I know that we have the best of the best of London guides with beebee , so I've not been asking a lot of questions here. However, here's a couple...
The hop on hop off bus map shows several choices of tours. Would you advise us to ride the bus around the routes first, before getting off and on? I'm thinking that it would help us to see what is there and where it is, sort of an orientation because we've never been in London before. I'm a huge fan of these HOHO buses! We've taken them in Rome and it was absolutely perfect for reducing my tiny bit of traveler's anxiety about where things are and how to get to them.
What are your favorite stops on their routes that you'd not want to miss?
Any favorite spots along the way for us to stop for lunch?
"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." ~ Samuel Johnson Brenda
Brenda, It's been sometime since I was in London so perhaps others will have better info. We did take the "The Big Bus London" on/off tour which also came with a free river cruise down the Thames (we enjoyed this part too). There were three routes: Green, Red and Blue each taking about 1 1/2-2 hrs. It was a very complete tour of the city. Like you we did this for an overall view at the beginning of a pretty fast trip. One of my daughter's favorite stops (well we went back there and took a tour) was Shakespeare's Globe theater and we did do high tea which was great fun as well. Maybe not a priority on everyone's list but I had fun at Harrod's. I'm sure you have a grand list of all the "have to sees" (theater of course!). Wishing you a wonderful adventure. Barb Cabot
Posts: 584 | Location: Long Beach, California | Registered: 27 August 2007
BGE, we used the 2 day HOHO bus in London. With such a short stay we got off at places we wanted to visit because the traffic was so congested it took a really long time to go on some of the routes.
It was a good way to get your bearings, we thought. Look for the time they operate, because in some places I've been they stop by 5pm.
It also included the boats, but we did not have the time to do that.
Originally posted by BGE: The hop on hop off bus map shows several choices of tours. Would you advise us to ride the bus around the routes first, before getting off and on? I'm thinking that it would help us to see what is there and where it is, sort of an orientation because we've never been in London before. I'm a huge fan of these HOHO buses! We've taken them in Rome and it was absolutely perfect for reducing my tiny bit of traveler's anxiety about where things are and how to get to them.
Hi Brenda, This is just a review for the public transportation system because it was not as overwhelming as it first appears. Fortunately for us, our hotel gave us a map which included the most popular tourist atractions and their respective routes and connections.
We-my stepmother and I- just returned from London this past week, and while we originally planned on buying the two daily tickets @ $42 US each for the "Hop on, Hop off" buses to assist us with getting oriented with the city, we quickly became a fan of the daily £3.50 bus and underground ticket available at stations and ticket machines next to many of the stops. We never did get around to using the "tour buses".
In addition to our handy map, our hotel was located on a main bus route, number 24, which gave us easy access to make any connections at Victoria Station and Trafalgar Square. London buses seem much different than the Italian buses: at most times they were not overloaded, and the few times that I did have to stand were fairly short journeys. And best of all, was the short time between buses; with the one exception for a late bus on Saturday night-after the Lion King (so great!)-we never waited more than five minutes for any bus! I wish I could say that here in Ann Arbor! At any rate, getting around London was not too bad if I kept my bus information handy. I loved London, and I'm a fan of their public transportation system! I cannot wait to return!
Cindy ~ "Follow your Bliss." Find where it is, and don't be afraid to follow it. ~ Joseph Campbell
Posts: 767 | Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA | Registered: 16 November 2005
TfL has a diagram map that relates key attractions to regular bus routes: so you could do yourself a tour of your own (without commentary, admittedly):
Originally posted by PatrickLondon: TfL has a diagram map that relates key attractions to regular bus routes: so you could do yourself a tour of your own (without commentary, admittedly):
Yes, that was the map our hotel gave us, Patrick. We also used the back of my "London Mini Map" by Bensons Map Guides (ISBN 1-898929-18-1), which also listed several more of the buses that went to each tourist attraction. That really helped us when we needed to make a last minute transfer. I purchased it at a souvenier stand after I could not locate half the streets on the map that I had brought with me. Since there were so many options for public transportation, we also used the journey planner.
Cindy ~ "Follow your Bliss." Find where it is, and don't be afraid to follow it. ~ Joseph Campbell
Posts: 767 | Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA | Registered: 16 November 2005
I'm not a great fan of HOHOs for London, prefering to use the variety of options London Transport has to offer. As mentioned above the TfL website is very informative, easy to use & the transport options of bus, tube, DLR cover all areas relatively cheaply.
Enjoy!
