London: Have you taken the big bus tour? Tour route question
 

For anyone who has taken the big bus tour, or who knows:<BR>I cannot access the route map on their website. It just won't open for me.<BR>I e-mailed them, but I still need to know what routes these buses take:<BR>--Red Route takes approx. two hours<BR>--Blue Route one and three quarter hours <BR>--Green Route one and a half to two hours<BR><BR>Our plan is to pick up the bus on York Rd -- near our hotel at the County Hall buildings, staying on the bus, getting off at Tower of London for a river ride back to Westminster Pier.<BR><BR>I'd like to select the best route for this ride. It will be our first day in London & we want to just have a relaxing outing, while re-orienting ourself to the surroundings.<BR><BR>Any added information would be very helpful.<BR>Thank you~<BR>Jill

The Blue Route doesn't stop by your hotel. If you decide on the Blue Route, you have to cross the Bridge and pick up the bus near Westminster Abbey.<BR><BR>Red Route: Green Park, Hard Rock Cafe, Park Lane, Marble Arch, Mayfair, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square, Banqueting House, Whitehall, London Eye, Waterloo, Covent Garden, Aldwych, St. Paul's, London Bridge, Tower of London, Embankment Pier, Westminster Pier, Big Ben, Downing Street, Horse Guards, St. James Palace<BR><BR>To be continuted...

Green Route: Russell Square, Royal National Hotel, Bloomsbury, Aldwych, Trafalgar Square, St. James' Palace, Green Park Underground, Hard Rock Cafe, Park Lane, Marble Arch, Mayfair, London Hilton, Victoria Station, Victoria Coach Station, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Lambeth Palace, Parliament Square, Downing Street, Horse Guards, Trafalgar Square, Theatreland (Charing Cross Road), British Museum

Blue Route: Marble Arch, Madame Tussaud's, Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, 11 Haymarket, Trafalgar Square, Banqueting House, Whitehall, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Royal Mews, Victoria Station, Park Lane, London Hilton, Hyde Park Corner, Harrods, South Kensington Museums, Gloucester Road, Baden Powell, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palce, Notting Hill, Kensington Gardens, Peter Pan, Lancaster Walk, Bayswater, Paddington Station, Mayfair

I think only the Red Tour goes by Tower of London

Topping for Jill

The Big Bus is not the best choice for actual transport to a destination. They are designed as a hop-on-hop-off city tours and you can't count on them to make a certain schedule. They run many buses at one time (depending on the crowds out an about). Sometimes the next bus comes in 1 minute and sometimes it is 15 minutes. The best thing about the tours are that you can lesisurely use them to ride around and see things w/ the commentary and get off when you see something that interests you.<BR><BR>I would never use the tour buses to get to a specific location. So do take the Big Bus - but to get specifically to a place such as the Tower - take the Tube. Besides - the only way to see the Tower is to be there at opening time (otherwise the crowds are unbelievable) and the tour bus won't get you there that early.

Definitely take the Big Bus tour. We were in London in Dec and Jan and took the Big Bus tour and the guides were great...very funny and VERY informative. London is my favorite city in the world and this was my fourth trip there and I learned so much new info about the City. Definitely worth the 15 pounds and you can jump on and off and switch to other routes.

Philip!!<BR>Thank you VERY much. That is precisely the information I needed. I appreciate it greatly.<BR><BR>Jill

I emailed the Big Bus and they sent me a brochure that shows all the routes and all the stops. Give it a try.<BR>Victoria