How to take a London Bus | BEGINNER’S GUIDE

First time visiting London and have never taken one of the city's famous red double decker buses? If you'll be taking London transport this is a REALLY popular way for both Londoners and tourists to get around the city in an affordable way, so in this video Eliza (they/them), long-time Londoner is showing you the basics of how to take a London bus.
🤔🤔 Confused about taking London's public transport (and around the rest of the UK too?) We have something for you. Our London Transport Guide will tell you absolutely everything you need to know about public transport, so you can arrive in London feeling like you're already a pro. You'll even learn what to do if there's a tube strike and how to buy train tickets for getting around the UK for day trips from London. For a VERY limited time (until 19th June 2024) the London Transport Guide is 15% off -- just use code BUS15. Have a look at everything included and use the discount code ASAP: shop.loveandlo... 🚇🚇
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This channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, our founder Jessica Dante and our team show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch our videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.

[@colleen113]

OMG! Thank you so much for this video, it's perfect for my first trip to London in a wheelchair.

[@loveandlondon]

:) We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@wannabetrucker7475]

Lovely...

[@1trebor2024]

Some people from other areas of england need to watch this video!

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for watching!

[@mrdisco1]

Love that this video is accessibility minded. (Also love your hair colours!)

[@loveandlondon]

:) We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@yaowsers77]

I'm a new solo traveler and i was in London in March. OMG Metro stations have way too many stairs. I thought i was going to die. Stuck with buses and they're awesome. So easy and no stairs unless you ride upstairs! Plus you get to see so much and no tapping out. I love the buses! I also got to ride on a routemaster bus! Lol i wasn't attention to anything but the number and then i just got on. What a wonderful surprise! Lol i did feel bad for the fellow taking payments. I was sitting in the top along with a family who had a special transit card that they don't take on the bus. While the fellow was dragging with it, he got tossed around a bit. I just used my credit card. It was really fun to experience it even though it cost a little more, i think.

[@loveandlondon]

Credit cards cost the same :) thanks so much for watching!!

[@sebnorth]

I enjoyed this video and have an observation from today. Hammersmith Broadway stop Z4 was not highlighted in the bus no 9 to Hammersmith and therefore there was an issue when to hit the stop button. Suddenly many people started pushing this button but it was too late for the driver.

[@happytruffle]

Perhaps you could mention that London bus divert "very often", which makes passengers fail to arrive at their destination.

[@loveandlondon]

Lol we looooove that 🫠🫠

[@KodieS]

I've had the pleasure of taking London buses during trips and loved every part of the experience, although the first time one terminated I was surprised. My only caution with contactless payment is that if you're visiting from another country and your bank charges international transaction fees, it could get expensive. To avoid this, I loaded an oyster card so each tap took from that and reduced bank fees.

[@loveandlondon]

You shouldn't be using a card with international transaction fees while travelling anyways ;)

[@jldisme]

As a wheelchair user, I thank you very much!

[@loveandlondon]

You're very welcome!

[@Fadhelalmalki]

Thanks a lot guys that was helpful now I can get rid of the fear of i dont know how to use London bus >> love from Saudi Arabia

[@loveandlondon]

❤️❤️❤️

[@12morganna]

Hello, If I remember well, buses don't say '' next stop xxx'' they just say '' xxx'', the first few times I thought I had missed my stop, it was very confusing.

[@arifaristiana2525]

Do you need to tap out?

[@loveandlondon]

Nope!

[@frednich9603]

My daughter uses a wheelchair, thanks for the information!

[@loveandlondon]

:) We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@DeeFightingDreamer]

Interesting to hear that only one wheelchair user can ride the bus at a time! Is that simply because there's not enough space for two? And does it apply to baby strollers as well? Here in Czechia it is no issue for two baby strollers to be on one bus (haven't seen a lot of wheelchair users in my area so I can't say I've seen two of them on the same bus), though it is a tight fit for everyone, as people from the front have to pass them to get to the back or to get off the bus.

