I Rode Every London Bus Route

It was time to go and ride all 544 bus routes in London. So here's what happened at the beginning of the year when I spent just over six weeks exploring all of London, by riding a bit of Every Bus Route in London.
Bus Map: www.busmap.co.uk/
Bus Timetables: www.londonbusro...
All the Buses: • Riding EVERY London Bu...
Diamond Geezer Every London Bus Route: diamondgeezer....
Ride a Routemaster here: www.londonerbu...
Why buses disappear from Countdown: edjefferson.co...
With thanks to RF SF DG DH WH EJ DM and everyone that I met and spoke to along the way
CORRECTIONS:
4:21 Should read the '495' ( which doesn't exist) instead of the '496' ( which does! )
14:10 The bus number graphic and Voiceover should be '389 and 399', not '388 and 399'
43:42 I mention that the 230 is the only Double Decker 'Hail and Ride', the 301 is also a Double Decker route with a Hail and Ride section!
55:44 Inexplicably, the fancy Roman Numerals digits say 'MCXXIV' when it should be MMXXIV'

[@geofftech2]

Bonus STAT: 544 buses over 45 days is an average of 12 buses per day. I rode at least one bus everyday, and on my three busiest days, I rode 35, 34 and 30 buses but I'd normally aim for around 10, and then stop. Also, the Routemaster Moquette Pyjamas are here! www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/routemaster-moquette-pyjamas😮

[@Pigeon45d]

Well done

[@PhilipMarriott-v1i]

Im trying to complete every bus route in London (Full routes) and started last year. I'm at 70 bus routes completed so far so have a lot to go! Love your videos. I hope you come to Bromley on Saturday for the New Superloop bus!

[@sethmoreton1826]

Hi Geoff. Just wondering if you’ve got the pictures of the w12 and w16? If so it would be cool if u could show me the pictures of them as the w12 particularly is a lot smaller than the “Diddy” buses u mentioned

[@sunshiney_Sonnenschein]

Three busiest days. I see what you did there ;)

[@sethmoreton1826]

@@geofftech2 I believe that actually it is the w12 that is the smallest! the w5 uses the larger optare solo at 8.8m whereas the w12 used the smaller variant comes in at 7.8m instead. Would LOVE a video on the w12 if your ever stuck for ideas (not that you ever will be with the infinite possibilities😂)

[@aaronsmith9209]

I am one of the few people who has ridden all 540+ London Bus routes from end to end. It took me almost a year and a half from April 2022 to late August 2023. I normally tied 3 or 4 routes together the best I could a day, 3 days a week, riding around more routes in Summer and School Holidays when riding the bus was less hectic and the days were longer, did quite a few on Sundays and was so surprised at the frequency of most buses even then! I tried to do them in number order, only adding a route not in order if there was no other choice to keep the journey going, I ended up creating some really interesting journeys across London and as Geoff says I saw so many parts of the city I would never normally get to see, growing up in Edmonton/ Enfield and now living a little further out in Cheshunt. The bus made me realise that London is actually a very green city, especially in boroughs in the south and west. Also good to see Mike Harris's bus map mentioned, that was invaluable to me completing this challenge. Looking forward to riding the new buses in Sutton and the full Superloop soon. Only last night, I rid the last of the 62 night buses, the N551 from Beckton to Trafalgar Square, it got there in time for the last northbound Piccadilly Line train from Leicester Square at 12:40AM, why can't other cities have such extensive public transport? Oakwood station of all places is served by day buses until 1:50AM! Also for anyone wondering, why someone might spend so much time riding so many buses? They got me through a very tough time in my life (bereavement) and helped me maintain contact with the outside world in a time where it would have been so easy to stay in bed. Getting out the house can really make a big difference to mental health.

[@vas9277]

what a complete npc

[@JoeMama-kz4sx]

@@vas9277bro stfu. Some ppl have hobbies, it’s better than hurting others or committing crimes. You’d be surprised the crazy lame shit people do for fun these days. This is normal and healthy behaviour. So gtfo of here

[@Lady_Tee15]

Oh wow!!

[@SamTheeee1]

​@@vas9277..... I can tell you didnt read the last bit where they said it got them through bereavement (the feeling you get when someone close to you dies)

[@vas9277]

@@SamTheeee1 damn i fully didnt read it im feel bad now

[@driver288]

As a former bus driver for 24 years in Stockholm Sweden I really appreciate you saying “Always thank the driver” is heartwarming ❤. I always do the same to my former colleagues.

[@davidchilds9590]

If my late mother were REALLY upset with a driver, she would take it out on them by NOT thanking them!

[@amy-alystillson3953]

Always thank the driver! Yes! My 5yr old is a big bus fan and says "Thank you Chicken!" when we get off a bus ❤

[@TheJaydipe]

I always try to thank the driver even if it makes me look weird leaving through the middle doors (I can't if I leave through the back doors though :( )

[@CaersethVarax]

I used to embarrassed my partner by yelling "Thank-you, driver!" Down the London buses. They were a native and it just wasn't the done thing apparently 😂

[@Archivus23]

@@aethellstanI personally always say thank you whilst getting off the bus, along with most people that I know, the sentence "thank you driver" sounds a bit odd to be honest (as others in the replies have said that they do) Maybe its a Londoner thing, wouldn't be surprised. In fact bus and coach drivers are statistically the UK's most thanked workers, apparently around 4/5 of bus travellers thank the driver.

