Big Bus London Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

Hop-on Hop-off buses only stop long enough to let people off and on--they don't wait for you. After you finish at the site, you go wait for the next bus on the circuit.
Many people feel it's a poor way to travel around a city with very busy streets.

I made the mistake of taking one a few years ago just for the sightseeing aspect. It was a disaster! What I really saw was London traffic jams and a route that was so crazy that we spent 10 minutes driving around a square only to return to the intersection we were originally at. It was a failure in terms of sightseeing and would be an even bigger failure for getting from one location to another in a city was an amazingly efficient and easy to use public transport system.

I arrived in London hours before my room was available, so I killed time on a HOHO. A family group split up so they could take all of the "window" seats on the upper deck. It was better than nothing, but I don't think I would do it again.

A rail pass isn't going to be of much use to you for getting around the tourist sites in London. You will most likely be using a combination of Underground (tube), and buses. For that you would want either an Oyster Card or a contactless credit card or Apple Pay/Google wallet on your phone.

HOHO buses can get stalled in slow moving traffic, just like cars can. And they only go to the stops on their fixed route. How much time you spend at each stop is up to you, and you may not (probably wont) get off at every stop. No one here can tell you if you would have time to explore everything in the time available. Personally I don't think they are an efficient method of travel. But they can serve a purpose if you just stay on for the whole circuit to get a general lay of the land.

I would disagree somewhat with the above comments. It is question of how you use it but you do need a plan. We enjoy the hop on/offs when we are somewhere new as it gives a good orientation to the area. Generally the tickets are good for 24 hours so we will buy the ticket in early PM and ride one complete loop and heard the guided tour. Then decide which sites we want to see in greater detail. On the second loop we get off at those sites as time allows. The next morning we will hit it fairly early get on the first bus of the day. And decide which sites to see in detail and end our tour at the site that will take the most time to see.

Many cities have only one or two loops but London has four or five so you need to see which loop hits the areas you are most interested in visiting.

I’ll be blunt. I wouldn’t board a Hop On Hop Off bus in London if you paid me.

Traffic in London is abysmal. The iconic sites are easily seen if you tube to Westminster station. You’ll exit at Parliament Square. Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Then stroll across Westminster Bridge.

All do able on you own 2 feet at your own pace.

In general, I like Hop-on-hop off busses to get the layout of a new city. However, the London traffic is brutal and you may find yourself just sitting in traffic.

I agree with Frank in that the HOHOs are good for an general overview of a city. Since I am a country girl, I don't mind getting stuck in traffic. They are also good if you just need a break in the miles of walking you will probably be doing. I wouldn't book as a tour but as a means of orientation or transportation from point A to B.