It is not the first time that a European city has deployed a cable car to speed travelers over a river. The Kölner Seilbahn has been whisking passengers across the Rhine for over half a century, along the way affording magnificent views of Cologne’s fine Gothic cathedral.

But a cable car is a first for London, giving visitors to the city another option for crossing the river. Though, of course, they are already spoiled for choice. London has its landmark bridges, plus tunnels and ferries aplenty, so–while we wait for the cable car to be completed–we have been taking a look at London’s top five river crossings.

1. The London Millennium Footbridge

This is the perfect link between St. Paul’s cathedral and the growing cluster of attractions on the south bank of the river: Tate Modern, Bankside Gallery and the Globe Theatre. The footbridge, which opened in 2002, is airy, light and elegant.

2. The Albert Bridge

Compared to the youthful Millennium Footbridge, the Albert Bridge is a real veteran of the river. Opened in 1873, the bridge connects Chelsea with Battersea Park. It looks for all the world like a suspension bridge, though it fact it is not. It just oozes Victorian grace and is a great spot to linger at night. Traffic is always light. Just now, the bridge is closed for refurbishment, but this prettiest of London bridges will reopen later in 2011.

3. Greenwich Foot Tunnel

This is a decidedly oddball way to cross the Thames. Near the preserved Cutty Sark ship on the Greenwich riverfront is a brick building with a glass dome that many visitors mistake for public toilets. Actually it is the entrance to a foot tunnel under the Thames that opened in 1902. The northern end of the tunnel is in Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs, from where there are super views back across the river to Greenwich. And just in case you are wondering, the Isle of Dogs is not an island at all.

4. The Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Ferry

This is the only one of our top five river crossings that you have to pay to use. The ferry connects the Hilton Docklands Hotel (on the south bank of the river) with Canary Wharf. The boat shuttles to and fro between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on weekdays. At weekends, it starts at 9 a.m. We think this little ferry hop is at its spring and summer best late afternoon or early evening, when the sun to the west really shows off Canary Wharf architecture at its most dazzling.

5. The Woolwich Free Ferry

Free, just as the name says! Operating day-in, day-out since 1889, the Woolwich Free Ferry is a London institution. Services run from 6 a.m. till 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The Woolwich Free Ferry carries vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

Your favorite Thames crossing?

If you have thoughts on your favorite Thames river crossing, be it by tunnel, ferry or bridge, why not share them here? Within Greater London alone, there are more than 50 options from which the traveler can choose.

The post London’s Bridges, Tunnels and Ferries: Top 5 ways to cross the Thames appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Book browsing along the Seine.

Getting there

The Saint-Michel Metro stop will allow for a little bouquiniste browsing as you make your way. Along with a book, pick up a sandwich at a nearby boulangerie or even a compact but oh so filling crêpe fromage! I’m not the first to propose the tip of the Île de la Cité as the perfect spot for a little pic-a-necking, and I certainly won’t be the last.

The bridge: Pont Neuf

Still curvaceous and fabulous at 403-years-old, the “New Bridge” is actually the oldest standing bridge in Paris. Created by Henri IV, it was the first to be built without houses or shops (i.e., “firetraps”) lining it.

As the king of the original urban re-do, Henri also banned timber construction throughout the city, promoted symmetry in its public architecture, connected the Tuileries with the Louvre, and created Paris’s first city square! Thank Henri’s Place des Vosges for getting the party started in the Marais. Even today, this very stylish square is still a prime place to see and be seen.

Henri IV, avec cheval

As you promenade across the bridge, stop and cool your heels in one of its nook-like bastions. Originally these niches were created for the safety of pedestrians seeking to avoid being run over by passing carriages clattering madly by.

Jolly Green Giant: Statue of Henri IV

The bridge cuts across the island connecting the Right and Left Banks of the river. In its very center, you’ll find a huge bronze statue of Henri IV on horseback. Some folks consider the square around it the very center of Western Civilization. I don’t know about that, but I can vouch for it as a great place to make momentous decisions. See, Cheapos, this is where my paramour proposed to me! (I accepted.)

You’ll find the King’s square directly below. Just follow the steps.

Le Square du Vert-Galant

What’s in a name? Le Square du Vert-Galant

For the love of vitality, admiration, and gossip, Parisians gave the little tear-drop-shaped park the flamboyant King’s nickname, “Vert-Galant,” or “Gay Blade,” since he was larger than life, compassionate, and wildly loved. Mad about music, wine and women, Henri would horse around here with his friends, entertainers, and favorite mistress, Gabrielle d’Estrée. As he liked to say, “Great cooking and great wines make a paradise on earth!”

