Find out the nearest stations to the London Eye, one of the most visited landmarks in the whole of the UK. See also how to buy tickets and how to avoid long queues.
Do you want to enjoy one of the best panoramic views of London and want to find out what are the nearest tube stations to London Eye?
One of the most famous London landmarks, the London Eye is one of the new attractions built to celebrate the turn of the century – other such attractions are the Millenium Dome, today The O2 and the Millenium Bridge. Like the others, it was originally called the Millenium Wheel.
The London Eye is the most popular paid attraction in the United Kingdom, with an average of 3 million visitors yearly. The structure is located on the south bank of the River Thames, between Westminster and Waterloo Bridges. Needless to say, it’s one of the top places to visit in London.
No visit to London is complete without a visit to the area around the London Eye: Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben are located nearby.
I highly recommend riding on the London Eye, so you can enjoy the 360-degree views of London, with views of the River Thames, Hyde Park, The Shard, The City of London (a.k.a. the business district), Canary Wharf and more.
There’s always a massive queue for the London Eye: a huge line to buy tickets and another one to ride it. However, you can your tickets online and avoid one of the queues. There’s also a fast-track option, so you don’t queue at all.
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London has a great public transport network, so it’s not surprising that there are many tube stations near London Eye. So, let’s find out what the nearest tube stations to London Eye are.
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How To Get To The London Eye by Tube
There are several underground stations fairly close to London Eye. Depending on where you’re coming from, it’s possible that your line doesn’t come to some of the nearest tube stations to London Eye.
With that in mind, you’ll also find here some stations that are fairly close, but you’ll have to walk for 1o to 15 minutes. Keep on reading to find out details on how to plan your journey to this popular tourist attraction.
Six underground lines serve stations close to the London Eye: Jubilee Line, Circle Line, District Line, Bakerloo Line, Northern Line and Waterloo & City Line. The stations served by these lines are Charing Cross, Embankment, Westminster and Waterloo.
There are also train stations near the London Eye – you’ll find more details on that below. First, let’s find out about the Tube stations.
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1- Charing Cross Station
Located 0.5 miles (800 metres) away, Charing Cross is the furthest among the nearest stations to the London Eye. It’s located north of the Thames.
Charing Cross is the nearest station to Trafalgar Square. So, if you’re combining a visit there, it’s the most convenient station.
Charing Cross Station is served by both the Bakerloo and the Northern lines. It’s also served by National Rail services.
If you’re travelling on the Bakerloo or Northern lines and decide to walk directly to the London Eye, choose the exits to National Rail. From there, go down Villiers Street side and follow the signs to the pedestrian bridge (Hungerford Bridge) across the Thames.
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Charing Cross is also the final station serving Southeastern trains in Central London. You can also get there by connecting at London Bridge station.
The main terminal has plenty of facilities, including public (paid) toilets, convenience stores, phone shops, florists, wifi and ATMs. Charing Cross doesn’t have lifts, so it’s not recommended for wheelchair users.
2- Embankment Station
Also located right by the River Thames, 0.4 miles (640 metres) from the London Eye, Embankment station is a small underground station by the river. If you’re coming from north of the river on the Northern or Bakerloo lines, it’s a more convenient station than Charing Cross. It’s also served by the District and Circle lines.
To get to the London Eye quickly, just cross Hungerford Bridge. Alternatively, walk along the river and cross Westminster Bridge. Here, stop at one of the most popular points to have the perfect picture with the London Eye in the background.
Embankment has wifi and there are a few shops nearby, on Villiers Street. There are no toilets. Embankment station doesn’t have lifts, so it’s not recommended for wheelchair users.
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3- Westminster Station
Westminster Station is one of the nearest stations to the London Eye. Located north of the Thames, it’s 0.3 miles (500 metres) away.
It’s served by the Jubilee, Circle and District lines. Westminster is the nearest station to London Eye offering step-free access from the platform to the street.
Follow the signs to Westminster Pier. Once there, you just have to cross Westminster Bridge. But you’ll surely want to stay a bit longer since it’s also the station serving the Houses of Parliament.
Wherever you stand, you’ll have a good angle to photograph the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben or the London Eye itself. From Westminster Bridge, you’ll also have some great angles, too. Watch out for the many double-decker red buses or black cabs to make for the classic London picture for your Instagram.
Westminster Station has wifi and cash machines. There are no toilet facilities here.
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4- Waterloo Station
One of the largest stations in London, Waterloo Station station is also located 0.3 miles (500 metres) from the London Eye. It’s served by the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern, as well as Waterloo & City lines.
The station has public (paid) toilets, restaurants, cafes, various shops, including major retailers, convenience stores, wifi and left luggage (lockers) facilities.
It also has step-free access from the platforms to street level, making it another option for wheelchair users.
Waterloo Station also has National Rail services. There are trains coming from virtually all parts of South London and Southern England. It’s the nearest train station to London Eye.
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What’s The Nearest Tube Station To The London Eye?
Together Waterloo and Westminster are the nearest stations to the London Eye. So, which one to use? It’ll depend on which line you’re travelling. The Jubilee line is the only one serving both stations. It’s not worth it changing lines just to go to one station or the other.
If you’re on the Jubilee line, however, it’s better to get off at Westminster Station for there reasons:
- It’s a smaller station and easier to get out of
- The way to the London Eye is more straight forward, so you won’t get lost
- The whole area is very scenic and you’ll be walking on a postcard – quite literally.
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Nearest Stations to London Eye (Map)
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Buying Tickets To The London Eye
You can buy your tickets to the London Eye at one of the ticket offices during your visit. The downside of doing so is that you’ll have to queue up. Mind you, it’s a long queue. Really long.
Then you’ll have to queue up again to ride the London Eye.
The best option is to buy your ticket online. That way, you’ll only have to join the line once, to ride it. There’s also an option to skip the line completely.
Below you can see different types of tickets to the London Eye. If you plan to visit other London tourist attractions, the combo tickets will save you time and money.
- The London Eye ticket – plain and simple
- The London Eye ticket with fast-track (skip-the-line) guaranteed
- The London Eye and SEA Life combo ticket
- The London Eye, SEA Life and Madame Tussauds combo ticket
- The London Eye and Shrek’s Adventure combo ticket
- The London Eye, Big Bus (hop-on, hop-off) and river cruise
- The London Eye and full-day London tour (9 hours)
- The Londe Eye: private capsule for couples or groups
Things To Do Near The London Eye
- Visit the Houses of Parliament
- Stroll along Westminster Bridge
- Visit the Westminster Abbey
- Go on a Thames river cruise
- See London from a speedboat
- Have an afternoon tea on board a river boat
- See the monuments in the gardens of St Thomas’s Hospital
- See The Houses of Parliament from Parliament Square, for a less obvious angle
- Pose by the Big Ben
- Visit Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery
- Walk along Waterloo Bridge for great views of the Thames and Canary Wharf
- Visit the BFI (British Film Institute) and watch an art movie
- Go for a stroll along the South Bank
- Go for a picnic in St James’s Park
- Visit the Imperial War Museum
I hope you’ve figured out which of these train and tube stations near the London Eye are the most convenient for when you visit. Don’t forget that this is one of the most visited areas of London, with many more things to do!
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