Posted 29 April 2014

Written by Sophie Potter.  All images ©Sophie Potter/Caroline Grellier

London by boat, cable car and plane in one sunny April afternoon

Live Travel and Tours were recently invited to try out the KPMG Thames Clipper service, the Emirates Airline and the Emirates Aviation Experience, and the British Music Experience at the O2.

At 4pm on an uncharacteristically warm and sunny 9th April afternoon, Caroline, Vici and I climbed aboard a KPMG Thames Clipper at Tower Millennium Pier and headed straight for the rear deck to catch wonderful views of Tower Bridge in the late afternoon sunshine.

The Thames Clipper fleet of 13 climate-controlled catamarans with guaranteed seats, on-board Costa Coffee bars and complimentary newspapers and Wi-Fi has grown from a one-boat operation founded in 1999 to carrying 8,500 passengers per day between 19 piers along the river Thames from Putney to Woolwich.

Tower Bridge

Our smooth and comfortable ride eastward, which usually departs every 20 minutes and lasts 28 minutes, took us under Tower Bridge, past Canary Wharf, below the Emirates Airline, past the Tate and Lyle golden syrup factory and through the Thames Barrier, to finally turn around and dock at Emirates Greenwich Peninsula by the O2 arena.  It was a pleasure to view London from a different perspective for once and get a grasp of its physical geography, instead of repeatedly descending and re-emerging from the great, sometimes disorienting, warren that is the London Underground.

From our mooring point at North Greenwich Pier it was a very short two to three minute walk along the riverside to the entrance of the Emirates Airline.

The O2 and the pier

Upon entering the Emirates Airline boarding and landing halls we were greeted by a very large screen projecting videos of Londoners waving vigorously at us.  Although this was a nice touch for our first journey, reminiscent of being waved off at an airport, I imagine that seeing the same faces grinning slightly over-enthusiastically at you every morning and evening might become slightly irritating for the every-day commuter.

The cable car is boarded in the same way as at a ski resort – a car moves around a belt and passengers wait for its doors to open before stepping inside.  The Emirates-branded cars are designed to hold up to 10 people each on two plush bench seats. Standing during the journey is not permitted. I got the impression, travelling in a car with five other people, that travelling in a group of 10 would feel uncomfortably crowded but eight would be fine.  In any case, one is given a choice of who to travel with when boarding and nobody is made to cram in together.

The Emirates Airline

The Emirates Airline transports passengers 90 metres above the River Thames. The gradient of ascent and descent is fairly steep but in no way results in a shaky or unnerving ride.  The most notable feature of our flight was how quiet, smooth and peaceful the journey was – I could easily have fallen asleep as we cruised along in the warm sunshine were it not for the fascinating commentary on the view and nearby landmarks which we received from a member of staff.  We were told, for example, that the measurements of the Emirates Airline were designed to accommodate the wind clearance for tall ships travelling down the River Thames but also the take-off and landing path of planes travelling into and out of London City Airport, an exciting spectacle that was observed twice during our “360” journey. The informative, attractive, well-designed and high quality 'In-flight Guides' given to us before we boarded, similar in style to those given out at the EDF Energy London Eye, highlighted the main sights to look out for on the horizon including the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the Old Royal Naval College, the Shard, Canary Wharf, the Olympic Stadium and ArcelorMittal Orbit, the Siemens Crystal, ExCel London, the Tate and Lyle golden syrup factory, the Thames Barrier, London City Airport and the (rather unmissable) O2 arena.

The O2 arena

Although our views of the O2 arena, Canary Wharf and London Airport were magnificent, views of Central London were rather marred by distance and by the effect of the setting sun casting a sort of 'haze' over everything.  The only things close enough for me to make out  clearly were the 'urban wastelands' and construction sites along the eastern River Thames.

Views from the Emirates Airline

The calibre of the panorama from the Emirates Airline, the UK's first and only urban cable car experience, is somewhat inferior to that of the EDF Energy London Eye, however, as the Emirates Airline is a TfL public transportation service and not an official tourist attraction, the low cost of the Emirates Airline tickets make it a far preferable option for groups seeking an exciting, unique and low-cost experience in London.

The Emirates Airline is a fantastic way to travel to and from the O2 arena for concerts or its vast array of restaurants, and is very well connected to the rest of London, with the DLR and Jubilee line only a two-minute walk away from the terminals.

In my opinion, it is worth a ride on the Emirates Airline solely to benefit from the very reasonably-priced 'Full Experience' ticket which includes entry to the Emirates Aviation Experience, situated at Emirates Greenwich Peninsula (on the south bank). Although this attraction is quite small in size, it contains something for people of all ages and levels of aviation knowledge to enjoy. Visitors are given a wrist band to wear which they can link to a personal online account. The wrist band can be scanned at each 'terminal' within the attraction so that game scores, photographs etc. can later be shared with friends and family via email or social media.

The full-sized nose and cockpit of an Airbus A380 which greets visitors on entry to the Emirates Aviation Experience is not only striking but also very interactive.  Inside the nose, on the ground floor, is a 270-degree surround cinema depicting the experience of a suitcase after it has been dropped off at check-in, right through to its emergence on the luggage belt of the arrivals hall. I had always wondered what happened to my suitcase after I left it to fend for itself in the underbellies of various airports and this was my chance to find out as the short film showcased Dubai's baggage handling system from the suitcase's perspective. The floor of the standing-room-only cinema judders each time the suitcase is shown falling onto a conveyor belt or being moved by a baggage handler. I did not spot any warnings about this feature and, although I found it to be a fun touch, I would not recommend it for the infirm, those of a very nervous disposition or anybody who is generally unsteady on their feet. The upper floor of the nose contains an interactive model of the Airbus A380 cockpit.