[@paulhaynes8045]

I started this thinking "what sort of nutter tries to ride every bus in London?", but, 56 minutes later, the question has morphed into "what sort of sad no-life, spends nearly an hour watching a video about a man who rides every bus in London?"! Surprisingly good video - it takes real talent to turn such a daft, potentially REALLY boring thing into a compulsively watchable film. As someone who grew up in and around London, I really miss that network. I never knew busses had timetables until I moved out of London - you just stood at the stop and they turned up!

[@cornishiron]

Maybe because it’s not about what you do, but how much you care about what you do that really counts.

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

I know buses can be viewed as boring content, but buses can be turned into fantastic content, as a bus driver, I am always at different terminus's driving different types of buses, the weather is always changing, as well as the seasons throughout the year. Its amazing what you can do with a simple camera phone and some imagination.

[@steveduncan007]

I'm 61 now, living in Canada, and when I was 10, I rode every single London bus. At that time, the "Map of lists and routes" went from 1 "Marylebone" to 299 "Cockfosters". This would have been 1974. It was the best time of my life! P.S. - Oh yeah - I used to buy a thing called a "Red Bus Rover" for only 5 p which lasted all day and night! :)

[@RandomBusesGirl]

I've ridden all of London's red passenger bus routes. Day, night, mobility, carnival.... Just got several schools outstanding but they are almost impossible to tick off due to multiple going into school grounds. Finished May 2017, took me about 3 years, and caught up with every subsequent new addition to the network. And I was part of All The Buses too! 😎

[@geofftech2]

hey Alisha! That's utterly amazing, yes! When our paths cross one day, we can chat buses :-D Do you think you're the quickest person to have completed the whole routes? I suspect so ...

[@RandomBusesGirl]

@@geofftech2 Hi! Not sure to be honest, I know folks definitely done it before me, but never asked how long it took them. Never thought about it that way. I reckon it's absolutely possible to do it in less. For me it helped I was still in full-time education, so could get new stuff done almost every day. I recall one day in 2015 I've managed to tick off 31 routes! Considering it's tricky to get 20+ in a day normally, I have no clue how I pulled that off, but I was out the house by 6am and wasn't back before midight haha. I do lurk about and like most transport folks, our paths (or routes I should say! Ha) have crossed before, last D-Stock run was definitely one of those occasions :-)

[@Alfie.w]

I am about 10 years and only around 200 buses in to a similar project. Not enough days to ride buses!

[@highpath4776]

Its probably easier for Girls to do the school services - some of us get funny looks at our age going to the girls grammers

[@Alfie.w]

@@highpath4776 I don't plan on touching those!

[@Gary0557]

I always shout thank you whenever I got off a bus. People have said to me, why do you say thank you, he/she is just doing his/her job. And I say, because he/she is taking me from a to b and it's good manners and shows appreciation of the job he of she is doing.

[@Fercough]

Why on earth wouldn't people say thank you?

[@Gary0557]

@@Fercough i've just said above. People say, he/she is just doing his/her job, why say thank you.

[@megapangolin1093]

No difference when you are served a cup of tea in a cafe, say thank you. The merest expression of recognition and politeness makes such a difference to someone who deals with the ghastly public all day, every day. Well done, I am not sure that there are many of us left now...

[@TochBusGamesLondon]

Well, those people that have asked you why you say thank you after leaving a bus aren't very polite.

[@PassiveAgressive319]

Back in the day 166 used to run from Beckenham Junction to Chipstead Valley. I think it use to take 1.5 hrs. London Buses/TFL slashed the route in the early 90s

[@raheem201231]

Geoff you’ve outdone yourself. The production quality and all sorts. My guy. I’ve been watching you since your Londonist days. From Tube to Trains to Buses. I’ll watch anything you can think of.

[@geofftech2]

thanks Raheem, extremely kind you of you! :-)

[@simonkalavazides6422]

Geoff, you probably won’t see this but you saw my mum at Kilburn Park Station last week and you spoke with her as she was working there.

[@geofftech2]

hello! yes we had a lovely chat, i was on my way to catch a bus! :-)

[@LordEverythingtrains]

Apparently you met my friend's brother at a park run on Saturday

[@tonychan8558]

If I had time and money, I would ride to every tube station, in alphabetical order. Get on, then get off, so my Oyster card would show where I would get on and off. I wonder how long that would take.

[@johnavery15]

Cracking video. The work that must have gone into making this and then the excellent post production with diagrams on top. Cheers!

[@markstott6091]

Dan! Dan and Dan! The Daily Mail song! He hasn't aged a bit!

[@gaelansteele9224]

Geoff, I have so much respect for the fact that, in everything you do, you don't just take the nerdy angle (though the nerdy angle is great!) but you also take the time to get to know the people who use and operate the service, and to tell their stories.

[@kevinfitzpatrick444]

"What do I do now?" Geoff having that existential crisis a number of us have experienced at the end of a particular challenge... Much love for this ❤

[@russgladstone432]

As an ex London bus driver now in Dorset, its a great thing to say ‘Thanks Drive’ to your driver, and Yes it does mean a lot, I used to work for Kentish Busses running from Lewisham garage routes 162, 126, 161, 138 and Bromley (town centre) briefly on routes 181 & 284, til the little yard closed, then i worked for Docklands Busses (Minibusses) routes 366, 368, 287, 181, until i eventually was driving awesome Passenger Plus+ coaches instead, was some great times had years ago, but living the life now, But Still Always say THANKS to the drivers, even here in Weymouth !!!

