# London for a weekend **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 20, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-for-a-weekend/720432 "2015-05-20T16:38:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-for-a-weekend/720432/21 "2015-06-01T13:46:24Z")
Yes, they’re more expensive than ordinary buses, but they also focus on routes between things you’ll actually want to see (and take the work out if it for you to boot.) Plus they have guides. Speaking of which, I very much enjoyed the Thames sightseeing cruise that leaves from the wharf/jetty/whatever by the London Eye. It was colder than a polar bear’s fridge (this was in December) but I saw lots of things I’d never seen before (and I used to live there.) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-for-a-weekend/720432/22 "2015-06-01T13:57:37Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > That is completely not my experience, either in London or in Paris, where I did both. You absolutely _do not_ get the view from an ordinary bus, and of course you’re packed on the ordinary bus with all the regular commuters.Which is why Oyster cards were mentioned _as well_. > > Although I don’t think Oyster Card counts for the sightseeing Thames boat rides, which _do_ come as part of the topless bus price (at least, last I traveled on one) The Oyster gives you a discount off some Thames boats. It’s also an awful lot cheaper than an open-top-bus ride. I have nothing against them and would like to do one someday, but the thing is they are only open-top at certain times of the year. Not now, for example. For the rest of the time you save an awful lot of money by getting a travelcard and then just getting on whatever bus is in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-for-a-weekend/720432/23 "2015-06-01T14:41:06Z")
I don’t think Oyster counts for the sightseeing tour you can access with the bus ticket, just the commuter riverboats. Last one I caught also let us jump queues at the Tower… I think it’s easy to take the hop on-hop off thing as the point - but that’s just a perk, it’s the _actual bus ride_ that’s the point. I don’t think comparing them to commuter buses is fair. Few ride them for fun. Last time I caught one in London was in the month of May, and we sat in the open. Last ones I caught anywhere was this past November in Tallinn and in Paris, again no problem being in the open. The Tallinn one, especially, we did the route, then decided where to hop off for the Old Town, and did half the route up to there again. It’s great for getting an hour-long overview, before making your way to where you really want to be. And speaking as someone whose currency has a 1:18 exchange rate with the GBP, I’ve never found them too expensive for what they are… ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-for-a-weekend/720432/24 "2015-06-03T12:59:47Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I don’t think Oyster counts for the sightseeing tour you can access with the bus ticket, just the commuter riverboats. Last one I caught also let us jump queues at the Tower… > > I think it’s easy to take the hop on-hop off thing as the point - but that’s just a perk, it’s the _actual bus ride_ that’s the point. I don’t think comparing them to commuter buses is fair. Few ride them for fun. > > Last time I caught one in London was in the month of May, and we sat in the open. Last ones I caught anywhere was this past November in Tallinn and in Paris, again no problem being in the open. The Tallinn one, especially, we did the route, then decided where to hop off for the Old Town, and did half the route up to there again. It’s great for getting an hour-long overview, before making your way to where you really want to be. > > And speaking as someone whose currency has a 1:18 exchange rate with the GBP, I’ve never found them too expensive for what they are… It depends on the weather. It’s June now, but it’s unseasonably cold and rainy, so the open-tops are mostly not open, or you wouldn’t want them to be. The thing is, with an Oyster you can hop and off ordinary buses too. And there’s less waiting time. The commuter riverboats go to the same places as the tourist boats. If cost isn’t an issue then I have no issue with people getting the open-top buses - I’m just pointing out some features of London transport that make them not as useful as they are in some cities. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-for-a-weekend/720432/25 "2015-06-03T13:26:16Z")
I’m sensing a business opportunity - an app that tells you what commuter buses to get around London to cover the sites you’re interested in, with an audio/visual guide linked to GPS that tells you what you’re seeing in the language of your choice. It would probably advise people not to ride at peak commuting times too. The view from the open-top bus is better than the view through a window - but if you’re going to get out and visit e.g. the British Museum then that doesn’t really matter, and if you’re going to sail past then you’re paying a lot for 60 seconds of improved view. But hey, what does my view count? What do you think, **iiandyiiii**? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/london-for-a-weekend/720432.md?page=1)