[@loveandlondon]

Yes that's why! And baby strollers have to make room for wheelchairs as they have priority

[@bjoern0975]

Is there an official map of all the London bus lines (within a regular street map) - either as an app or as a physical fold-out map?

[@loveandlondon]

There are soooo many so probably not!

[@patrickwalsh7173]

The TfL website will show you the map for any individual bus route but not for the whole network, although they did used to do that.

[@driver288]

Hi! So. If I travel with someone, a child for instance, that I want to pay for too, how does that work? Oh thanks. Got the answer since my son is under 11. But how does this work on the underground with the barriers? And since fairs are different for buses and trains, does kids under 11 ride for free on the underground/overground as well?

[@loveandlondon]

We cover all of this in our London Transport Guide, in detail, plus MUCH more! Have a look: shop.loveandlondon.com/products/london-transport-guide

[@oldKonk]

I'm a vegan...I'm a vegan...I'm a vegan...I'm a vegan...hey everyone guess what IM A VEGAN

[@loveandlondon]

We love that for you

[@renferal5290]

I will actually be arriving in London very soon. I've only ever used the tube. This was a very helpful video

[@loveandlondon]

Glad to hear it, thanks for watching! ❤️

[@The_Mace]

Thank you, Eliza! I must admit, we were intimidated by the London bus system during our visit last year (although we were brave enough to use the Tube). This video will be very helpful for our next visit! :)

[@loveandlondon]

:) We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@ROCKGRINDER12]

when I came to London (38 years ago), I didn't understand at all how the bus, the tube and the overground train system worked, I had to learn it by myself, I mean I got lost in the tube for about 3 hours till I understood how they worked ........... then I came out of Manor Hause tube station, and sat down at one of the bus stop shelters there, and after 1 hour, looking at the bus time table and checking at the tube map ............ I got it!!!!!!.............. now, I could give classes on how to get the best of trains, buses and overground trains.

[@loveandlondon]

Thankfully we have apps to make it much easier now (and we cover it ALL in the London Transport Guide: shop.loveandlondon.com/products/london-transport-guide )

[@Bug715]

Super helpful! I was just there and wish I had this info, but I was able to watch what everyone else did and figure it out. Just sent to a friend visiting later this summer.

[@liamrendell9578]

If you live in England and are either over 66 or disabled then you can get the encts (English national concessionary travel scheme) and can use it on any bus within England after 9:30, so it can save you instead of having to pay

[@FalcomScott312]

Great Video & thanks for sharing how to take a London Bus which I've studied many times from other videos. Congratulations on 300K subscribers all the best! 😀👍🎉❤

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for watching! ❤️

[@Smart1529]

Buses are underrated, sure they are slow and vulnerable to traffic but at least you know where you are going and they are cheap. I used to love using the train but it can get hot and overcrowded at times. Also the tube map doesn't really do a good job of showing you how close certain locations are. Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, Bond Street and Marble Arch are all on the same road. Same goes for Queensway and Bayswater.

[@enurii]

I’m from a tiny Island in the middle of nowhere so every time I go to London I can never imagine how people can get used to so much noise and chaos 😆

[@snowrunny1909]

lol ppl compete for front seats in London but the bus I take ppl compete for the back corner seat 😹😹 aka me

[@StephenRobertd]

A brillant travel vlogg a big fan of jess and the wonderfull team have a great day 😊

[@CollectiveWest1]

Good video filled with practical advice. I clicked on the thumbnail because of your amazing hair but the video was good. I use Citymapper too - it helpfully shows the costs of each route, which can vary a lot. If you need to change buses, you might need to move between stops, each of which is designated by a letter which can be seen on the bus stop pole above the numbers of the buses stopping there. And the Citymapper app shows the stop letters and the walking route between them.

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks so much for watching! ❤️

[@erikgrimes3621]

is it possible to pay for more than one passenger using the same payment method? IE: a family traveling together or does each individual have to use a seperate method?