[@rugglez]

Whilst living in Brixton, I was on my way back from holiday and got a train from Gatwick to London Bridge which got in about 4am on a Sunday morning. I had no idea how to get home, where to go, how long till Tube started, so I walked out the main entrance at London Bridge and saw a number 35 bus just waiting at the stop. About 30 mins and £1.50 later, I arrived less than 50ft away from my front doorstep! I have never been so impressed with public transport as I am with London's.

[@boofalah36]

Thanks. Amazing video! I no longer live in London, but did for many, many years and agree that the buses are amazing. But January is harsh! One of my worst memories is of needing to wait and wait and wait for the 108 on Blackwall Road on freezing cold, dark, early January mornings when the wind would shear the skin off your face.

[@geofftech2]

very kind, thank you! yes i caught the 108 on a cold dark evening in Lewisham ... ( but then went for a ride through the Blackwall tunnel )

[@marthaanderson2656]

wow new studio camera quality and clarity. feels like we are just having a chat. Very nice. Last month was in London and the busses saved my bacon on a Sunday morning . Efficiently getting me to a tube station where I could further connect a journey to get the Elizabeth for Heathrow. The app was accurate and I could time my arrival to the bus stop on a cold morning.

[@wadeslea]

For the 5️⃣4️⃣9️⃣ Geoff. (Got a stop outside my front door - ridden it once in twenty years - makes walls rattle when it passes🫨)

[@kevinr.8169]

I have been following Geoff for over five years now and it even brought me to do my own London Underground visit, despite I live in Austria, spending a whole weekend traveling up and down all the lines and visiting as much as possible of all the stations.(and the London Transport Museum ofcourse!) Most people laughed about it when I told them however, I realized these videos brought something in my life as well, an interest/ hobby I never had thought it would come on my path, I am planning to travel back to London in spring to visit the remaining stations and definitely I will visit all the End of the Line- stations. Now Geoff starting exploring all the busses, I know what comes up next on my travels! Thanks Geoff for sharing this kind of what some say abstract information, but we now it is an amazing abstractical hobby! Regards from Austria!

[@jasonburnet]

I’ve always had ideas about riding every bus route in London, and indeed do every tube station too, though I have never had a chance. So as always, thank you Geoff!

[@Inno94709]

Thanks! Living the dream!🎉🎉

[@alanwest7773]

Thanks for this brilliant bus feature. I have been unwell for a couple of days. This has made me feel a bit better. The 375 bus was introduced to serve Havering-atte-Bower as previous non-TFL routes had been withdrawn. I believe many years ago the 175 may have had a few buses running up to Passingford Bridge and possibly beyond. Passingford Bridge is the only safe and sensible place for the bus turn to make it's return journey. Also, I lived in Norwich for a few years in the late 1980's ago and for some reason I kept subconsciously saying "Thank you driver" in a Norfolk accent whenever I got off a 499 bus in Harold Hill.

[@geofftech2]

ah! hope you pick up soon Alan, and glad to have helped a little! thanks for your kind comment. someone has now told me if they can find a turning point BEFOER Passingford Bridge, then they want to make the service hourly.

[@mallen88]

Superb video. Your chat with the driver on the H3 reminded me of my time working at Bromley Garage where I was on the R7 and R5/R10 rota. There were only 8 of us on it and all the regular passengers knew us. It was lovely. One particular guy even knew what each of our favourite chocolate bars was. You’d drop him off at the Co-op in Green Street Green, go to Orpington station and he’d get back on on the return journey and present you with your favourite chocolate bar. Happy memories.

[@lunglungmusic]

It is great that you are doing London. If you are doing Hong Kong, it is much harder. We have so many bus routes that only operate during certain festivals. For example, 3S, 32S 38S, only operates during Ching Ming Festival for tomb-sweepers to visit the tombs of their ancestors. K66A only operates when Tai Tong's red leaves are in presence. 36R, 41R, 50R, 87R, 98R, 215R, 224R, 259R, 260R, 269R, 270R, 271R, 796R only operates after a major event at Hong Kong Coliseum for people to get home faster. We also have many routes that operates only once/twice a day, for people to get to work/home during rush hours, such as N42A, which gets people to work at the airport from Fanling (which is even longer than SL7 in London). Nearly every town has a bunch of these very rare routes. Imagine bus routes carrying passengers out of Wembley Stadium to every town in London after a match, or a bus route that brings people to appreciate the sakura at Battersea Park. That's how crazy it is, thanks to Hong Kong people's unwillingness to change routes and stubborn requirement for efficiency. Apparently no one has travelled on all Hong Kong bus routes. If you give it a go, you will be on all Hong Kong headlines.

[@SamuelLee-gw6wr]

As of now, KMB has a total of 774 routes, and I have ridden 180 of them all over my life. It's so hard to get it.

[@jjw7332]

Hi Geoff. I want to thank you for being so very kind on Saturday when I saw you on the Southern leaving Victoria towards Battersea. It made my day 👍

[@garybroadhurst3548]

Geoff this has to stop! It's because of you that I'm addicted to riding the tube and trains around London. Now there's something else I have to think about! I don't even live in the UK any more, but whenever I'm over to visit friends and family I find myself adding a few days to the trip just so I can travel around London doing "nothing". I'll be there in March and I'm going to do all of the Overground in a day. Seriously though, you are an inspiration to a "completion nerd" like me, on so many levels. Thanks for all the work you put in. That did look miserable at times but I know you loved it too.

