Day 5 Part 2: Double Decker Buses and the London Eye.

After lunch we opened an app for the Tootbus and found the closest bus stop. When planning this trip, the kids immediately said they wanted to ride a red double decker bus, because of course! It wasn’t until we got there and noticed all the different buses that we booked one. The solid red buses seemed to be all standard public transportation, as opposed to sightseeing, so I did the best I could picking an open top red bus. We paid for a family day pass, and much like the batobus in Paris, this was a hop on/hop off option that doubled as transportation.

Hands down, this was a favorite moment of the trip for all of us. It was cold enough that we had the top of that bus practically to ourselves, but not so cold that we couldn’t enjoy it. There’s narration you can hook up to, but we just casually observed and discussed all the parts of the city that we were seeing.

Tower of London from the outside… I love that I photographed this road from the inside (when we were up on the battlements) and then I captured it from this perspective looking back.

From atop that bus, we soaked up some much needed sunshine and turned it into energy, before eventually arriving at our stop, ready to tackle the rest of our afternoon.

We exited at the closest bus stop to the London Eye, which was next on our agenda. We still had about 45 minutes until our arrival window for the Eye, so we grabbed coffee and snacks and wandered the streets near Big Ben. It was the perfect amount of time and one of those in-between moments that will really stick with me from our time in London.

From a dance battle with the Eye across the Thames… …to a snack break in the shadow of Big Ben.

We were near an Underground access point and there was a saxophonist at the top of the steps playing the likes of Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith and I hear the music and feel the moment every time I look at these few photos.

From there, we meandered over to the Eye. This was at the top of both Brett’s and Penelope’s lists for London. Like most of our preparations, we researched it ahead of time, but waited to book until we were there to see where it fit into our plans. For reference, we booked our tickets the previous evening, and nearly all times throughout the day were still available.

So. The Eye. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that heights and I are simply not simpatico. My son already feels this way. Needless to say, we were both feeling a little queasy as we approached. But I think it helped him to know that I too was nervous and we talked a lot about how it’s good to push ourselves out of our comfort zones, to get the blood flowing and heart pumping, and then to feel proud of ourselves for tackling something that scares us a little bit.

It’s worth noting that we booked the “express pass” the night before. We had read that in the afternoons the wait can get up to an hour or more even with pre-booked tickets. And knowing that Lucas (and myself) weren’t entirely keen on the idea of this spinning wheel of metal and wires, we decided to pay the extra to limit the time we would spend staring up at it in wait. Hahaha! No regrets because we walked up, showed our online tickets and maybe waited five minutes, not nearly long enough for us to beat a hasty exit.

There’s a bench seat in the middle, which Lucas and I promptly sat down on, while Brett and Penelope took to the railings and we were off… it’s an omni mover so you don’t have much time to think before you’re ascending into the sky.

It didn’t take long and Lucas got curious enough to go to the glass and that’s where we remained for the entirety of the ride. It takes about 30 minutes to make the full loop.

Neither one of us felt overwhelmed by the height and I think that’s because a) it was completely enclosed and b) there was no movement of the pod itself - it didn’t sway and that’s the thing I really dislike about ferris wheels. Without that sort of movement we were free to take in the views.

My kids, with their eagle eyes, spotted the carousel from high atop the Eye so that was our next stop!

From there we explored the South Bank along the River Thames. This area was really lovely. From outdoor vendors to shops and restaurants. Halfway back to our hotel we popped into a cute little waffle and ice cream shop to get a snack and take a break.

After our snack we wandered the rest of the way to our hotel, where we rested for a bit, packed up for our early departure the next morning and got ready for a late dinner. We grabbed an uber and off we went to a pub that had been recommended to us… The Sherlock Holmes.

It was exactly what we needed to round out our whirlwind day in London. Brett and I couldn’t stop marveling over how well Epcot replicated this little slice of the U.K. from the food to the atmosphere.

Next… we find ourselves back in France, ending our trip with a little Disneyland Paris!

Shoebox Full of Memories: A Paris and London Trip Report - March 2023 (Day 5 Part 2: London Tourists)