London Bus Tour
 

Many years ago when I visited London there was a company called "Magic Bus" that offered tours around the city. You would buy a ticket for the day and you could board and unboard at various points around the city. Along the way, a recording described the sights. Is there anything else like that still operating in London? I'm also interested in suggestions of where I might find websites for London and England where I might be able to order maps and brochures. Suggestions for inexpensive but clean lodging for a family would also be appreciated. Thanks!!

Yes, there are a number of busses that run the same type of tours - that you can hop on and off all day for one price. The website that I like the best for U.K. info is allthingsbritish.com. It has a number of links that are really great. If you go to London during the summer months, I would encourage you to try to catch a performance at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - they're great. <BR>Martha <BR> <BR>

Doug, <BR>Rather than attempting to orient yourself to London by taking "the big red bus tour" with a bunch of other tourists from Idaho, Hong Kong and Sydney, first pick up a copy of the A-Z Visitors' London Atlas and Guide. It's about the size of a postcard and less than half an inch thick, but it lists every major attraction in London, opening and closing hours and nearest underground station. It also has a superbly detailed set of maps that identify every street, attraction on it, underground stations and bus routes identified by street. Now, purchase a London transport ticket for Zone 1 (where almost all of the attractions are located). Costs will range from 10 pounds for a "carnet" of 10 tickets, to 3.80 for an all day pass to 14.80 for a weekly pass. With A-Z Guide in hand, you have a couple of inexpensive sightseeing options. At Victoria Station, board one of the red double decker London Transport buses marked "11 Liverpool Street Station". Sit up top up front. You'll drive past Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, up Whitehall past 10 Downing Street, Horse Guards and Banqueting Hall to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, then onto the Strand past the Courtauld Institute, to Fleet Street and the Royal Courts of Justice, and on to St. Paul's Cathedral. As an alternate, at Paddington Station or Marble Arch, board the city bus marked "15 Canningtown" and ride down Oxford Street past Selfridge's department store to Oxford Circus then down Regent Street past Liberty's and Josiah Wedgewood to Piccadilly Circus and on to Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's and the Tower of London. Get on and off as frequently as you please, your ticket (which may cost less than 10% of the one for "the big red bus") is good all day. By combining both bus rides you will end up seeing every one of London's major attractions except Buckingham Palace and Harrod's. <BR> <BR>You may find the following websites of interest: <BR> <BR>www.london.walks.com - London walking tours <BR>www.walklon.ndirect.co.uk - London walking tours <BR>www.guided-walks-in-london.net - London walking tours <BR>www.londontown.com - London Tourist Authority website <BR>www.visitus.co.uk - British Tourist Authority website <BR>www.great-britain.org/ukguide.htm <BR>www.dedicate.co.uk/@uk - links to 100s of regional, local tourist websites <BR>www.uktravel.com A - Z Guide <BR>www.beduk.co.uk - Accommodations in United Kingdom <BR>www.kgp-publishing.co.uk - B&Bs in London, Great Britain; self catering cottages <BR>www.britain.co.uk Emphasis on Bath, Edinburgh, London and York <BR>www.whatson.com - Theatre and concert listings, reviews, ticketing <BR>www.infotel.co.uk <BR>www.b-and-b-online.com - Bed and Breakfasts <BR>www.b-and-b-scotland.co.uk <BR>www.londontransport.co.uk <BR>www.northumbria-tourist-board.org.uk <BR>www.thisislondon.com <BR>www.aa.com <BR>www.allthingsbritish.com <BR> <BR>Feel free to Email me Doug, I have some London itineraries that may be of interest to you. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Even though many people seem to dislike the bus tours, we just returned from a 3 1/2 week vacation in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England and Scotland. As we were not familiar with the history of England, we found the Big Bus tour to be very helpful in understanding the importance of the various buildings in English history as well as a way to get a perspective of England's history. We found the one-day tour to be most beneficial as we only had two days to spend in London. We took the tour the first day, and then used the maps and a pass on the tube to see the other parts of London. It cost about 12£ per person, but also included a short boat ride on the Thames. You can also obtain tickets to various plays at a discount. Obviously, a tour with other tourists is not for everyone; however, we enjoyed being given the history of the area in addition to being able to tour the various attractions. If you are well versed in English history, the Big Bus tour would probably not be of interest to you.

I just got back from London and sincerely recommend taking a "London Walk." While the bus tours obviously cover more ground, the walking tours allow you to see a smaller area in much greater detail. I went on three different walks and enjoyed them all; each lasted about 2 hours. With the Tube (subway) and the great public bus system, you can get around the city fairly easily and avoid the somewhat expensive tour bus fees. If you're interested, "London Walks" puts brochures all around the city-- just keep an eye out.

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