire to see some of the best views of the city from the Eye!
We’d like to thank the London Eye for their partnership, as they provided us with a pair of complementary passes, so we could share our experiences with you. As always, our write-ups are an accurate reflection of the experiences we had.
For more information on the Coca-Cola London Eye, please visit their website.