Bus in London: Explore and Enjoy a Magical City

If your priority is to enjoy the countries, the architecture, and the daily life in this fascinating city, then the best option is to travel by bus in London.

While the London Underground is one of the fastest means of transportation, it doesn’t allow you to admire the city in all its splendor since it is underground.

This guide is for those who want to enjoy this magical city and explore its streets in those fabulous red buses.

Enjoy this means of transport that has become an icon of the city, as emblematic as Big Ben, The Tower Bridge, and the beautiful telephone booths; just to mention a few of these images that cinema and television have highlighted.

Learn here how this transportation service works, the fares, and the payment methods you can use, as well as the main routes to reach a large number of places of interest, so you can better orient yourself on your next trip.

To learn about other means of transport in London, don’t forget to visit our MEGA GUIDE.

Diagram of Bus Routes in London

Taking a bus in London is not as easy as in other cities. You need to be cautious because the entire system has about 700 routes and at least 19,500 stops.

But don’t worry, we will explain the key points you need to know to identify the appropriate routes for getting around and reaching your destination in this city, whether you are traveling as a tourist or planning to settle in London.

At first glance, the diagram of the routes might seem a bit confusing, but there is nothing to fear.

We will go step by step. For now, we invite you to take a close look at the map and locate the places you want to visit, identify the routes by colors, and the nearby stops.

You don’t have to memorize all this. The advantage is that buses have a sign with the route identification, as we will see later.

You can also use applications that will help you create your personalized travel plan.

Bus routes in central London Source: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/key-bus-routes-in-central-london.pdf

Payment Methods and Fares for Bus Travel in London

If this is your first time in London, you should know that buses, even older models, do not accept cash.

It is only possible to pay your fare through a card reader located at the entrance of the vehicle.

Therefore, before traveling, you must ensure that you have a London a Oyster Card or Travelcard. You can also use your traditional bank card if it has a contactless system.

But you should note that if your card is not from the UK, your bank will charge you for the conversion of your currency to pounds sterling, so the fare may be more expensive.

While if you use the Oyster Card or the Travelcard, the fare is £1.50, and you can also get special promotions. With these cards, you can also travel on the tube, trains, and tram.

The Oyster Card has an option called Daily Cap, which allows you to travel as much as you want within a time period, whether daily or weekly.

Upon reaching the limit, no more money is deducted until the next day. The daily limit for traveling by bus in London with this card is 4 trips. The great thing about this fare is that instead of paying £6, it only costs you £4.50.

Bus fares in London
Single Journey	Day	Daily cap	Week	Month	Year
£1.50	£5.00	£4.50*	£21.20	£81.50	£848.00
*4 trips made in one day at £1.50 cost £4.50 (the daily cap), not £6.00.

 

How to Get Around by Bus in London

To choose the correct bus route in London, you should look at the bus stop posts, where you will find detailed information.

Additionally, on the buses, you can see a red sign with a letter that identifies the route and the names of some points of interest along the route.

Although this sign does not indicate the final destination, this information serves as a reference to choose the route and verify that it is going in the right direction.

Types of Bus Routes in London

Bus routes in London are of various types, according to their operation coverage and schedule, as shown in the following table:

 

Color	Operation	Schedule	Routes Identification
White	Daytime	6:00 to 24:00	1 to 599
Blue	Nightime	24:00 pm to 5:30	N-Route
24 hours Tour	24 hours	24 hours	1 to 599
Locals	Neighborhood	5:00 to 24:00	First letter of the neighborhood + route number

 

Differences in Bus Stops in London

When you arrive in London, look at the bus stops, you will see that there are two types:

• Mandatory stops for buses: These are recognized by shelters with a white background and a red circle.
• Optional stops: At these stops, the shelters have a red background and the circle is white. If you are at one of them, you must signal for the bus to stop.

Additionally, at each stop, you will find diagrams or maps of the routes that pass through that point.

So it’s best to take a look to find your destination and familiarize yourself with the route.

And to feel more secure on your trips, you can use Google Maps, so you will always know your location concerning a reference point.

Additionally, this app is constantly updated and will be useful for traveling by bus in London as well as any other means of transportation in the city.

Additionally, you can consult the journey planner on the official London transport page to see how to get to your destination. You only need to indicate the origin and destination.

You will see route options and estimated travel time on the screen. This planner works for all types of transportation available in the city.

You may need a combination of two or more transportation methods to reach your destination. You can select the means of transport you prefer to compare and choose the route that best suits you.