Posts: 457 | Location: Adelaide, South Australia | Registered: 08 May 2005
We also simply used London's bus system for our own tour, very often trailing behind the HOHO bus. Our commentary was supplied by London commuters, entertaining in itself. Here's a great site with some maps and a guide--London for Free
I have never done one of the HOHO busses. We use our oyster card for our longer stays since it can just be refilled. But for you the daily pass is a great idea. Almost ANY bus, along with a good map can be 'off and on'.
The Tube system is great... but riding atop a big red bus is almost like riding in a big convertible around Savannah. You will have a brilliant time!
We spent the day in London yesterday - rather a long day. We took the 7:13 Eurostar from Paris Nord, arrived in London at 8:30; then took the 18:00 Eurostar and arrived back in Paris at 21:15.
The weather was cooler than we expected - cloudy but very little wet stuff. It was very windy at times, though. We did not get to spend any time in any of the parks.
We purchased the one day Traveler card and we got our money's worth. We are having a bit of mobility problems right now - sore heels and some hip joint pain, so we took buses. We got seats at the very front of the upper deck on two of the busses. It was great to see as we crawl along. London is one very busy place!
We saw areas we have not seen in our numerous visits in the past. I don't think that we would do a daytrip to London from Paris ever again. It's just not long enough to enjoy the city. Our last visit was spring 2005 - too long ago.
Posts: 469 | Location: san francisco but so excited being in Venezia for the holidays!! | Registered: 22 April 2005
Thank you so much! Why do I love Slowtrav people? This is why! Ask a question and all kinds of wonderful people come out with all the information and advice I need. There are so many options and choices, so I need to think about this and see what fits us best. I also want to see the King Tutankhamun exhibition at the O2, and need to figure out how to get there, as well.
I'm so looking forward to this trip! I've never been to London, so having a few days there is just the icing on the cake!
"Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" explores the figures who guided ancient Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The exhibition focuses on the 18th Dynasty, a 100-year period when Egypt was at the height of its power and the "golden age" of Egyptian artistry. ~ National Geographic Brenda
O2 - easy to get to: by Jubilee line (newest and nicest, I think!) to North Greenwich Station or (a fun option this) by Thames Clipper fast boat. You can get a discount of 1/3 off the boat fare (£4 for the end to end journey) if you have a travelcard, so could go one way and come back the other. See www.theo2.co.uk
I can understand why you might like the HOHO buses, but they are quite pricey: a day bus pass (all of London)is only £3.50 and a travel card ,which covers the tube as well (zones 1 & 2, which is all the Central London you will want, I should think) is £5.30 (off peak, which means after 9.30 - £6.80 if you are an early bird and fancy hurling yourself into the rush hour. Seriously, don't!) Cash fares for bus and tube are awful value. You can get Travelcards at any tube station, rail station or any newsagent etc that has the Ticketstop sign.
Let www.tfl.gov.uk be your friend: the website for all London public transport - it gives real time updates for tube services etc., The BBC TV news in the morning has frequent updates on travel.
Bus routes 15,11, 24 are all very useful for looking at the vital touristy bits.
Posts: 922 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 20 September 2006
But I know many choose to use them an have many happy memories of them, so, to each his own. And for some people with limited mobility (whether from age or lots of children or other reason) they are a great thing that lets them see a lot in a little time and choose their go-backs well.
However, because many cite as a major reason that they use them to become oriented to the city, I would urge people who take them to get a little map and "play along on the home game".
Keep track of where you are going, vaguely how you got there. Look at major street names and landmarks. Circle/write down things that look interesting, that you'd like to revisit. See if you can spot where the nearest underground station is, or what the number is on the bus that's stopped near the museum/attraction you want to go to. I think this is more useful that the stuff the guide is telling you.
And hop off a lot, even if it's just to walk around the block to see what's there or have a snack. Don't fall asleep!
When I see the buses go by, too many people look like they are overwhelmed, exhausted, underdressed for the weather (either sunburnt or wearing those awful handout logo ponchos!) and just watching everything go by. Too many look miserable to me. (Though some do look like they're having a blast, even in a hurricane in those ponchos!)
My own personal experience is that on the few occasions I have let other people take me around a strange city, I remember almost nothing about it, and can't get myself around if I go back.
I only "own the knowledge" if I earn it by figuring it out myself.
So if you do it, I encourage everyone to make it an active, not a passive experience.
I don't think that's a problem with the regulars here!
