There are many good reasons why you should travel by Thames river taxi in London. It’s much more comfortable and quicker than a bus, more pleasant than the Underground tube and Overground trains.
Also, you are guaranteed a seat, comfort, space – you can also have a beer or a coffee while enjoying a traffic-free journey. The advantages of travelling by Thames river water taxi are many and more visible.
London is filled with many beautiful landmarks and attractions like the Tower of London, London Eye, Tower Bridge.
There is an excellent history behind Tower Bridge. The London Eye is modern and a must-see attraction due to its architecture.
The Tower of London is a landmark filled with the history of London and the impact it had on today’s society. You can clearly see it including others – like the Houses of Parliament, National Theatre, St Paul Cathedral, Tate Modern, London Bridge, HMS Belfast, the Shard, Canary Wharf, O2 Arena, Greenwich Park, and more from the comfort of the boat on Thames river.
Getting a Different Picture Aboard the Thames River Taxi
There’s a good feeling about travelling in the Thames river water taxi. You get to see the open space, green vegetation, modern architecture, and old structures that bring the sense of history and future.
It doesn’t matter whether you’ve already seen all these attractions while walking or on a bus.
Traveling on Thames river water taxi is the novel way of seeing familiar London attractions but from a vantage point. In other words, it’s another way of seeing the charm of London, but from River Thames.
It is even better if you make a video of your entire journey on board the River Thames taxi from London Bridge to Greenwich. You really need a good camera which can shoot a memorable cinematic video worth keeping, of all the wonderful attractions along the River Thames.
Alternative Way of Commuting
If you’re a regular London commuter, you probably often use a road taxi, train, bus, or the tube. But how about using the river taxi as an alternative method of transportation to and from London?
You can board a boat taxi from Putney in West London through the city center and go to Canary Wharf or continue to Woolwich. It’s the only way to travel from west through central London to the east staggeringly quicker.
Read more: Why Greenwich is the Best Area to Live in London
And you do get to your destination without suffering the multiple underground tubes, bus, or Docklands light railway (DLR) changes.
Comfort and Accessibility on a Thames River Taxi
You’re guaranteed a seat while traveling. Some boats have between 150 – 220 passenger seats that feel like you’re on the plane without having the entertainment screen. You can pull down a little table or tray for your laptop or snacks.
Most of them have accessible toilets on board, something you don’t find on the tube, bus, or a road taxi. The boats are spacious and accessible.
Passengers with limited mobility can quickly get on board with their wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
The boats have onboard bars where you can buy a cup of tea, coffee, snacks, refreshments. They are very quiet, with a perfect environment for reading a book, newspaper or even doing some work on the laptop before getting into office.
London weather is variable, not always great, but all the boats are covered, and some have an outside deck area where one can sit.
So, on a sparkling brighter day, you can come out on the deck and enjoy the beautiful views of the riverscape and a magnificent city.
Related: What is The River Thames Famous For?
Discovering London More From the River Thames Water Taxi
London is growing fast to the Eastside. New magnificent skyscrapers are springing out all the time on the peninsula created by a bend by the River Thames.
Each morning a lot of people are shifting in the Docklands district to work. Once a neglected trading harbour, today the Docklands have been transformed.
Visitors need to step out of the historic city centre and go to explore the modern business district in Docklands if they want to get the full energy of London.
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The ExCeL and O2 Arena are both premier entertainment venues, Canary Wharf, City airport, and the Emirates Cable car station – all are next to Thames river.
Thames river taxi run services after shows at the O2 Arena. Travelling on a river taxi is a fantastic way to get back to your hotel or home from a show at the O2 Arena. it’s way better to be on the boat than jumping on a crowded underground train, bus or DLR after a gig.
The Thames River is a water highway, but not a straight one. It has some massive loops, particularly around Canary Wharf. So, you get some fantastic and exciting experience when the boat goes around those long sharp bends.
Paying for The Journey
You’ll be surprised by the service and how easy to commute on the boat. It’s a very civilized way of travelling into and out of London. The boats are so simple to use. You need to buy an Oyster card to pay for your journey.
Alternatively, you can pay using a Contactless Payment card or any mobile devices like Apple Pay and Android PAY just as you would with the Bus, Underground trains, or Overground trains.
Thames River Taxi Timetable and Piers
The river taxis depart every 20 minutes from 22 stations or piers between Putney in West and Greenwich. Most of these stops are right next to key attractions along the Thames.
These include – Westminster Pier for the Houses of Parliament, London Eye Pier, London Bridge City Pier for HMS Belfast, Borough Market and The Shard, Tower Millennium Pier covers both the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, the North Greenwich Pier serves The O2 and the Emirates Air Line, and Greenwich Pier for Greenwich.
To get information on how the river services are running, each pier or station has an electronic information board the same as bus stops or underground tube stations.
You can see clearly how long until the next boat arrives and it’s always on time.