London: Bus #15

There are still two of the 15 Heritages buses, but they seem to be missing out Paddington. http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_SEL_STT_REQUEST

I think it's gone but I'll look for it when I'm there. Bus 15 is still in the schedule but it doesn't make it all the way to Paddington. It starts a little north of the Piccadilly tube station. It does goes past the Tower. No tellling if its a "Heritage Route." Bus 11 is still on the schedule and it's a good way to get to/from St Paul's and Westminster. I plan on taking that bus even if it's no longer an open top double decker.

Thanks, Ken and Laura. Suppose we'll be Tubing it to the Tower after all!

Both 11 and 15 are operated by both "modern" driver only and "heritage" Routemasters. The Routemasters only operate over a short portion of each route. I'm about to go to bed because I have to be at work early in the morning so I won't search the detail at the moment, but that has been the way for some time. I am pretty good with my bus routes though - the 15 starts in the East End, goes past the Tower, past St Pauls, down Ludgate Hill, along Fleet Street, past the Royal Courts of Justice, along the Strand, around Trafalgar Square, and a little bit up Regent Street where it finishes.

Ken, Routemasters were never open top. That's for the HoHo guys, which these routes have never been.

Thanks, Nigel. I wasn't too concerned about it being a Routemaster (though that would have been fun); it was the far-more-scenic-than-the-underground aspect that was appealing. I wonder if there's just too much construction between Paddington and Oxford Circus and that's why the route has been truncated. It seemed like there were roadworks everywhere when I was in London last year. I'm perfectly happy to take the Tube to the Tower. We'll be taking a roundabout walk from the Tower to St. Paul's, so maybe I'll look into the #11 for after we're done there.

Teresa You're right about all the construction. There is a new cross London underground train line being built called CrossRail which has really made a bit of a mess of the surface. Two of worst areas at the moment are in Oxford Street - at the west end approaching Marble Arch, and around Tottenham Court Road. To go from Sussex Gardens to the Tower would take 3 buses as far as I can see. 7 to Oxford Street, 23 down Regent Street and towards Bank, 11 or 15 from there. Or walk from Oxford Circus to the beginning of 15. The easier way, as you have found, would be tube.

London bus geek here: The 15 was recently cut back from Paddington to Oxford Circus to reduce the number of bus routes along Oxford Street. Even when it ran to Paddington, the Routemasters ran, and still run now, as short workings from the Tower of London to Trafalgar Square. The full length route is by modern buses. The other Routemaster route is short workings of the 9 from Trafalgar Square to High Street Kensington. Again there is a longer version of the route run by modern buses. Also the 11 does not run to the Tower of London. To get by bus from Paddington to the Tower you need to get a 23 or 159 to Trafalgar Square where you can get a Routemaster 15.