“When a man is tired of London he is tired of life. For there is in London all that life can afford,” said Dr Samuel Johnson in 1777. And the old boy was absolutely right.

With a little bit of forward planning it is possible to see London from a completely new angle on a cheap day return.

London Travel Guide: The London Eye Experience

A short stroll across Hungerford Bridge took me to the old County Hall where I was able to book a trip on the river - the London Eye River Cruise Experience - and a flight on the London Eye. Although booking on the day is fast and efficient it is possible to pre-book via www.londoneye.com. The river trip boarded from the jetty in the shadow of the Eye and the cruiser, with comfortable seats on the top deck and inside, travelled up river under Westminster Bridge before turning downstream just beyond Tower Bridge. The commentary over the PA system, which pointed out the many places of interest along the river, was informative, entertaining and surprisingly spontaneous. The trip lasted about 45 minutes and certainly added to my knowledge of the capital.

A trip on the Eye is a must for any day trip to London and it’s not surprising that it has become one of the most popular paid for attractions in the UK since it was opened at the turn of this century. It is now part of the London skyline and even at peak times boarding is fast and efficient. Needless to say the views were breathtaking and I couldn’t help wondering what Dr. Johnson would have made of it all.

London Travel Guide: The London Aquarium

No sooner had I landed than it was to time to literally pop next door to the London Aquarium for an underwater journey “through the rivers, lakes and oceans of the world” and a chance to get up close and personal with sharks, piranhas, stingrays and many more exotic species. There are over 50 living displays, 350 different species in 2 million litres of water and with clever recreation of natural habitat and use of lighting, the effect is truly spectacular. There is an educational as well as an entertainment element to be found here. To find out more about what times the sharks are hand fed by divers visit www.londonaquarium.co.uk.

London Travel Guide: Scary London Bridge

My next port of call was a quantum leap from the relaxing atmosphere of the aquarium to visit one of London’s newest attractions - The London Bridge Experience featuring The London Tombs. The brochure screams “It’s new and it’s scary” and, believe me, it does what it says on the tin!

Located in the vaults of the famous 1831 London Bridge, close to London Bridge station, the tour follows the history of the bridge from Roman times to the present day, making use of a series of talented and very enthusiastic actors.

History lessons were never this entertaining at school and having been lulled into my comfort zone I was not even remotely prepared for what was to follow. The trip through the London Tombs has to be experienced to be believed. To call it scary is like calling the M1 a country lane! If you like to be scared witless, and let’s face it, most of us do, then The London Bridge Experience is a must. For details visit www.londonbridgeexperience.com.

Having seen London life from the river, from the air, underwater and underground, I felt I should do what good old Dr. Johnson would probably have done - I found a comfortable London pub to view the city from yet another angle.