Other features of the Emirates Aviation Experience include a model standard-class Emirates cabin where visitors can sit and watch short, factual films about 'mysterious' aspects of the aviation industry, for example how live TV is streamed to planes in flight; a mobile, half-scale model of a Rolls Royce Trent 800 plane engine made from 165,000 Lego bricks, a virtual wind tunnel and the 'Turnaround' game which challenges visitors to take a plane through all of the necessary preparations from landing to take-off against a time limit.  Unfortunately, the game's touch screen was frustratingly unresponsive to drag-and-drops so I got a very low score – perhaps it simply needed a clean after a full day's use.

The star feature of the Emirates Aviation Experience is the Airbus A380/Boeing 777 flight simulators. Visitors can book a 30-minute session in the cockpit of an Airbus A380 or Boeing 777, which includes full instruction from a member of staff, a choice of airports and flight scenarios, and a souvenir boarding card with details of the chosen flight to take home. No prior flying experience is required and the 30 minute session can be shared between members of a family or small group.  I was extremely impressed by the authenticity of the view from the cockpit, and also a little bit jealous, whilst observing a colleague try out a Boeing 777. At £45.00 per 30 minutes, this is not an experience which all visitors will be able to afford.  Although it would be difficult to learn very much in the time, I think it would be better if one of the four simulators was free to use for five to ten minutes so that everyone at least gets to try one out.

The Emirates Aviation Experience offers a well-stocked gift shop with Emirates-branded souvenirs and handy gadgets for the habitual traveller, and a café to recover from the jet lag!

The British Music Experience - AMENDMENT. SINCE WRITING THIS ARTICLE, THE BME HAS CLOSED PENDING FINDING A NEW LONDON HOME SOON...
The British Music Experience, situated inside the O2 arena, contains over 3,000 images, 600 video clips, 3,000 artist videos and more than 600 items of artist and music memorabilia showcasing the glorious history of British popular music, including John Lennon's glasses, Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress and Freddie Mercury's jacket and trousers, among many other things. Inside 'The Core', visitors can learn about the history of music broadcasting and playback methods since the 1920s, examine the 'music magic' that has happened in their home town, explore a 'virtual record box' and learn one of 12 dance crazes from the past 70 years including the Twist, the Locomotion, Voguing or even Rave Dancing. In the 'Interactive Studio', visitors can learn to play Gibson guitars, Slingerland drums, Baldwin digital pianos, or even record themselves singing in the Sennheiser-sponsored vocal booth.  Step-by-step video tuition is provided by artists such as KT Tunstall and Blur.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

KPMG Thames Clippers

Prices

• Standard Single Commuter ticket: Adults - £6.50, Children under 15 years - £3.25
• Return Commuter ticket: Adults - £12.00, Children under 15 years - £6.00
• 'River Roamer' ticket for 'hop-on/hop-off' travel from 09.00 – 00.00 on the day of purchase: Adults - £15.00, Children under 15 years - £7.50, or Family Ticket (two adults & up to three children) - £32.50
• Under 5s - FREE
• Discounts available for PAYG and Student Oyster Card holders, Freedom Card holders and TfL Travelcard holders
• Group bookings: 10+ people receive a 10% discount on Standard and River Roamer fares
• Special rates available: Hilton Ferry service, 'Tate to Tate' and Cross River services
• Tickets can be purchased online, at the ferry port or on board

More info and timetables: KPMG Thames Clippers - http://www.thamesclippers.com/

Emirates Airline

Opening hours

• 07:00 – 20:00 weekdays (Oct – Mar), 07:00 – 21:00 (Apr - Sep)
• 08:00 – 20:00 on Saturdays (Oct – Mar), 08:00 – 21:00 (Apr - Sep)
• 09:00 – 20:00 on Sundays (Oct – Mar), 09:00 – 21:00 (Apr – Sep)
• Extended to 00:00 on certain days of the year
• May have to close temporarily in the event of very strong winds

Journey Time

• 5 minutes between 07:00 and 09:00, and 17:00 – 18:30
• 10 minutes at all other times
• 20 minutes round trip

Prices

• Single cash fare: Adults - £4.30, Children up to 15 years - £2.20
• Single Oyster Card/TfL Travelcard fare: Adults - £3.20, Children up to 15 years - £1.20
• “360” round trip cash fare: Adults - £8.60, Children up to 15 years - £4.40
• “360” round trip Osyter/TfL Travelcard fare: Adults -  £6.40, Children up to 15 years - £3.20
• 'Multi Journey Boarding Pass' worth 10 single journeys: £16.00
• Journey price for Oyster Card holders making more than 5 journeys per week: Adults - £1.60, Children up to 15 years - £0.80, Under 5s FREE

Combined ticket - “360” or return trip on the Emirates Airline & Emirates Aviation Experience: Adults - £10.00, Children up to 15 years - £6.00

More info: Emirates Airline – www.emiratesairline.co.uk

Emirates Aviation Experience

Opening hours

• Monday – Sunday, 10:00 – 18:00
• (Café and Shop, 09:00 – 18:00)

Prices

• Adults 12 years and over - £3.00
• Children under 12 - £1.50

Combined ticket - “360” or return trip on the Emirates Airline & Emirates Aviation Experience:
Adults 12 years and over - £10.00, Children under 12 - £6.00

More info: Emirates Aviation Experience - http://www.aviation-experience.com/