[@justmeajah]

Ahh me too when I have chance to visit London!

[@davidbassett4577]

Loved this video Geoff; growing up in High Wycombe in the 1960’s we had London Transport Country Area garage [HE] that then became part of London Country when LT Country Area Routes/Garages & buses were transferred to the National Bus Company .. sadly they closed HE on 30/09/77 & we lost our lovely green RML’s. My travels across London were mainly on the wonderful Green Line network using a 75p Golden Rover ticket .. again my favourite was the 711 High Wycombe to Reigate via Central London .. which went when HE closed … replacement 790 out of Amersham Garage [MA] only went to Victoria .. then morphed into the 290 out to Oxford .. but sadly virtually the whole of the Green Line network has gone now ..but this video has brought back thoughts of my earliest days of getting to Uxbridge and buying a Red Rover ticket (used to have to buy that at Tube Station) before riding up to Shepherds Bush on the 207. I love all those quirky end of the routes that ran out of London .. but nowadays for me it’s usually on a vintage bus running day on a Sunday & luckily I have the Amersham & District Motorbus Society on my doorstep that organises 4 such days every year. Would love to see you come and do one of those events .. where you can ride on Green & Red proper buses over routes long gone .. we even have a special 40th. Anniversary one in Windsor on 28th July to commemorate the closure of Windsor Garage [WR] & opening of Slough Garage.

[@stephenglenn1969]

Loving the fact that while to Geoff Copt Gilders is a random place in London it is 7 stops after I would have got off the 71 heading out to my accomodation while I was a student at Kingston. Seven being the common number in the two routes he was interchanging there for.

[@TheBinman40612]

Great effort Geoff. Your comment about "I thought I knew London" resonates with me. I'm a 68 (soon to be 69) year old pensioner who has been undertaking the Capital Ring long-distance walk around London since October (along with a 74 year old ex-work colleague) and it has taken me to bits of London I have never visited before including the stone dinosaurs of Crystal Palace Park! I still have 3 more sections to walk (hopefully) before finishing back at Hackney Wick station. I plan to be starting tomorrow at Ballot Box Bridge, Perivale and walking via Horsenden Hill, Harrow & South Kenton to Hendon Park near Brent Cross. Keep up the good work!

[@countludwigvonnippeltassel]

I used to drive the 464 and absolutely loved it, after spending time on the 119, 161 and 261. The difference was night and day! I went from slogging my way through Croydon, Woolwich and Lewisham to pottering around the countryside. The R5 and R10 were on the same roster as the 464 too. Happy times! Really enjoyed that video, Geoff 😊

[@tamara3984]

261 is one of my frequently used buses, so you probably drove me. Where you there in the yellow/blue days?

[@mdrocks7842]

464 was a lifeline for me in my first college year

[@darylmears9683]

As a bus driver (although not in London) hearing your appreciation for drivers and the job we do is great, unfortunately not everyone sees it the same way. Another great video as always

[@keithparker1346]

Unfortunately it works both ways as sometimes especially local bus drivers cut out parts of routes at a whim...I don't think we should be thanking them in that situation

[@darylmears9683]

@@keithparker1346 I agree it does work both ways, which is why I personally wouldn't be rude to a passenger. In my experience the only time a driver will cut parts of routes out should be under instruction from their controllers usually for road blockages etc and if that is the case they should notify their passengers of any spur of the moment diversions, however I'm not naive in believing that drivers wouldn't cut out parts on their own accord, as unfortunately some just don't care.

[@keithparker1346]

@@darylmears9683 just to clarify...I certainly would not condone abuse of drivers even in those circumstances

[@aldenhunt]

I can't fathom the effort required to edit all this footage together into a smooth narrative, let alone actually ride the buses! Quite the achievement Geoff 🎉

[@suerhodes635]

Thanks Geoff. This came up on my KZbin feed today; one of those days when life seems too long. Suitably inspired, I’ve used more buses than are strictly necessary for what I need to do today. Gotta take myself on a Bus Day soon 🚌🚌🚌🤩

[@nicbenn]

That new moquette you found on the 385, that's the moquette we use for standard (not priority) seats on all our new buses in Adelaide South Australia! And as a bus driver myself, thanks for appreciating us ❤

[@PrograError]

hmm... maybe that bus was a transferee to TfL?

[@BristolRE]

As a bus driver into my 38th year, and a bus enthusiast for much longer, I really enjoyed this video. Hopefully we will see more bus videos on your excellent channel!

[@keyaanmatin4804]

What a coincidence! I'm on my way to riding all the london bus routes. I've ridden 160 buses so far but not very planned out. Thanks for all the advice at the beginning and great video as always Geoff!

[@geofftech2]

Amazing! Keep going, and have fun. Done the W5 yet? It's brilliant ...

[@johnthresher259]

I used to travel to secondary school on a mix of Routemaster and RT buses (some with the top box number indicator) from Chadwell Heath to Woodford way. When I was still in my last years at junior school four of us would get a Red Rover ticket and travel all day on the buses. We were 11 going on 12 and our parents didn't worry about us, we never had any trouble. We'd end up in West London or across the river in Sarf London (here be dragons country) clutching our bus maps. Happy days!

