I was excited to find out last night that The Shard, the tallest building in the European Union, had an observation deck. I love a good observation deck so I can check out the city sites and really absorb how big a city is.
The observation deck is located between the 68th and 72nd floors of the huge glass structure. To get to the The View from the Shard (quite an original name) you have to first get tickets. Last night we went online and purchased from www.theviewfromtheshard.com tickets using their online reservation system. It is nicely set up and there are limited tickets per half hour increment, so it is good to make sure you plan ahead. You can also plan to buy tickets at the door but if they are sold out, you may be out of luck. Tickets are £29.95 (or about $46.80 USD). As long as it is a clear day, I always find it worth it.
A little tip, we showed up a few minutes before our appointed entry time of 2:30 and they let us go up early. We didn't have to wait in any line for anything and were up to the 68th floor in minutes.
To get up to the View from the Shard, you need to take two elevators. I'm assuming because of the narrowing of the building.
At the top the first observation deck is inside. The 360 degree view of the city is breathtaking. So many awesome sites to see and picture opportunities. Three flights of stairs up (or an elevator if you are lazy or unable to walk up the stairs) there is an outdoor observation deck that is just below the pinnacle of the building. Again, the views are amazing, pretty much the same as below, but you have the open sky above you. For pictures, I did find downstairs inside a little better, there was less reflection if you are lucky enough to be in London when it isn't covered in clouds.