And speaking of big appetites, this is also where Hemingway relaxed with books, wine, and sausages while watching the fishermen. “They always caught some fish,” he wrote, “and often they made excellent catches of the dace-like fish that were called goujon. They were plump and sweet-fleshed with a finer flavor than fresh sardines even, and were not at all oily, and we ate them bones and all.” For more park ideas, read about our seven favorite parks.

Tip of the Île de la Cité

The tip of the Ile de la Cite

Just beyond the le Square du Vert-Galant, you’ll find the downstream tip of the Île de la Cité. Pick a spot on the stone ledge and then settle yourself down for some smooth bateaux-cruise watching from underneath the weeping willow. I’ve been told that this tree is always the first in Paris to leaf out each spring! Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and the (currently closed) grand magasin Samaritaine pop up like a panoramic all-star photo shoot surrounding you.

Clipping from Hemingway, Cheapos, “There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other.”

The post Paris Place: Le Square du Vert-Galant at the tip of the Ile de la Cité appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Regardless, there’s quite a bit to be said for the real bridges (“ponts“) in Paris. Join us, as we stroll from the Ile St. Louis to the Eiffel Tower, crossing over some of the city’s best bridges.

A river runs under it

Bicycle man

We start at the Pont Sully (built 1876), at the very eastern edge of the Ile St. Louis. Down below on the banks, this section of the isle is an ideal location for sunbathers on a clear day. After gazing out to the east of Paris, take a stroll westward through what has become one of the city’s most fashionable addresses.

The Pont St. Louis (completed 1970) is a tiny bridge connecting the Ile St. Louis with the Ile de la Cité. It sits in the shadow of Notre Dame, across the street from one of the many places selling the famous Berthillon ice cream (though not the original, at 31 rue St. Louis en Ile). This bridge is prime real estate for musicians and other street performers. On a recent afternoon, a crazy French clown and his amazing trick bicycle entertained a crowd of a few dozen, while a rock band was only too glad to take over once the clown’s show finished.

Everything old is new again

Continuing west off the Ile de la Cité, the next major bridge is the Pont Neuf. Despite it’s name, it’s actually the oldest bridge in Paris, completed in 1607. Just north of the bridge is the Samaritaine department store, closed since 2005 for safety-related renovations. The tip of the island to the west of the Pont Neuf is popular with picnickers. Although alcohol is officially “interdit,” gendarmes tend to look the other way if you pour your beverage into cups and hide the bottle.

Looking towards the Pont des Arts

No cars allowed

Following the Seine west, the next bridge we encounter is the Pont des Arts (completed 1984), an iconic footbridge anchored by the Louvre on one side and the Institut de France on the other. Taking a cue from the bridge’s name, many artists and craftsmen set up shop here to display their creations.

A little ways down is another pedestrian bridge, today called the Passerelle Léopold Sédar Senghor after the first president of Senegal and the first African to be a part of the Academie française. Completed in its latest incarnation in 1999, this bridge arcs right down to the edge of the Seine.

Bridging the gap

The Paris city hall website calls the Pont Alexandre III “Paris’s most elegant bridge.” It can be a little hard to appreciate the fine sculpture work, however, with all the cars and buses roaring up from the Avenue de Maréchal Galliéni. The bridge was built between 1896 and 1900.

Between the Pont Alexandre III and the Eiffel Tower there is not much to see aside from the Passerelle Debilly, a pedestrian bridge built for the 1900 World’s Fair. Still, a walk along the southern bank of the Seine is quite pleasant, as it’s mostly a tree-lined strip of a park.

La Tour Eiffel

Get over it

We have finally reached the Pont d’Iéna (completed 1814), which was originally conceived to commemorate Napoleon’s 1806 victory in the battle of Jena. The bridge is an excellent spot for taking photos of the Eiffel Tower. Across the river, the steps of the Palais de Chaillot are probably the best place to watch the tower’s evening light show that takes place every hour from sunset to 1 AM (2 AM in summer).

Your favorite bridge?

Do you have a favorite bridge in Paris? How about a favorite spot along the Seine? Tell us in the comments section below.

About the author: Liz Webber is a freelance journalist living and working in Paris. She has previously worked for the International Herald Tribune and Budget Travel.

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