[@phronsiekeys]

London is where I learned to love buses, and now (I live in the US) I prefer them when I'm not in need of speed. Riding the bus helps me to understand how my kind of complex city is laid out and fits together, plus, I get to see the sights. I've always wanted to do something like this where I live now, and you've given me some good pointers on how to approach it practically. We'll see!

[@justmeajah]

Cool!

[@Nooticus]

Such an incredible documentary, and the fact we can all watch it for free is so incredibly generous! I wish it was 3x the length though! Our buses really truly are the thing that holds this city’s public transport network together; it is often the first or last part of journeys that encompass several different modes. Absolutely everything positive you said about the wonderful bus operations is spot on, and all the maps and diagrams are excellent. I am only mentioning this because your video was so incredibly positive, for good reason, we have one of the most comprehensive bus networks on earth… but, there are some negative aspects of the buses in London that have hit me especially hard; My family moved to our current house partially due to the fact that it was directly on a bus route because I struggle with fatigue and don’t want to learn to drive. But 3.5 years ago now the bus was re-routed away from where I live, so now life is comparatively much more difficult than it would have been. TfL was able to manipulatively use the pandemic as an excuse to completely ignore clear-cut consultation results and remove bus access to many vulnerable people. I actually got very lucky compared to the ridiculous distance from a bus stop that this re-routing has left other people with.

[@wassimhennequin6627]

I’ve been waiting to watch this. Finally get to see myself on social media on the T15 bus 😂🎉

[@kevinasarlauskas3261]

Need to get him to ride on 339's now 👀

[@mouselovinlady]

I think you were one of the stars of the video! Looks like a great job!

[@SlimeTheHow]

Loved your bit. “Hold Tight” 😂

[@stevegoodwin7138]

I saw your vid on mental health a while back with that Sussex railway ,my relief is a bus ride similar to what you have done but up here in notts ,buses are great for taking you for where your car would not go ❤❤

[@TG4164]

Hello Geoff, this was a brilliant watch. I am currently attempting to do this in NYC, and I'm a bit less than halfway through my quest. I'm doing it a bit more casually, as I don't have the time to ride 10 buses every single day, and I'm having my count be the buses I've taken in my entire lifetime. That means that when I first started doing this around a year ago, I actually had to remember which buses I've already ridden (it luckily wasn't too hard). However, since I'm also taking the liberty of taking a photo of every bus, I'll probably get around to re-riding the starter buses. The fact that most of the starter routes go close to where I live, it shouldn't be too bad. Something that will be a challenge is the Staten Island bus routes. I've only ridden 4 of them, and they are especially tricky because a lot of them are peak only and SI is generally a pain to get to. I'll probably grind those buses during the summer. I've also counted shuttle buses (you call them rail replacement buses), but only when they are long-term. So while I did count the Q95, which has been in near-constant operation since August 2023, I'm not counting buses that only operate on a few select weekends. Some fun NYC bus stats I learned along the way: - The highest bus number is M125. - The only number that appears across all five boroughs is 42, and I once rode all the 42 buses in one day. - The Queens buses tick off every number between 1 and 50 except for 14 and 45. - The Staten Island bus numbers start at 40, while the Bronx bus numbers end at 46. - The lowest bus number that does not exist for every borough is 71. - All the buses with letter suffixes include the Bx4A, Bx18A, Bx18B, M14A, M14D, M34A, Q15A, Q20A, and Q20B. - The Bx18A/B is the only bus that can be considered a circular bus. The Bx18A goes counter-clockwise while the Bx18B goes clockwise. - In total, there are 255 local bus routes in NYC, and I have ridden 107 of them so far. Bonus: While I did visit London once, I haven't actually ridden a London Bus yet, so I'm nil on that one..

[@petermostyneccleston2884]

I am glad to see that you managed to get to ride on a real bus. They are the only busses that I used to take, when I went for my holidays in London. The route 3 which I would catch from across the road from the caravan park, at Chrystal Palace, to wherever I wanted. I have not been to London since 1987.

[@billyprice9264]

Your a really top legend mate I never thought over the 10 years of watching your videos from londonist you have taught me a lot from steps to which way is quicker ! And also you staring on the tube episode missing out on the quickest to visit each station Your a legend mate I never was into tubes trains stations buses untill I saw your clips

[@geofftech2]

Very kind, Billy. Thank you!

[@Kevin_Hones]

Thank you Geoff - that was an epic, fantastic video! There must have been over 20 times I would have clicked ‘like’ but of course only the first registers. Yay for multiple likes - KZbin, are you listening?

[@MarloSoBalJr]

I've done something similar when I was 13 years old and rode the entire bus network in Baltimore (stateside). Riding the bus to many locations so far as an afterthought that you grow to appreciate the world around you

[@wernt0]

This randomly popped up in my recommendations and as someone who used to live near London but now lives in Wales, it was nice to see some of the buses I used to get on

[@deltademon2]

As a bus driver for the 383 bus service, I must say it put a smile on my face to hear ya say to say thank you to the bus driver

[@marklarmour123]

Great video Geoff. I'm from Northern Ireland and when I was in London we used to say you could always spot the Northern Irish person on a London bus as they would always say 'thank you' to the driver as they get off! I always do, and it great that you are encouraging others to do this in this video.

