Getting around London by boat.
Using public transportation can really stretch your travel dollars. But let's face it, public transportation can be pretty gross. City busses are often dirty and crowded. And as convenient as subways are, they transport you in darkness, so you never see the city you're exploring.
Hop-on, hop-off sightseeing busses are a more expensive, but still affordable alternative. But we find the commentary more annoying than helpful.
The best bet going is the hop-on, hop-off boat, available in many cities with rivers. In Paris, the Batobus does a 45-minute loop on the Seine, stopping near most of the city's most popular attractions en route.
The hours are limited: 10AM - 9:30PM during the summer. Departures aren't as frequent as you'd like. And it's fairly slow. But you'll get great pictures and save plenty of shoe leather.
In London, the Thames Clipper is a great time-saver.
We bought our one-day passes bundled with our London Eye tickets. For 8£ per person, we could hop on and off Thames Clipper catamarans until they quit running at 1AM.
There are thee lines available. The Tate-to-Tate service goes from Milbank, adjacent to Tate Britain, to Bankside, near Tate Modern. The main line runs from Embankment Pier to Royal Arsenal, stopping at Blackfriars, Bankside, London Bridge, Tower Pier, Canary Wharf, Greenland, Masthouse Terrace, and Greenwich en route. This line can get you from the London Eye to the Tower of London in a few minutes.
A third boat provides service between Waterloo Pier and the O2, London's concert venue.
The boats are fast, the views are great, and there's seating both inside and out. The staff are very helpful -- they'll ask you where you want to go and make sure you get off in the right place. And the service has stops near many of London's top attraction. For details. visit www.thamesclippers.com