London-Hop on-hop off bus
#3
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Go to www.london-tour.conciergedesk.co.uk.you an buy tickets on line, their day & overnight tours to Paris are very good value also
#4
Join Date: Mar 2003
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I used the Big Bus and really liked it. A friend of mine used The Original Tour and she was pleased. So like another poster wrote, there's probably little difference.
Whichever you use, I do think that it is one of the best things to do on your first day in London. It really gave me a great overview of everything and you did get bit o history by the guides.
Whichever you use, I do think that it is one of the best things to do on your first day in London. It really gave me a great overview of everything and you did get bit o history by the guides.
#5
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Hi
I did the Big Bus Tour. I researched both and came to the conclusion that was the best (can't remember why). We enjoyed it. Guides were upbeat and chirpy. It was fun riding upstairs on a double decker bus coasting through the streets of London. As a bonus they have a couple of free excursions. We did the Rock n Roll tour - that was great!
Cheers
I did the Big Bus Tour. I researched both and came to the conclusion that was the best (can't remember why). We enjoyed it. Guides were upbeat and chirpy. It was fun riding upstairs on a double decker bus coasting through the streets of London. As a bonus they have a couple of free excursions. We did the Rock n Roll tour - that was great!
Cheers
#7
Join Date: Jun 2004
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With a £3 Bus Pass, you can also hop on and off the city buses for a day (£11 per week). Here's your map of sights:
<b>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/pdfdocs/cen_bus.pdf
</b>
<b>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/pdfdocs/cen_bus.pdf
</b>
#10
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Big Bus offers a number of walking tours as freebies. Original has lunch discount coupons.
Original's river tour is circular (begins and ends at Westminster Pier). Big's is one way (either downriver or up).
They both have too many different routes that overlap at various places. For example: between them, they run FOUR buses from the West End to the Tower and down the South Bank. So if you take either Big's Red and Blue tours or Original's Red and Yellow tours, you'll see about 3/4 of London twice.
Yet another reason the DiY Bus Pass tour is superior.
Original's river tour is circular (begins and ends at Westminster Pier). Big's is one way (either downriver or up).
They both have too many different routes that overlap at various places. For example: between them, they run FOUR buses from the West End to the Tower and down the South Bank. So if you take either Big's Red and Blue tours or Original's Red and Yellow tours, you'll see about 3/4 of London twice.
Yet another reason the DiY Bus Pass tour is superior.
#11
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Marycang, I hope you don't mind if I join your discussion as we are also travelling to London. We are torn between doing the bus tour ourselves or using the Big Bus tour (expensive). Many say the Big Bus tour commentary makes it worth the money. Is there another way to easily obtain "fun" and educational information on the sites seen on your own bus tour? Thanks to Robespierre I have downloaded the scenic bus routes and they do pass by all the major sites. I want the kids (and myself) to know what we're seeing and get a lay of the land, so to speak.
#13
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It consists of buying a Bus Pass and being your own guide:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34535187
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34535187
#15
Join Date: May 2005
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I'm planning a weekend in London this summer (last weekend of July). I was thinking about the bus tours too, but finally I think the Bus Pass is more suitable for me and my friend, it's cheaper and as my friend doesn't speak English we don't have the chance of a live commentary, just a taped one ..I think it doesn't worth the money.
Maureen, there is a Westminster - St Katharine’s Hop on hop off service. Just search in this page : http://www.ltbuses.co.uk/river/
Maureen, there is a Westminster - St Katharine’s Hop on hop off service. Just search in this page : http://www.ltbuses.co.uk/river/
#16
Join Date: Sep 2003
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I´m also looking for the best for me. I think it depends on if and how you are planning to use other things the buses offers like the Walk Tours, River Cruises, lunchs and so on ...
Big bus offers walk tours and an one-way River Cruiser but is more expensive and it seems the late bus tour leaves earlier than the late Original Tour bus ( I´m not sure, still checking )
The Original Bus offers some lunch discounts, a circular thames-river cruises ( in several languages ) but not walk tours.
Although Big bus is more expensive than the original Bus it offers a not live tour also in Portuguese, my native language, what seems be better for me.
My only complain is that Big Bus is not RED. I´d like to take a RED bus
Probably all of you looking for the better hop on-off bus already have the links, but anyway here it is:
http://www.bigbustours.com/uk/html/uk_our_tours.html
http://www.theoriginaltour.com/tour_information/
You can contact me to exchange ideia if you want.
[email protected]
Big bus offers walk tours and an one-way River Cruiser but is more expensive and it seems the late bus tour leaves earlier than the late Original Tour bus ( I´m not sure, still checking )
The Original Bus offers some lunch discounts, a circular thames-river cruises ( in several languages ) but not walk tours.
Although Big bus is more expensive than the original Bus it offers a not live tour also in Portuguese, my native language, what seems be better for me.
My only complain is that Big Bus is not RED. I´d like to take a RED bus
Probably all of you looking for the better hop on-off bus already have the links, but anyway here it is:
http://www.bigbustours.com/uk/html/uk_our_tours.html
http://www.theoriginaltour.com/tour_information/
You can contact me to exchange ideia if you want.
[email protected]
#17
Join Date: Mar 2004
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I don't know what it is, but when I'm at home I don't have the slightest problem knowing north, south, east, and west, but when I am in London, I suddenly have no idea in h--- what direction is what. I blame it on the streets that go at all angles. Anyway, for that reason I find one of the bus tours to be great for me, inspite of the cost. Getting lost is wonderful, and I'm so very good at it in both London and Paris, but when I, for what ever reason, want to spend the day at a couple of places in particular, I don't need to be wandering around for a couple of hours. My older brother on the other hand is like a homeing pidgeon...he just knows where everytning is and what direction etc. what ever city or place he is in. It just never works that we can travel together.
#18
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I answer my own question-- when in London, we did discover that one or both of the bus tour companies offer a hop-on-hop-off bus combined with one Thames river cruise, good for 24 hours. We ended up buying the day pass for the metro and the bus combined, then buying the Thames cruise separately. That worked fine for us. Loved London. The tube and the buses are very easy to figure out.