Five Ways to Beat the Heat ~ London via Surrey

With temperatures set to soar, here are five ways to cool off:

While the London Underground and double-decker Routemaster buses can be warm . . .

...Take to the air
Emirates Air Line — The air conditioned cable car 90 metres (300 ft) is higher than than the O2 Arena Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks. The 10-13 minute (5 minutes 7 am - 9 am Monday - Friday) ride offers birds eye views of London and starts at £3.50 / adult and £1.70 / child (lowest prices for Oyster and contactless card travelers). If you are still hot, you can even go cable wakeboarding, stand up paddleboard (SUP), including yoga / pilates and even hydrofoiling (think kitesurfing without the kite and wind) on the Royal Victoria Dock waters.
www.emiratesairline.co.uk
www.wakeupdocklands.com ✆ +44 2039 503951
Wakeup Docklands, 1 Dock Road, London E16 1AG

...Travel by water
London Waterbus — The traditional narrow boat on the Regents Canal has is celebrating 60 years of service and stops at Camden Lock, Little Venice and London Zoo. The Waterbus and one way fares from Camden Lock and Little Venice start £12 / adult and £9 / children and one way fares into London Zoo (including zoo admission) start at £30 / adult and £22 / child. Booking online is suggested - especially on the weekends.
www.londonwaterbus.com ✆ +44 2037 639881

Thames Clippers — The MBNA Thames Clippers is the fastest and most frequent boat service on the River Thames with 17-stops starting at Putney Pier to Royal Arsenel Woolwich Pier. Major attractions along the route include Big Ben, London Eye, Shakespeare Globe, St. Paul's Cathedral and Tower of London to name a few. Similar to Emirates Air Line, discounted fares are available for Oyster and contactless card travelers. A 'hop on hop off' ticket is available along with a combination ticket offer with Emirates Air Line cable car.
www.thamesclippers.com

If you have fond recollections of running through the sprinkler like a kid, here is your chance to . . .

...Play in the fountains

King’s Cross : Granary Square Fountains — With 1,080 jets that cam be controlled and lit individually, this is one of the most popular attractions at King's Cross - especially on a hot summer day. At dusk the fountain is lit by multicolored lights for a colorful light show.
Bonus : In the winter, arrive between 4 pm - 5 pm the fountains become a video game and can be controlled using the Granary Squirt app via your smartphone.
www.kingscross.co.uk/fountains-granary-square
1 Granary Square, Kings Cross, London N1C

Southbank : Appearing Rooms — This cleverly designed, seasonal attraction sprays walls of water. You can time your entry in a way to stand in the ‘room’ without getting wet - unless of course you would like to or guess wrong! The fountain is on Noon - 9 pm Monday and 10 am - 9 pm Tuesday to Sunday.
www.southbanklondon.com/south-bank-centre-appearing-rooms
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

While you probably know that one of the coolest places in a home is the basement, but you may not know where you can . . .

...Eat underground

Cafe in the Crypt — Across the street from Trafalgar Square is St. Martin’s in the Fields Café. This 18th century building with its brick-vaulted ceilings is a great place to stop in and escape from the summer heat and stream of tourists. They offer a basic afternoon tea minus the fancy cake stand and have an affordable ‘cafeteria’ style lunch.
www.cafe-in-the-crypt ✆ +44 2077 661158
Ducannon Street, London WC2N 4JF