We are going to London in a month. We only have 2 days. We were thinking of doing one of the hop on/hop off bus tour one day to try and knock out alot of the main sights. Has anyone used these or is it better to just use public transportation and get around on our own?
Our first day happens to be "Trooping the Colour". Not sure we want to lose so much time standing around to watch it, thought it might give us a chance to do some of busier sights, except, we will have to avoid that area. Thank you
Posted by
London, UK
180 posts
You can certainly do it with public transportation but a HOHO (hop on hop off) bus would be a much better option for you. You wouldn't waste time and could get to the places you want to see. I think with limited time it is an excellent choice.
Posted by
Mission Viejo, Calif., USA
1010 posts
Hello. We have been to London five times now. We can't get enough. We are so impressed with London, York and Bath. We have spent up to two weeks each time, we have been there. There is so much to see. The Hop-on, Hop-off buses are great. JUST MAKE SURE you investigate what the route is that you want to take. If you go on the wrong bus, you will be stuck on it all day. There are probably three routes. It takes a LONG TIME to do each route, due to the traffic around Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Big Ben, etc. You are not going to see much in only two days. We enjoyed taking the boat cruise along the Thames. One of the boats takes all day though. You go out to Hampton Court, but it takes half a day. Then we took the train back onto London. I guarantee you will be depressed when you have to leave London. We have never met anybody who has been to London, who either hasn't gone back or doesn't want to go back.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
This page here: http://www.londonforfree.net/outdoors/bustour/bustour.shtml gives advice on a tour of London's major sites using normal London bus routes instead of spending loads of money on a HOHO tour.
Posted by
Montclair, Virginia, United States
93 posts
One thing I would recommend is the "London Eye" also referred to as the "Millenium Wheel". It's a really great experience to be able to see the entire city from a birdseye view. I would recommend going online and buying the tickets in advance to avoid standing in lines. You might also enjoy one of the scenic boat rides. Enjoy London!!!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
With limited time, the hop on/off buses are great. Much more efficient than using public transit. It is door to door. But there are a number of different routes so check their maps to see which sites are being hit. Second, I think the ticket are still 24 hours so we tend to buy around noon and then in morning you can continue and maybe end at the site you want spend the most time at.