Queue Tips - at major London attractions
 

Will be in London next week and am planning on booking advance tickets to the Tower of London and the London Eye. I've heard that it is better to get to the Tower when it opens to beat the crowds. I would like to take in the London Eye the next day, and early would be fine with me.

Do you have any advice about managing the queue at either location?

Are advance tickets available or would they be necessary for Westminster Abbey?

Those are the only 3 "must see" items on my 2-day London itinerary which require tickets.

If you're getting advanced tickets to the Tower, just get there when it opens - nothing special about managing the queue.

We've never found it necessary to get advanced tickets to Westminster.

Sorry, but can't help with the Eye.

The queues aren't that long in June - and you'd miss out on the 2-for-1 offer at the Tower of London

www.2for1entry.co.uk

If you get there early, just as they open, you should be fine. The Tower of London tour is a good one. I'll be in London next week as well. Might be in the same line up!

I've been by the Eye in various months including busy August and there seem to be no really long waits so just show up and perhaps fiddle thumbs for 30 mins or so IME.

Go to the Tower right when it opens and avoid any queues or buy uour ticket at the tower tube station and go straight to the gate. Go Straight to the Crown Jewels and save the Beefeater tour for later. You will have the Crown Jewels to Yourself. When you exit then backtrack and take the next Beefeater tour. On the tour you will notice the Queue for the Jewels is out the door and you will pat yourself on the back for making a great decision. I got that tip 5 years ago on this board and I'm sure it still holds true to this day.

yep - still holds.

As for the Eye - don't pre-book your tickets. The weather makes a huge difference. So wait until you are there - if the weather is nice you can phone the Eye and book your tix then. Or wait and just show up.

When we went to the Eye in early April (yes, it was during Spring break, which may make a difference) the lines were crazy. Since we were taking the kids to Madame Toussaud's anyway, we went inside went to the desk in the corner to the right (the main counters to purchase Eye tickets threaded all the way around the building and outside!). The corner desk had no line and sold two-for tickets to the eye and Toussaud's.

It allowed us to go outside and into the VERY short line (at both places).

How are the lines for the Tower of London beginning of July?

the queues at the Tower are long year around - that is whay we recommend going early . . . .

Just back from my trip late last week. Thanks for the advice.

I booked ahead for the London Eye and the Tower of London and am happy I did for both. The line for the Eye was long, but having the tickets pre-paid allowed me to avoid the longer queue. Once tickets were in hand, we joined the queue with the other waiting tourists to hop on our capsule. The ticket-holder line moves very quickly. Once we had our tickets in hand, I thik we waited no more than fifteen minutes before we were in the capsule.

The Tower of London had very long lines, even with multiple ticket windows open. The queues also moved very slowly. My one mistake was waiting in the general queue (roughly 20 minutes) till I got close enough to the kiosk to see a sign saying that pre-ordered tickets were to be picked up at the "Group Tickets" window closer to the entrance. We had our family ticket in hand within five minutes. There was no line to enter the Tower once we had our tickets. The area inside the Tower was surprisingly uncrowded given the length of the queues outside. The only point of congestion was in the Crown Jewels display.

Per the advice here, we did not need advance tickets for Westmintster Abbey, so I did not purchase them. It was easy enough to approach the ticket window inside the side entrance and tour the Abbey on our own. Westminster Abbey is the most impressive building in London, IMO, and I am glad I kind of forced my family to go in. While in the Lady Chapel, one of the vicars approached me and my two daughters to talk about the monks' seating. He started asking the kids about who sat in the chair in the corner with the large crown and who sat in the chair in the other corner with the smaller crown. I am surprised my kids (ages 8 and 6) guessed correctly. The vicar then asked if we wanted to see the Queen's chair up close and I said sure and practically pushed them along. As we got to the chair, he asked if they would like to sit in the Queen's chair and I volunteered "Yes!". I asked if I could snap a quick photo and he quietly said, "that would be fine", I did and we thanked him profusely. We heard him shooing away other tourists who wanted to see the Queen's chair up close, so I got the sense he gave my kids a special treat.

London was spectacular!

No cannot buy queue tips at major attractions but at places like Boots.

Liam,
Leaving for London tomorrow. How do we buy advanced tickets for the Tower of London?
Kelkel

I did a google search and went to the Historic Royal Palaces website:

http://www.hrp.org.uk/

You used to at least be able to buy them at Tube stations along with a transport ticket.

Thanks PalenQ and Liam for your help!
Kelkel

I too was in London last week, June 20-25. We didn't encounter lines at the Eye. We went around 8:00 pm. You can't buy tickets to the Tower at the Tower Hill station any longer. I tried because that is what the guide book said but they no longer sell them. As for the 2 for 1 coupons, I had printed mine off the internet a couple of week before and the offer has changed. It is now buy one get the second at half price. I was kind of mad because the first line I went in would not take the coupon and wanted me to go find a new one. I went in a second line and tried again and that person excepted it but gave me the new offer instead of the 2 for 1 offer the coupon stated, which was fine. We went around 10 am on a weekday and the lines weren't bad .

I've seen a long line for the Tower at opening time in March. Was glad I had advance purchased.

Keith