[@theangryintern]

26:56 missed an opportunity for a "404: Bus Not Found" joke

[@NathanHeaver]

good one

[@danielenuzzo9786]

Underrated comment

[@davidgibson1978]

Well done Geoff on that achievement of riding all London bus routes. Great to see Enfield Island Village which my local bus route (491) goes through. Buses are great.

[@smjrn63]

This is one of the reasons I love London so much. I would love to live where I do not need a car. Growing up in Tampa we did not have a car. Rode the bus, walked, bicycles and occasionally a cab. We did not have the luxury of the tube or trains. I love the freedom of sitting back and people watching, watching the sights and letting the driver worry about the logistics. Too bad I cannot pick up my home and set it down near London! On a side note the studio set up looks nice as does the bright shirts! Lol the nurse in me kept trying to slow your arm down so I could check out your veins! Sorry habit! Carry on!!

[@vidiia]

I'm glad you like the W5, Geoff, I happen to know it very well. It was a lovely surprise to see you put it in your favourites list. I love the little loop it does on top of the hill by Harringay station, what an oddity. This whole journey of yours makes me appreciate London buses all the more. Cheers!

[@MarkDibley]

Thanks

[@hiviolet007]

Before my last trip to London, I purchased a senior rail pass for £30/year. This saved me 1/3 off rail fare and it did pay for itself! Another perk is that it saves 1/3 off tube/bus fare in London! You just have to find someone to activate it for you and you need the Oyster card to use it. No contactless. I loved this! It’s so great that senior tourists (65+) can take advantage of this!😊

[@apuldram]

60+

[@SamuelLee-gw6wr]

In HK, the number of bus routes from one operator is already more than London, as KMB has a total of 774 regular scheduled routes but some routes only run on special days and for events. CTB has 439 routes in operation, but some routes have both KMB and CTB operating, and there are routes which only run on special days. MTR also runs 26 routes, LWB has 67 (11 special routes and 2 in conjunction with CTB), and NLB has 39. It's very difficult in HK, so a 50-60% is already amazing. I am on 180 with KMB and 63 with CTB, the two biggest operators. The first two bus routes I unlocked in 2025 were CTB’s E22X and KMB’s 31M, which I took to graduate job interviews.

[@jamesbulpin]

I had a similar experience to your lost Oystercard: travelling by train from Hertford East to Cambridge, having changed trains at Broxbourne I realised that my company iPhone was no longer in my pocket. I guessed it must have fallen out while on the first train. So I used my own phone to track that first train into Liverpool St and back out towards Hertford. I then doubled back to meet that train at Cheshunt, where I found the phone poking out between the seat and the wall panel.

[@yardofshe]

So gassed about the Enfield Lock shout out, I feel strangely patriotic to seeing all the London boroughs I frequent mentioned haha! I love this video, v awesome!

[@ashleyrobinson4217]

Wow!!! All I can say is a massive thank you for the video that I never knew I wanted! On a day when you're a bit low nothing gives me more joy than you Geoff getting all excited over the P13! You really do bring so much joy to us! Thank You needed this today ❤

[@philipperry1304]

I do apologise. I'm not a bus person, but this was a beautiful watch. Cheers, Geoff Marshall, for all your media work

[@geofftech2]

thanks Phil, that's very kind. Glad you enjoyed!!

[@cukuwaekele]

Well done, Geoff. Now you’ve made me want to complete The Superloop when it’s fully rolled out.

[@Leo-hv9mm]

Such a very English thing to do - I love it. I drove buses in Perth Australia for 12 years and the number of passengers I encountered who did a form of what this bloke is doing. They're intent isn't to ride each route, but rather to ride every long distance route or rid every bus that is number beginning with with 9. Such routes are the high frequency and .

[@TransportForLuka]

Every Underground Station, Every National Rail Station, Every Tram Stop, Every DLR, Overground, Elizabeth Line and Cable Car Stations and now Every London Bus Route, this man has done it all!

[@richardarmstrong6513]

Just spent the week in London and stayed near London city. My young children have both caught the tube bug, but they wanted to ride a London bus, so after visiting Horizon 22, we jumped on the the 344 and went down to Clapham junction. They were comfortable, clean and as you say reasonable as well as being quite quick and they got to see a lot of sights through the city and past the Thames. Great Video Geoff. Really enjoyed it.

[@saraclayton-smithson5083]

As a bus driver in Leeds I can tell you that we really appreciate people who take the time to thank us, it definitely makes the day better! Thanks for the great video, I have followed you from your Londonist days and look forward to a new upload arriving, thanks 😊

[@LeedsInAHat]

Thanks. Particularly if you cover the 27, 33, 34, 50, 50A or A1 routes! I'm working on a private project which will mean I'll try to go within 0.2 miles of every stop in Leeds as I can. I think it's going to take a while!

[@BusDriverLife]

Always cool to see bus videos! Thanking the bus driver is definitely appreciated!

[@franklingoodwin]

We used to have the oddest bus route in Streatham in the 90s that went from West Norwood to Sainsbury's Streatham Common. Suffice to say, it didn't last long because it was pretty much only used by those who shopped at Sainsbury's.