[@loveandlondon]

If you have one credit/debit card, you can use the physical card for one person, then tap via contactless for another. This will count as two separate tickets, therefore two people are covered.

[@frednich9603]

I loved the tube, but buses have their charm too, especially when I got tired of stairs.

[@its.MtotheG]

Thank you so much for this video, this was extremely helpful when my mother and I went to London this summer! Such a wonderful guide and I’m happy to have found this channel!

[@danceninja21]

Thank you so much for this video! I'm really looking forward to my trip to London. Since I will only be there for 2 days I'm trying to absorb as much as I can from your channel so that my time there is productive!

[@CarloBikebrad]

Full support ❤❤❤

[@SoftWorship1]

Thank you for this video! Do you know if we can purchase more than one ticket with the same phone/card tapping when traveling with senior parents?

[@loveandlondon]

Only if you use different devices to pay. We cover this in more detail in our London Transpor Guide: shop.loveandlondon.com/products/london-transport-guide

[@shopinqueen3006]

Thank you!!

[@jennawoodard8386]

💕✈️

[@eshanlalani9825]

I’m on a trip to London right now, and got an oyster card since the tap on my card is broken. I was taking the 555 and the driver said they didn’t accept oyster cards. Can you elaborate on this? I looked online and couldn’t find why it didn’t work

[@loveandlondon]

That's not a London city bus!

[@kellibackhaus9884]

So helpful! Looks like it will be okay to travel by bus with a baby and stroller. Thanks for showing that part! Do they open the accessible doors when they see a stroller? Thanks!

[@loveandlondon]

They don't but you can ask.

[@linkfeeney8873]

I just want to make sure here, I can use the same physical credit card to purchase 2 rides my and my wife? is that correct?

[@loveandlondon]

Hi there! Everything you need to know about paying for transport in London is in this article: loveandlondon.com/how-to-pay-for-public-transport-in-london/ ❤️

[@kbf6434]

So wheelchair users ride the London buses for free? Or is there a way to pay from the middle of the bus

[@loveandlondon]

Wheelchair users get free rides!

[@MoodMachine215]

Very helpful and specific information. Thank you!

[@loveandlondon]

You're welcome !!

[@Smart1529]

I laughed at the title because there is a bus called the 101 in East London

[@loveandlondon]

😂😂

[@yazminmojica4458]

Excellent video, 👍💯❤️ thank you 😃

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for watching ❤️

[@petermcginley]

Great video, I’ll definitely pass onto friends visiting London. Just a small one - the audio was OK but didn’t seem quite as crisp as usual. Seems a little processed like a bit too much noise reduction was applied? Otherwise great video filled with good information on London’s buses.

[@owenduncan4574]

I agree. I had difficulty following some of the commentary. But the video was informative.

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@MED31MED]

Another great video! 👌🏻

[@loveandlondon]

Thanks so much!

[@arizonawut]

so glad you get free rides ❤ you are such an inspiration

[@donaldsitumorang3530]

If my children is 11,5 years old is it still free for the tube, bus, and water ride?

[@loveandlondon]

11+ is not free but we tell you about a discount you can use in this article: loveandlondon.com/how-to-pay-for-kids-on-londons-public-transport-when-visiting-london/

[@donaldsitumorang3530]

@@loveandlondon tx a lot for the answer.. but how do they know if the children is 10 or 11? Do the tube staff check ur id/passport at the gate?

[@elwisuntemp7199]

The third door on the new routemasters is also used for alighting right?

[@loveandlondon]

You mean the back one? It's only for getting off, not getting on.

[@elwisuntemp7199]

@@loveandlondonYep that’s what I meant, thanks

[@moviekidd1218]

what if there’s two people using the same card payment method? travelling with my mum😊

[@loveandlondon]

Use different devices otherwise you can't!

[@from_paradise9]

Best London guide 👉🏻@loveandlondon Isn’t it..