London Eye without advance reservations
 

We are going to London at the end of March. I know about the website for London Eye and the opportunity to purchase advance tickets but one in our party is a little queezy about heights and unsure about doing this. Our schedule is also tight and we may fall behind and have a tough time making our reserved time. Are timed reservations beforehand mandatory? If not and I choose not to get them will we be condemned to standing in line forever to take the ride? Thanks for any help you can give on this matter.

you don't need a reservation if your timing is flexible; we did a walk-up last june, hoping to watch the city at sunset and got right on. the ride is smooth and you can stand or sit.

I doubt if you will have any problem. We've done it with advance tickets and without, no problem either way. You do have to queue up to get on,but that goes very quickly.

you didnt say if you were going during the week or weekend. The last time I was there on a weekend the line went the length of Jubilee Park. During the week the wait was only a few minutes. If yooou are going on a weekday dont worry.

This may or may not help your friend but...<BR><BR>I have vertigo. I cannot stand on a chair or stool without feeling extremely dizzy and sometimes needing help down.<BR><BR>When travelling on the tube, I grip the hand rail when using the down escalator and turn myself to face the side (and read the posters) rather than looking down.<BR><BR>I get vertigo dizziness just walking down short flights of steps, let alone steep long ones.<BR><BR>BUT I loved the London Eye and have been on it 3 times...<BR><BR>Somehow it doesn't feel scary. Partly because it's so completely enclosed that one can't feel the wind outside. Partly because it moves so slowly that one can't feel the motion. I don't know. But the vertigo doesn't kick in (unless I step right to the window and look straight down). Being within the capsule and just looking out at the views is fine.<BR><BR>That's just me though so your friend might still hate it, but wanted you to know that there's hope!!!

It's so nice when you get messages that are exactly what you were hoping to hear. We can certainly arrange to go on a weekday and I will be so happy to report Kavey's good experience to my heights challenged travel companion. Thanks for the replies. I'd have been glad to get the information even if it weren't so positive, but this is sure better.

I was going to post a separate question re this, but will tag on here hoping for info. Is it possible for the hotel concierge to acquire same day tickets - or tickets for following day(s)? <BR><BR>Re the ride itself - like Kavey I'm not fond of heights -- is the capsule firmly attached (can't tell from web site photo) or could a group of exuberant teenages cause it to swing from side to side?

No amount of exhuberant swinging will cause that capsule to even rock let alone sway from side to side!<BR><BR>:)

I was in London last week with a group of 8. Even the most queasy loved the Eye. You won't even fell that you're moving. It is very solid. I don't think a group of people would get it to sway.I believe your concierge can get tickets if you are in a tourist-heavy hotel. It's been my experience that the concierges in more business-oriented hotels are not too helpful with touristy questions.

I am Mrs Vertigo herself but had no trouble with the Eye. Because it's so enclosed, it's rather like being on a plane.

To answer MHS, the Eye capsules are huge, by comparison with most Ferris wheels, holding up to 25 people with a central seat well away from the windows, which go down to floor level to allow everyone a view. Each capsule is held firm by a bearing which completely encircles it and holds it solid to the wheel, so that as the wheel revolves, the capsule is always held in the same vertical and horizontal position - no swaying on suspended cables, no jerks as the relative positions of wheel and capsule adjust. People can move around within the capsule as though they were on a fixed observation platform of a building, with exactly the same effect, i.e., no wobbles at all. The wheel will slow and stop from time to time to allow people to get on and off the lowest capsule(s), but the motion is as smooth as it could possibly be.<BR><BR>That said, I've not felt too happy either time I've done it: but then, flying doesn't bother me, but looking out of wholly enclosed tall fixed buildings can. You never know until you try.

I rode the London Eye on Tuesday afternoon.Had no advance reservations,and walked right on after purchasing tickets.In fact it was so uncrowded that they were only filling each capsule with eight people.