And as if that weren’t enough, you can also download the free Live London Bus Tracker app. In it, you can check routes, stops, and schedules.

Another very comprehensive app that, in addition to guiding you on your bus trips in London, is also useful for tube journeys and other means of transportation in the city is Citymapper.

This app has the advantage of working offline. You can download it in its iOS and Android versions.

Essential Tips for Using the Bus Service in London

To make your bus trips in London more pleasant, follow these recommendations:

1. Travel on the upper deck only if it is a long journey. Otherwise, it will be easier to get off at your destination stop if you are on the lower deck.
2. Remember to behave courteously, give up your seat to those who need it most, such as people with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women.
3. Use the Stop button to announce your stop at the next authorized location.
4. The frequency of the routes is very good, so wait patiently at the respective stop.

Bus Routes in London That Take You to Tourist Spots

There are several bus lines in London that cover most of the city’s tourist and iconic points.

Below is a list of bus routes that can take you to those fabulous places you want to explore at your own pace.

Bus Route in London L159

The bus line in London number 159, which runs from Marble Arch to Streatham Station and vice versa, has 43 stops along its route, as follows:

1	Marble Arch Station	16	Kennington Road / Imperial War Museum	30	Brixton Water Lane
2	Selfridges	17	Fitzalan Street	31	Blenheim Gardens
3	New Bond Street	18	Kennington Lane	32	Jebb Avenue / Brixton Prison
4	Oxford Circus Station	19	Windmill Row	33	New Park Road
5	Conduit Street / Hamleys Toy Store	20	Kennington Park Post Office	34	Holmewood Road
6	Piccadilly Circus	21	Bus stopX	35	Streatham Hill / Christchurch Road
7	Haymarket / Charles II Street	22	St Mark’s Church	36	Telford Avenue
8	Trafalgar Sq / Charing Cross Stn	23	Vassall Road	37	Streatham Hill Stn / Streatham Hill
9	Whitehall / Trafalgar Square	24	Groveway	38	Leigham Court Road
10	Whitehall / Horseguards Avenue	25	Loughborough Road	39	Mount Ephraim Road
11	Horse Guards Parade	26	Villa Road	40	Kingscourt Road
12	Westminster Stn / Parliament Square	27	Brixton Road / Brixton Police Station	41	Becmead Avenue
13	St Thomas’ Hospital /County Hall	28	Brixton Station	42	St Leonard’s Church
14	Lower Marsh	29	Rush Common	43	Streatham Station
15	Lambeth North Station

Bus Route in London L159

The bus line in London number 159, which runs from Marble Arch to Streatham Station and vice versa, has 43 stops along its route, as follows:

As you can see, there are quite a few stops, so to help you better orient yourself, we share some reference points for some of these stops:

1. Marble Arch Station is near Hyde Park, one of the favorite spots for residents and tourists.
2. Oxford Circus Station is the stop you will use to enjoy fabulous shops on Oxford St.
3. If you stay at the Piccadilly Circus stop, you will be just steps away from the iconic Trafalgar Square.
4. This route will also help you reach Parliament Square to enjoy a privileged view of Westminster Abbey.
5. If you look towards the River Thames, you can enjoy the imposing Big Ben, and crossing the famous Westminster Bridge, you will be amazed by the giant London Eye.

These are just some of the fabulous destinations you can enjoy on this bus route in London, all at a super economical fare of £1.50.

In the following map, you can see the areas of the city that this bus line crosses. It will help you identify some of the most important landmarks.

Bus route 159 Source: Transport for London

Bus Route in London L15

The bus line in London number 15, which runs from Connects to DLR to Charing Cross Station and vice versa, has 69 stops.

