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Two wheels good Barclays bikesGet here by DLRThe nearestDLR station tothe Emirates Air Line isRoyal VictoriaGO FURTHER BYRIVER, AIR & BICYCLERIVER, AIR & BICYCLECarry on exploring when you get off the DLR. There areBarclays Cycle Hire bikes near many stops and the networkconnects with the Emirates Air Line and river boat servicesEMIRATESAIR LINEee London from a uniqueperspective. The city’sSnewest and most excitingriver crossing, the Emirates AirLine, is London’s only cable car,connecting Royal Victoria Dockand the Greenwich Peninsula –it’s a great way to arrive for a gigat The O2.Thirty-four cabins make the1km journey across the Thames,offering spectacular views from90m up in the air. Even lifelongLondoners are gobsmackedby the experience. As you flyover the river, you can see theOlympic Stadium in Stratford,the Old Royal Naval College inGreenwich, east to the ThamesBarrier and west to St Paul’s.The service runs daily until 9pm(8pm in winter). For Oyster cardholders, the fare is £3.30 (£1.70children), and £7.80 (£4.80children) gets you a non-stopreturn flight, souvenir brochureand entry to the Emirates AviationExperience. You can even takea bike on board if you’re doing acycle tour of the area. See www.tfl.gov.uk/emiratesairline.BARCLAYSCYCLE HIRELondon’s public bike sharingscheme has been such a successthat the ranks of blue bikes arealmost as iconic a sight as reddouble-decker buses. It’s easyand cheap to grab a bike and go.You just insert your bank cardinto the docking station terminaland follow the instructions tounlock a bike. Ride it where youlike, then return it to any dockingstation. There are 10,000 bikesto choose from, and over 700docking stations, located every300 to 500m.TfL’s live map shows you theCaption kicker caption captionnearest docking station and howmany bikes are available (www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire). If youride to a docking station and it’sfull, the terminal tells you wherethe nearest alternative dockingstation is and you can get anextra 15 free minutes to reach itand dock.Costs start at £2 for 24 hours,with unlimited journeys of under30 minutes, ideal for touring roundtown sightseeing or meetingfriends. There are charges forlonger journeys, but you can avoidthese by docking along the way,waiting five minutes and settingoff again. You must be 18 yearsold to hire a bike, and 14 to ride.You can register online and getyour own key for quicker access.JOHN STURROCK, ROB CLAYTONBEN ROWE, JUSTIN GRAINGERIVER SERVICESRiver busesTake to the river for a relaxingway to escape the crowds anddiscover another side of London.Thames Clippers runs a riverbus service every day from earlymorning to late evening, or laterif there’s an event at The O2. Siton deck and see the sights floatby, or you’re guaranteed a seatinside, where you can catch upon your email with a cappuccino– most services have wi-fi and allhave refreshments.RB1 is the most popular routeand runs between Embankmentand Woolwich Arsenal piers, withstops including Bankside, CanaryWharf and Greenwich. Boatsdepart every 20 minutes andthere are information boards totell you when the next one’s due.Oyster pay as you go holdersget 10 percent off single journeys(except RB6) and with a paperor Oyster Travelcard you get athird off all adult and child fares.A River Roamer ticket gives youunlimited rides all day for £16.50,or £11 for Travelcard holders andstudents, and £8.25 for children(£5.50 with Travelcard). Familytickets (two adults, three children)are great for an excursion at £36.River toursFor more river action, there areexciting tours and trips. CrownRiver Cruises (www.crownrivercruise.co.uk), City Cruises (www.citycruises.com) and ThamesRiver Services (www.thamesriverservices.co.uk) run sightseeingtours with commentary, andBateaux London (www.bateauxlondon.com) has daily lunch,afternoon tea and dinner cruises.See www.tfl.gov.uk/river for moreinformation on all these trips.For a grand day out on thecoast, Waverley Excursions(www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk)runs paddle steamer trips, withTower Bridge opening to let youthrough to Southend, Clacton andWhitstable (Sep 26-Oct 12). If thatsounds too sedate, try a LondonRIB Voyages speedboat adventure(www.londonribvoyages.com).Departing from London Eye Pier,the boat sweeps calmly throughthe city, but past Tower Bridge itpowers up to 35 knots as it zigzagsto Canary Wharf and back.More great days outThe Emirates Air Line and ThamesClippers have joint packagescombining gliding down the riverand flying across it. For £18.60(£10.20 children) you get returntravel on a river bus, and a Roamerticket (£21.80, £11.80 children,£50 family) buys you all-day hoponhop-off travel – both combinedwith a return trip on the EmiratesAir Line and entry to the EmiratesAviation Experience. Until Aug 31.RIVER, AIR & BICYCLE22 TIME OUT Explore by DLR 2014/15Explore by DLR 2014/15 TIME OUT 23