Panda, Thanks for the help with O2! I have no idea how to get there. Our fantastic hosts in London have also sent me directions from their home, as well, so with your excellent websites and information, and Barb's directions, I am positive now that we'll be fine getting there. I love the idea of the Thames Clipper!
BlueHour, Great ideas and excellent advice, thanks so much! I've only used HOHO buses in Rome, and we loved the idea of seeing before going, so to speak. We rode around the circuit once and then were confident enough to HOHO the second trip around the block. So, my experience with them is quite limited. It's good to hear others' opinions of them!
I'm 2 sleeps from leaving and, of course, way behind and running at warp speed to get it all done in time. Last week at work was q-u-i-e-t, then this week, the rubber really hit the road and we've been super-busy every single second, staying late to make sure everyone is taken care of. I'll do the best I can to blog and post photos daily for everyone, once I'm over the jet-lag that usually follows this length of flight. We are so excited and so looking forward to this trip. My granddarling, TiaD, loves London and I've never been there, so that's a good combination for enjoying the city!
"And that's the wonderful thing about family travel: it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind." ~ Dave Barry Brenda
Originally posted by BlueHour: However, because many cite as a major reason that they use them to become oriented to the city, I would urge people who take them to get a little map and "play along on the home game"... Keep track of where you are going, vaguely how you got there. Look at major street names and landmarks. Circle/write down things that look interesting, that you'd like to revisit. See if you can spot where the nearest underground station is, or what the number is on the bus that's stopped near the museum/attraction you want to go to. I think this is more useful that the stuff the guide is telling you... I only "own the knowledge" if I earn it by figuring it out myself.
BlueHour, I am going to hazard a guess that you might be a man. I say that because, while everything you say is true, it presupposes good spatial and geographic awareness - something men seem to have in good measure (generally speaking). In my experience it's a talent more thinly spread among females (she said tip-toeing her way carefully through the minefield ) I for one, have no real sense of a place without repeated familiarisation and that comes from someone who is very comfortable at navigating using a map (lots of women I know claim to be hopeless at reading maps). But for me using a map is the way to get from A to B. I just don’t get a sense of place from reading a map and walking. For this reason I like the idea of seeing the city from the top of a bus looking down as the city unfolds before me.
So the tourist buses allow you to get a “feel” of a place, a sense of how far one site is from another, without having to pound the pavement and without being anxious that you might miss your stop. I’m sure you’re right that one never remembers a thing the guide says but I’m not sure that’s really the point. I think the idea is to entertain people with some commentary while they gaze out at the sights. In other words, it's just an introduction.
My judgement about whether it’s worth doing, depends on how much time you have at your disposal and whether you think £20-£25 is too much to lay out for a 24 hour period.
Beebee
Posts: 1951 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 09 September 2002
Thanks so much for your information and comments! I'll know soon enough...we're sitting in the most gorgeous hotel in Toronto Airport area, and will leave for the airport around 6:00 A.M. tomorrow morning for our flight to London! Wooo-hooo! Can you tell we are rockin' our little socks off with excitement? Now, the trick will be to find our way to the underground, and not take a train in the wrong direction. We have fantastic directions, so I think we'll be fine!
Thank you so much for all of the help I've received here for this trip. I'll be blogging when we arrive and during our time in London and Paris! See you soon, Barb!
"There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it." ~ Charles Dudley Warner Brenda
Just because you're not good at map reading and spatial relations doesn't mean you can't learn it.
My point is for people who say they're paying above the odds to be driven around on a bus with the rationalization that it's to orient them, that works much better if they have a map and can connect it with real places in their heads, rather than thinking they're going to remember it all. But to think a first-time visitor is going to remember enough about one of the world's largest cities after a spin without a map is putting too much strain on a jet-lagged head.
But if you can make a few scratchings and connections to things you can see, that's when you start to think things like "wow, that looks far on the map, but I bet we could walk to the Eye from here." or "I never thought about it, but this looks like an interesting place to walk around -- what's the name on that Tube stop? Hey, that's right around the corner from the museum." And suddenly, you're a traveler!
It doesn't have to spoil the fun. Just don't keep your head buried in the map the whole time either.
If your goal is to let it wash over you, then by all means, let it wash!
, so I've not been asking a lot of questions here. However, here's a couple...
(so great!)-we never waited more than five minutes for any bus! I wish I could say that here in Ann Arbor! At any rate, getting around London was not too bad if I kept my bus information handy. I loved London, and I'm a fan of their public transportation system! I cannot wait to return! 