1	Connects to DLR	24	Exmouth Estate	47	Connects to Circleand DistrictConnects to National RailBus stopMA
2	Poplar High Street / Blackwall	25	Bus stop	48	St Paul’s Churchyard
3	Bus stopS	26	St Mary’s & St Michael’s Church	49	Bus stopSH
4	Bazely Street	27	Bus stop	50	St Paul’s Cathedral
5	Bus stopA	28	Watney Market	51	Bus stopSJ
6	Poplar Recreation Ground	29	Bus stopE	52	City Thameslink Stn / Ludgate Circus
7	Bus stopE	30	New Road	53	Bus stopF
8	Upper North Street	31	Bus stopT	54	Shoe Lane
9	Bus stopF	32	London Metropolitan University	55	Bus stopH
10	University Of Cumbria In London	33	Bus stopU	56	Fetter Lane
11	Bus stopWZ	34	Aldgate East Station	57	Bus stop->W
12	Burdett Road	35	Connects to Districtand Hammersmith & CityBus stopJ	58	Chancery Lane
13	Bus stopWT	36	Aldgate Station	59	Bus stop->W
14	Limehouse Town Hall	37	Connects to Circleand MetropolitanBus stopR	60	The Royal Courts Of Justice
15	Bus stopLH	38	Minories	61	Bus stopP
16	Lowell Street	39	Bus stopH	62	Aldwych / Somerset House
17	Bus stopLJ	40	Tower Of London	63	Bus stopR
18	Limehouse Station	41	Bus stopTA	64	Savoy Street
19	Connects to DLRConnects to National RailBus stopLK	42	Great Tower Street	65	Bus stopU
20	Stepney Methodist Church	43	Bus stopTT	66	Bedford Street
21	Bus stopLL	44	Monument Station	67	Bus stopJ
22	Marion Richardson School	45	Connects to Circleand DistrictBus stopJ	68	Bus stopH
23	Bus stopLM	46	Cannon Street Station	69	Charing Cross Station

Some of the iconic places you can enjoy on this line are:

1. The Tower of London at stop No. 40 of the route.
2. Then you will pass by St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern, London’s modern art museum.
3. If you stay at the Aldwych stop, you can visit the London Transport Museum and Covent Garden.

To get an idea of the route followed by bus line 15 in London, look at the following map. As you can see, it runs almost parallel to the River Thames.

Bus route 15 Source: Transport for London

Bus Route in London L52

The bus line in London number 52, which runs from Pound Lane / Willesden Bus Garage to Bus route or stop name and vice versa, has 81 stops, as follows:

1	Pound Lane / Willesden Bus Garage	28	Barlby Road	55	Palace Gate
2	Willesden Bus Garage	29	Bus stopN	56	Bus stopRH
3	Bus stopWN	30	St Charles Square	57	Queen’s Gate
4	Villiers Road	31	Bus stopE	58	Bus stopRK
5	Bus stopS	32	Chesterton Road	59	Royal Albert Hall
6	Willesden Green Library	33	Bus stopC	60	Bus stopRL
7	Bus stopJ	34	Ladbroke Grove Station	61	Prince Of Wales Gate
8	Hanover Road	35	Connects to Circle	62	Bus stopRM
9	Bus stopC	36	and Hammersmith & CityBus stopB	63	Rutland Gardens
10	All Souls Avenue	37	Elgin Crescent	64	Bus stopKP
11	Bus stopB	38	Bus stopPH	65	Knightsbridge Station / Harrods
12	Okehampton Road	39	Portobello and Golborne Market	66	Bus stopKH
13	Bus stopKC	40	Bus stopPQ	67	Hyde Park Corner Station
14	Whitmore Gardens	41	Chepstow Villas	68	Connects to PiccadillyBus stopS
15	Bus stopKG	42	Bus stopPS	69	Hyde Park Corner
16	Kensal Rise Station	43	Notting Hill Gate Station	70	Connects to PiccadillyBus stopF
17	Connects to London OvergroundConnects to National RailBus stopKH	44	Connects to Central	71	Wilton Street
18	Station Terrace	45	Circle	72	Bus stopS
19	Bus stopKJ	46	and DistrictBus stopC	73	Buckingham Palace Rd / Bressenden Place
20	Banister Road	47	Palace Gardens Terr / Notting Hill Gte	74	Bus stopP
21	Bus stopKM	48	Bus stopK	75	Bus stopA52
22	Harrow Road / Kilburn Lane	49	Sheffield Terrace	76	Victoria Bus Station
23	Bus stopKN	50	Bus stopP	77	Switch direction
24	Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury’s	51	York House Place / Kensington High St	78	Find another bus stop or route
25	Bus stopU	52	Bus stopK	79	For live arrivals, status information, route maps and timetables
26	Kensal House	53	Kensington Palace	80	Search for Bus route or stop name
27	Bus stopS	54	Bus stopM	81	Bus route or stop name

This route is ideal for shopping enthusiasts. If you want to pick up some fabulous souvenirs, this route will take you to famous shopping centers such as Kensington, Palace Royal, Albert Hall, Harrods, and the cinematic route of Notting Hill.

Bus route 52 Source: Transport for London

It’s time to travel around London by bus!

Now you know several options to get around by bus and enjoy this city at your own pace.

Dare to design fabulous bus routes, share this information, your friends will also want to experience London to the fullest.

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