Visiting Emirates Air-Line, London’s First Cable Car

London has been on a party mode since the beginning of June, when the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated, which peaked with the 1,000-strong flotilla on the waters of the Thames, and now with the Olympics opening ceremony.

Rich in history but very modern in spirit, the city is constantly reinventing itself. Its newest attraction opened to the public in June: the cable car Emirates Air-Line. If you think the name sounds familiar, you’re right! Emirates Airlines, Dubai’s flagship air carrier partly sponsored the construction of the project, and has publicity on all cars. The partnership cost 36 million pounds and earned them a 10-year contract.

Transport for London, which manages all public transport in the capital, announced plans to build the cable car in July 2010, and the final cost was 60 million pounds – 35 million more than had originally planned, so the partnership was a lifesaver.

Supposedly the cable car another means of transport in the metropolis, linking North Greenwich on the south bank of the Thames, to the Royal Docks in the north. If you have the Oyster Card, which is mandatory for anyone using public transport in London, the price is only £3.20 (€4, 5USD) each way. The nearest tube station is North Greenwich on the Jubilee Line.

The crossing lasts only seven minutes, and I found the view from up there stunning. You will see the Shard, the new tallest building in Europe, in the skyline, the O2, Greenwich Village, Canary Wharf and the Thames barrier. The highest point of the crossing is at 90 metres.

North Greenwich is the peninsula where the O2 is located – it was formerly Millennium Dome when it was opened at the turn of 1999-2000. Even if you’re not watching a concert at the venue, there are several choices of cafes and restaurants at very reasonable prices, as well as a multiplex cinema. A novelty is that now you can climb to the top of the building, something that, to my surprise, became very popular overnight. So much so that in my attempt to climb I could not do it, because I hadn’t booked it in advance.

On the north bank of the river, the Royal Docklands has some attractions, the main one being the Excel Exhibition Centre, London’s main convention centre. During the Olympics the venue is hosting some martial arts, boxing and weightlifting competitions, and will be buzzing. In the area there’s also the Royal Victoria Dock Watersports Centre, where in summer you can learn Paddleboarding and wakeboarding, or just play in water of the Thames inside a see-through giant bubble, which seems to be quite fun.

Most people make a round trip on the cable car. The short journey is very pleasant, very cheap, and offers a different perspective of London. Now attention: on warm days, the queue can be very long and waits of up to half an hour are common. But as good weather is rare in London – especially this summer! – it is likely that in a few weeks’ time there won’t be as many people around. And that’s definitely when I’ll return to South London’s skies!…