So Secret London has come up with the most Christmassy bus route through London. https://secretldn.com/most-christmassy-bus-route-london/
I swear I don't know why I'm beating myself up like this! Every time I see something like this, I start itching to see what last minute flights are available! Just not possible, but for those who will be there, it looks like it would be such a cool route to take on the top of the 139 double decker bus.
Good link.
The tip about the Hopper Fare is a good one. If you catch a second bus within an hour of tapping in on the first one, you only pay one fare. It's good for making connections with buses, or as a hop on - hop off on a long route like this. I use it quite often if I want to go somewhere and more or less come straight back home. Just one (£1.75) bus fare.
Wow, Mardee! So beautiful. Thanks for posting this link.
Thanks for posting the link Mardee. My friend and I are leaving for London tomorrow, so this is very timely.
Bear in mind that if you have come from Golders Green into London the hop on hop off chances are limited as daytime journey time end to end is about 1:15. If you are on the bus as a through journey that's fine. But by the time you get to central London you are clock watching for the hour if you hop on hop off.
But in the suburbs it is a nice route anyway.
I like hopping off National Express (Victoria bound) at Golders Green (a major coach hub/bus station/tube station) then on to the 139 into London. Done it a few times when doing evening connections through London, where I have about 3 hours or so in hand. Get a NE at Carlisle at 1120, takes me straight to Golders Green by about 1930. Then I am often connecting back out of Victoria at about 2230/2300.
The route in the article starts at Waterloo. There's still time to have a quick interlude in central London if you're starting there.
Catching the 88 bus at Pimlico and travelling up through town, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, etc is a favourite of mine. The 38 from Victoria is one I like too, as that goes through Piccadilly Circus.
I might just do this on Saturday!
I’m in London now, and just heading out (in the rain☹️, but it’s not cold) to watch the lighting of the huge Norwegian tree in Trafalgar Square. 🎄
By the way bus 139 is on diversion this week (including Saturday)- between Regent Street and Baker Street due to emergency works.
Buses are not serving the stops Oxford Street/John Lewis, Oxford Circus Station/John Lewis, Selfridges and Orchard Street/Selfridges.
By the way bus 139 is on diversion this week (including Saturday)- between Regent Street and Baker Street due to emergency works.
That was my exact thought when S J said they waited on a bus for an hour in the Christmas Tree thread. Bus on diversion.
Does anyone know if the buses will still be on diversion Monday and Tuesday 11-12Dec?
As far as I can tell, there is no diversion on the 139 in central London at the moment. It is on diversion further up the route in north London, but that should hopefully have little to no effect on services in central London.
https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/status/?input=139&lineIds=139&direction=outbound
There's a link on that page for email updates on status and you can follow Transport for London (TfL) on X [Twitter].
The Central London diversion on the 139 is over. There is a different diversion this week, a lot further north, between West Hampstead and Finchley Road- but I doubt a tourist would be on that far north, and it doesn't affect seeing the Christmas lights.
For the Christmas bus route. 1) can you use tap and pay on buses or do yo uneed oster card? 2) if we ride the local bus to see Christmas lights, can we hop off at some point and then get back on without paying again? Does it print a ticket when you first get on?
Q1- either will do (Oyster or contactless), no you don't get a paper ticket. If an inspector boards they can read your credit/debit card or Oyster to check you have paid, with their machine.
Q2- use the same payment method on each bus and you can break journey as long as you board the 2nd bus within 1 hour of tapping in on the 1st bus (NOT 1 hour of getting off the 1st bus).
You only tap in, not tap out. Remember there is a £5.25 cap on bus fares, if you only use bus on a day (not tube/train) so any ride from the 4th is free anyway. The system automatically computes that.
BTW there are restrooms at Golders Green Bus Station if you take the full route- open 24/7.
Thanks for the bus tap and pay info, and hop the on and off time frame.