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

Londons bus network is brilliant. Thanks Geoff for putting six weeks into the making of this video. I think summer time is best, when filming the 62 night routes (sunrise around 4am)

[@geofftech2]

Anton!!!! Just saw this comment. I found one of your KZbin stickers at a random bus stop when doing this - I can’t remember where tho. Ha ha! One day, our paths will cross …. 😀😊😘

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

​@@geofftech2 😂 LOL...Hi Geoff, yes we must meet up very soon, whenever you can fit me into your schedule. Regarding the stickers, they are flyers which I leave at random places 😄 I am not able to use stickers though, as it is classed as fly posting, but non stick flyers etc are fine and can be taken by passers by. I had 35,000 of them in 2017 and I am down to my last few 100 now...😂

[@andrewr2825]

Never underestimate the effect your videos have on us Geoff. This one in particular, as I spent the best part of my life driving, then rostering and timetabling in Sydney, Australia. You’ve got a gift and thank you for sharing. All the best from Australia 👍🏻

[@carolinegreenwell9086]

Thanks!

[@davidskidmore6768]

Being a retired bus driver from Los Angeles it's good to at least one person say thank you 😕. I found your videos while watching other London vlogs, seeing your enthusiasm really is infectious 😅. My oh my what LA could learn from TFL. Anyway keep it coming I'll be watching... CHEERS

[@Greenplastics]

Thanks for this lovely video! I bumped into it because my 11yo son is a big fan of your train videos! He was showing me the one about the new Piccadilly Line trains in Germany, and this came.up as a suggestion. We lived in London until he was 6yo. Well, that's when wife and kids moved to her country. I joined them 2 and a half years later. At the time he was starting to get into London's transport, so it was very disappointing for him, to leave the city for good. Your videos are a big help! I was a London bus driver for 10 years, from 2010 to 2020. I loved the job, it was a childhood dream come true. Now that I drive lorries, I really miss the buses. For the first 4 years my main route was H9-H10 (two circular routes which go in opposite directions). Then one year on the H11. Finally, five years as a 183 driver, which was my favourite. I also got to drive H13, H14, H17 and 398, as they were all operated by my garage and I would regularly swap duties with colleagues or work overtime. I also did the N183, which was basically the 183 going at night between friday and sunday. They didn't even get the board number sorted, before it was cancelled,due to the covid outbreak. I also managed to drive a temporary route, called 582. It was used to cover a very small chunk of road that was blocked due to roadworks, in order to connect the terminus with another stop along the same route. It went more or less from Northwood Hills to Eastcote. I really miss the buses! Thank you for thanking the drivers. You said some very lovely things about our efforts to provide a quality service!

[@dariyagancheva7876]

My son is a big transport fan and during last summer holidays, he travelled along every non-TFL bus route in London (for example the 461, 515 and the 715)

[@LeedsInAHat]

Congratulations, Geoff! I'm working on multiple personal projects at the moment using an app which measures where I've been in the world using a tile-based mapping system. When you start the entire world is covered in tiles. As you move, each tile you get to becomes uncovered, so you see trails and eventually large wide open patches. I live in Leeds, but when I travel to London for gigs etc. I'm trying to go to/through all the stations on the standard tube map. Perhaps once I've done that I'll make a start on the bus stops!

[@jackkerner6562]

This is the perfect video because everyone is waiting for you to come to their area, like me

[@SK_3PT1]

innittt

[@fugf1623]

Taking the bus when going in London is one of my all time favorite thing to do, every time I went to London, I couldn’t resist the urge to do so, I absolutely love them

[@XaviMacBash]

All the Buses, all of them! This reminds me of the very old tube challenge videos so much. Excellent work.

[@kaywoodward9283]

This is amazing. Thank you for being so diligent. I like the idea of the spreadsheet. I now have an over 60 oyster so will try a few of the routes with my friend who is obsessed by busses and has had me in all areas of London and beyond (like I had never been to Croydon) from first light to as long as he could stay out for. Keep up the good work Geoff. I know a lot of young people are encouraged by your videos.

[@dmegrailways]

This is beautifully made, and I love the new studio/narration location. Brilliant project Geoff! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@oceannspiritt659]

Fun fact with some of the 300 buses, quite a few of them (like the 337, 344 & 371) were actually part of other routes that got split up (37, 44 and 71 respectively). A good site for bus route histories is ian armstrongs london buses, showing most routes that ran/run from 1934 to present day

[@vblprg]

Thanks for the ride, Geoff !

[@andywash]

Great stuff! Have to say though I'm a little peeved by the "backstreets of Hackney" comment. That is a main street in Hackney that has multiple routes on it. There are bus routes down some actual backstreets round here. The 488 for example. Come back & I'll show you around.

[@Skibidijesseohiosigmer]

Hey Geoff, you might not see this but the U1 and U3 have a Hail and Ride Section between Violet Avenue and Apple Tree Avenue. They both go on single and double decker buses. 😊

[@NigelCollins-t6h]

I enjoyed your video, and as you asked, I completed (in order) all the TfL routes end to end between 23rd April 2010 and 16th August 2016. I to X68 at the time, including three 9xx mobility routes. It's relatively slow progress, but I only had certain evenings and occasional weekends available at the time due to work commitments.

[@TransportBaz]

We've got more routes coming over the next year in Croydon/Sutton. 439, 443, S2, re-routings of 166, 312, 434. If you come back for those, then let me know, I'll sort the teas.....

