Hop On Hop Off (or Neither)??

It's well worth doing, but I might think about not doing on the day you arrive. My parents and the family of one of my sisters did the HOHO bus on their first day. After a mostly sleepless flight overnight, getting into London, checking in at the hotel, and walking around a bit, they got on the bus. Within a few minutes, the gentle rocking of the bus and the narration of the guide lulled most of them to sleep. Those that slept now regard it as something they "hated", but that is probably because it was a waste of money for them.

There are two HOHO companies in London - The Big Bus and The Original Tour. Both offer a similar itinerary with many "free" additional options included. You can pick up brochures on both and compare to see which one best suits you. Both have numerous vehicles which stop at the most visited sites and wait time at most is about 15 minutes or so. As to getting on the bus your first day in London, I guess that would depend on your arrival time and jet lag. The tickets are good for a 24 hour period beginning with your first departure time.

Although marketed as hop on/hop off buses, I suggest you stay on for the complete circuit. There can be a long, unproductive wait for the next bus. Use the regular tube and buses (and walk) to get to the various attractions.

We generally ride a hop on off bus around once just to get a good overview and to decision where we want to spend extra time on the next loop. Second, since the ticket is good for 24 hours we buy around noon, 1 pm so we can use part of the next day.

Yes, we did it in 2009. We had ONE day in London and it worked out wonderfully. Besides transportation from/to the airport, it served all of our transportation needs around the city. We used Big Bus Tours. We bought our tour ahead of time, too. The tour guides were pretty good, but even if you have one that you don't like, just hop off, and catch a different one! We did the same type of tours in Dublin and Edinburgh. They're such a great way to really see all the sights in a city.... I really studied the map before we went because I think there are a few different "lines" on this tour that does different loops. I don't think we had a problem with a full bus or lines. I can't remember what day of the week we went on though.

If you are after taking lots of photos and learning first hand about the major tourist spots then perhaps the HOHO is for you. If I'm honest though I've personally often wondered as to whether the HOHO tours offer good value for money. Using an Oyster Card, my family and I prefer to jump on a regular bus (In our experience regular bus routes 24 15 and RV1 have proved great to use in the past to see some of the major places anyway) We just take in the scenery from the top deck and make a mental note as to where we would like to visit later on as we ride. Agreed you don't get the commentary but for us discovering places for ourselves just adds to the holiday experience. My thoughts only - I'm sure many would disagree. :-) Gary

Like Gary, we did the Oyster card and it was great. We also did the hop on hop off when we first arrived in London. We had not arrived overnight by plane and thus were eager to explore (we saved London for the end of our time in the UK). The HOHO gave us a good overview and a chance to see things at least once that we wouldn't have time to get back to. We stayed on for the complete loop. But...we LOVED the Oyster card. Bus, tube, and boat on the Thames all covered by one card and we used all three modes of transportation. We found the bus system very easy to use and would highly recommend it as a cheap way of transportation while still staying above ground to see the sites. Of course for quick transportation the tube was the best. Enjoy your trip!

We took the London by night Sightseeing tour. We took the 8PM bus and the ride took 2 hrs. Seeing the city at night was very nice.

We took the hop on hop off bus last summer on the morning of our first full day in London. I can't remember which one. We started at Victoria Station and stayed on it for most of the circuit. It was a big hit with our family. Great introduction to the city. Lots of opportunities for picture taking. I'd highly recommend it.

Jack, thanks for mentioning the London By Night bus tour, I'd never heard of it and it sounds great! My wife and I were in London in September, 2008 and had a great time, but were a bit timid about going out at nighttime for safety reasons. The bus tour is a great way to see the city from a safe place!

Yes, the Hop-on- Hop-off tours are great.

"but were a bit timid about going out at nighttime for safety reasons" I'm sorry to read that. You really do NOT have to worry in London - or any other European city for that matter - in any part of town you're likely to visit. I'm a solo female traveler, and while I might not walk across Hampstead Heath at 3:00 am, I ride the buses and tube, and walk the streets, in the evening with no worries.

We've enjoyed taking the Hop On Hop Off bus tours in quite a few cities, London included. As mentioned by others, we tend to ride the bus (hopefully from the front seats up stairs) around the entire circuit. Always gives us an overview of the city and usually some good bits of info. Lots of good photo ops from the bus without even leaving your seat. On the Windsor/Eton bus we were the only two upstairs! Take a drink, snack and sandwich along with you. Enjoy!

My mom and I took the Original Bus Tour in May, and found the experience to be very worthwhile. Staff were extremely helpful - kind, even - which I thought commendable given how many tourists they deal with every day. Our guide was personable, entertaining and actually took the time to tell us exactly where to disembark and how to get to the train station. Highly recommend if you have the time and just want to get an overview of the city, although I can't speak to the waiting time for hopping on and off as we didn't do it.

Whether you take the The Big Bus or The Original Tour, I wouldn't do it on the day you arrive. I'd do it on the second day, when you will be more rested and able to actually enjoy it. The day you arrive, you will have some amount of jet lag, and will need to keep moving, doing one of the Rick Steves walks outlined in his London book, for example. Don't feel bad if the jet lag gets the best of you, and you have to turn in early at your hotel. You'll be well rested for the next day.

Thanks all

Ruth, my family of six just did the Big Bus HOHO last week. It was not too crowded at all. We were always able to get a seat up top. Buses come very often, we rarely had to wait long. After reading the good and the bad, we chose to try it. We liked it. This company also has 4 included walking tours and the boat cruise, which we skipped. I did the Harry Potter (1 1/2 hour) walking tour with my 9 year old daughter. That was a thrill for her.