Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
London Getting Around: Bus
Ask people what the iconic images of London are and high up the list will be the ubiquitous double decker, red, London Bus.
More than likely it will also be the old Routemaster, with the open rear platform. The bus which was the workhorse of the London network for many years.
Of course they were doomed in the days of Health and Safety and cost efficiency. First of all they needed a driver and conductor and the death knell came in 2013 when the then Mayor Ken Livingstone said they were too dangerous with a dozen fatalities a year caused by people falling off the platform.
They have been replaced by double decker buses with doors, much safer but not as much fun.
The good news is some Routemasters survive running on the No 15 heritage route between Tower Hill and Trafalgar Square, vis St Paul’s.
However the London bus network is a fully working network, operating 673 routes (including 52 night buses), with over 9,500 buses, 19,000 stops and six million daily passengers.
All the major attractions are covered and providing you do your research, and don’t mind not having a commentary, catching the service buses is a great way of seeing the sights at a fraction of the cost of the sightseeing buses.
Most route run from early morning to late night, with 52 routes offering a 24 hour service, meaning London has one of the best bus services of any major city in the world.
A word of warning, it is not possible to purchase tickets on the bus, you need to use an Oyster or contactless card, although there are some automatic ticket machines at the larger stops which will sell a one day pass.
Some of the best routes:-
15 This is the classic tourist route, taking in Brick Lane, Tower Bridge, The Tower Of London, Monument, St Paul’s, Fleet Street, the Royal Courts of Justice, Waterloo Bridge, The Strand and Trafalgar Square. Also remember this will be on an old Routemaster bus. There is a flat fare of £1.50 and if you make a second bus or tram journey within an hour of starting the first one, the second journey will be free.
11 Starting in Fulham this route takes in the trendy Kings Road, passing through Belgravia before hitting Westminster with Westminster Abbey and Parliament. Following Whitehall, passing Downing Street, arriving at Trafalgar Square before going down The Strand and Fleet Street. Entering the City of London, you pass St Paul's, followed by the Bank of England and Mansion House before arriving at Liverpool Street Station. A short walk away is Spitalfields and Brick Lane.
74 This visits the posh areas of London. Board at Baker Street, and take in Park Lane and Knightsbridge before finishing in South Kensington.
RV1 Takes in the Thames, starting at Tower Hill, travelling to Covent Garden. It follows the river crossing a couple of times along the way.
205 It is said the first bus route in London was a horse drawn bust going from Paddington to Bank via what was then New Road, now Euston. The 205 is the nearest equivalent to this old route. Although bear in mind when the first bus ran The Regents Park would still have been relatively new and there would have been no Marylebone or Euston stations.
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