[@croydon1975]

Hey Geoff, your All The Stations project in 2017 has indeed inspired me to visit every single Station in the UK 🇬🇧 as of this message I am 109 stations in, it's been a slow burn as this has been built up over the many years but in recent times I get a mad day and tick a few off. My home Station is East Croydon. As always tremendous content as well as great knowledge base for us travel enthusiasts. Cheers again 👍🏻

[@customtransport2777]

Really interesting video and I’m also on a mission to ride every TfL bus route in my lifetime. My favourite route is currently the 123 and I also love the maps you designed 👍

[@tobyytlai]

Hi Geoff. I've recently moved to the UK from overseas and I'm challenging myself to photograph all bus routes in Leeds (where I live). Hopefully I don't miss any. Thanks for making this video

[@sara-pr3vf]

That shot of you speaking to the camera but on the bus cctv is gold

[@forbiddenriddimzmusic]

I'm impressed from the map alone, great work

[@millstonebarn]

That Oyster Card story was magnificent!

[@jeantremlett174]

Thank you Geoff for such a great story. I had noticed you hadn't been as active on KZbin as sometimes. I wondered if you were struggling. I feel exactly the same about January. I am so pleased to hear that you have been doing something so Geoff and it has got you out and about at this potentially difficult time of year. I understand what you mean about doing all the buses in the Summer but don’t think it would be so impactful. I am so glad you found (what my mum would call bus friends) on the little local buses, they are so great. I think they are undervalued and are so important on so many levels. There are some great local buses in Brighton and Hove as Roger knows, I really like the 37. Thanks again Geoff, from some who always says Thank you driver as I get off the bus.😊

[@tonywhitmore]

The home studio footage looks great Geoff!

[@anthonyhope2589]

Brilliant video. I loved the buses more than the tube when I lived in London in the early 2000s.

[@FABIOA.V.P]

Thank you for coming to Sunbury (Cross) I live in the village south of the cross and I like my place it has accommodation, an ‘interesting’ station and of course despite being outside of greater London it’s served by 3 bus routes including a School Route 235,216,290 and 635, Yeah not even you can survive the 235 problem recently it’s been poorly. Sometimes every morning when I have to take the 235 to Isleworth the buses like you said never showed up and I was forced to use the Car and there Is Overcrowding I mean SO CROWDED that it causes delays and of course there is traffic as well to blame for the delays, that’s why I’m Planning to propose to TFL That the 235 should be a Double decker bus since a wiggle deck is not suitable for this capacity. Anyways Another amazing journey Geoff and Keep up the work (Anyone like me living in those areas such as Lower Feltham and sunbury and Lower Hounslow you are welcome to share your thoughts about the 235 and discuss).

[@grahamwhitworth9454]

I lived in Sunbury until last year and saw plenty of 235s - when I didn't need one! There was usually a 10 minute service frequency. I used the train rather more but, unlike the bus, it didn't accept the Oyster card as Sunbury is outside the zones.

[@ChristosLouridas]

New fan from Greece here. If I ever manage to relocate in London I am up for that challenge. I enjoyed the fact how every location of the photos you've taken was on the app. Also when I visit London for trips I always thank the driver (although last March when I visited drivers wherent as talkative, as they where other years I paid a visit. ) Also of course if I manage on my visits I love sitting on the top level of double deckers, and on the front row if I can. I mean it's London you have to enjoy it scenery wise.

[@YouTubechannel-fb9yd]

I love this, realistically most Londoners are taking busses - not trains. Especially young Londoners who have free bus travel cos of their zip card, so taking a train would be a waste. Trains are mostly for those white collar commuters working in/near central. But the Londoners are taking the bus to work (or the car) - not often are they taking the train. So taking the bus is the best way to meet and knows the locals, as well as discover the true local areas too (not all tall buildings and glamour, that’s actually like 1% or less of London) Love this video so much, I’m a ‘Londoner’ but also want to do this.

[@jos4669]

As a south londoner, your comment about trains is quite disagreeable. many journeys i’ve taken actually utilise both the train and the bus, and i rarely venture into central london. They are vital for connecting many of the towns and population centers in greater london and they are far more important and useful than you seem to be implying. both the bus and train are, much of the time, highly preferable to driving, at least within london.

[@ibennett9312]

Geoff, I raise my hat to you sir, superb! As someone who has worked as a consultant, contractor and employee for London Buses for 35 years (furniture & product designer and manager) I think this one of best pieces of PR I’ve seen for our magnificent bus network. The humble aluminium bus stop posts was first introduced on our streets 31 March 1994 outside Richmond Station went on to replace all 18,900 bus stops over the following 7 years played a small part in making what was often an impenetrable network displaying information on the roadside. Designed by JEDCo in association with Fitch and manufactured, installed and maintained by Trueform Group ever since by Londoners for Londoners. Thanks Geoff, what a wonderful journey.

[@garishanth]

I remember seeing your 2002 and 2004 tube challenge videos a few years back. This is cool man! 👏🏽

[@Noordwijker16]

Geoff, thank you, now I am obsessed with your channel on London Buses.

[@anthonydefreitas6006]

The Oyster card story and Geoff's elation put a smile on my face.

[@franklingoodwin]

Wouldn't have happened if he used contactless payments instead. Oyster Cards are easily lost or broken.

[@anthonydefreitas6006]

@@franklingoodwin Travelling on that amount of buses Geoff's probably using a travel card