# Anyone done the "Original London Sightseeing Tour"?



## 3kids4me (Mar 7, 2008)

I didn't do this last time I was in London...just wondering if anyone here has done it (it looks like a double decker bus tour) and what you thought.

Thanks!

Sharon


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## stmartinfan (Mar 7, 2008)

Can't remember which one specifically, but we did do one of the double decker bus tours of London.  It was a nice way to get a quick overview of the city, see lots of different locations and have an entertaining description of the sites.  We like to do this in major cities to give our kids a view of the place because we often then travel by underground when going to places we're touring.  We've also found them a good antidote to jeg lag...On that first day, it can be hard to keep going when you're adapting to the time change.  Doing the bus ride keeps you awake but doesn't require the energy and focus that doing a regular siteseeing agenda might.  It's entertaining enough that you stay awake but relaxing to ride and listen to someone else explain what you're seeing.


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## Christie (Mar 7, 2008)

Just a quick tip for a bus tour:  Sunday is a great day to do it as there is much less traffic in central London.  A wonderful overview for your daughter.


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## nerodog (Mar 9, 2008)

*bus tours/london*

hi ! There is the ORiginal big bus and the Big red bus tours... both are good. Take a look at their on line sites... you can save if you book ahead and you dont have to choose a day just present  the  voucher to the bus driver. With the big red bus there is a   river cruise as well , not sure if the other has it. I liked them both because it is a great orientation to the city, you can hop on and off all day if you want and you dont have to do the driving or navigating. You can also sit  on the second floor. We are doing it on our trip in APril....


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## DeniseM (Mar 9, 2008)

We did the Big Red Bus tour with the (short) Thames river cruise.  It is a great way to see a lot in a short time.  Make SURE you either get on a bus narrated in English or get the head phones and plug them in to the proper jack on the bus, otherwise you will have no idea what you are seeing.  The Big Red Bus has 3 different London tours that you can purchase with one ticket and as I recall either one or 2 of the routes did not have a live tour guide so you had to have the headphones.


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## EAM (Mar 9, 2008)

I no longer remember the name of the company, but when I was in England many years ago, the concierge at our hotel arranged for us to have a private tour led by a student at Oxford.   Anyone know if this company (which used college students as guides) is still in business?


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## Blues (Mar 9, 2008)

Yes, DW and I did it last October, and thought it was well worth the money.  Note that they have (I think) 4 different bus lines, and the single ticket that you purchase will get you on any or all of them.  Not everyone understood that, and there was at least one agent giving out bad information.

Of course, it rained the entire two days of our London stopover (after 85 and sunny in southern Portugal).  So we just kept getting on different buses and watched the city go by, stopping periodically to go into stores, museums, etc.  It's a good way to get around the city.  That is, we found it a good way to get from point A to B, in addition to being a good tour.


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## london (Mar 9, 2008)

*Original Bus Tour*

We did the original bus tour about 4 years ago, and it was very good.

We picked the bus up near Paddington station.

Sunday is a better day, as the traffic is less congested in London.

Have fun.


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## Lawlar (Mar 9, 2008)

*Hop On*

Are you talking about the Hop On - Hop Off busses?  If so, I recommend it as a good way to get started.  It hits all the tourist areas and gives you a good idea what is available and where it is at.  (Sit on the upper level of the bus for the best views.)

If you take the tube you don't get a good idea of how the City is laid out.

Once we got familar with the City (2 trips), we discovered that the best way to get around is to walk!!!  The main parts of the City are not that far apart (all of the stops on the tube made it seem like we were traveling great distances).  Another advantage of walking is that you will discover a lot of wonderful places you wouldn't have known existed.

Have fun!


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