Favourite London bus route?

NorthKent1989 · 28 Jan 2019

Mine is the 53 (Plumstead to Whitehall), in years gone by this used to run from Erith al the way to Hampstead, by today’s standard it’s still a long route and is the spine of South East London, linking Plumstead, Woolwich, Charlton, Blackheath, Greenwich Park, Deptford, New Cross, Elephant and Castle & Lambeth with the bright lights of the West End.

I loved its express route: the X53, the lengthy non stop run from Greenwich Park to Elephant & Castle was fun.

I also love the 180, a shame that will be cut back to North Greenwich from later this year

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paddington · 28 Jan 2019

The last N47 on a sunny June morning

The less crowded "orbital" routes like 313, 331, 467

507/521 before morning rush hour

Statto · 28 Jan 2019

X68 love the non stop section West Norwood-Waterloo which have a couple of routes penciled in, the one i went on last autumn went through Brixton, love the clime on Beulah Hill.
X26 think it's just express routes
11 love going from Fulham Broadway-Liverpool Street
10 Hammersmith-Kings Cross now annoyingly withdrawn
W3 first time i went on it in the autumn, now one of my favourites, great views of London when going past the Ally Pally, it was a lovely sunny day as well[think around 22C & early October]
N9 Heathrow-Aldwych
I loved the N15 & day 15 when it went to Paddington
Love night buses in summer when it's getting light.

jumble · 28 Jan 2019

Statto said:
X68 love the non stop section West Norwood-Waterloo which have a couple of routes penciled in, the one i went on last autumn went through Brixton, love the clime on Beulah Hill.
X26 think it's just express routes
11 love going from Fulham Broadway-Liverpool Street
10 Hammersmith-Kings Cross now annoyingly withdrawn
W3 first time i went on it in the autumn, now one of my favourites, great views of London when going past the Ally Pally, it was a lovely sunny day as well[think around 22C & early October]
N9 Heathrow-Aldwych
I loved the N15 & day 15 when it went to Paddington
Love night buses in summer when it's getting light.

Even better we were lucky enought to travel on the 15 from Paddington Basin on a Routemaster and it was RML2760 on one of the days when the 15H was diverted owing to The Lord Mayor's show
No idea which year but must have been between 2007 and 2009 as 15 only went there during that time
Jumble

96tommy · 28 Jan 2019

Living in and around Mile End and Whitechapel for 3 years mine was the 205. Travelling on it usually meant I was going back up north for a bit to Kings Cross or getting away from the North and getting back to London for a bit. The bus service I used most however was the 25, a route I detested, but when I went into Central (most nights of the week) I picked it over the Central line because the Central Line is possibly my least favourite mode of transport ever. Another route I like is the 10, which I used a lot when younger from Kings Cross into Central.

swt class 450 · 28 Jan 2019

Are you talking about any bus route within the borders of Greater London? Or are you talking about any TFL contracted bus route?

If it is any bus route within the borders of Greater London than my favourite is probably the RV1 service.

If it is any TFL contracted bus route than my favourite is probably the 465 service.

Statto · 28 Jan 2019

jumble said:
Even better we were lucky enought to travel on the 15 from Paddington Basin on a Routemaster and it was RML2760 on one of the days when the 15H was diverted owing to The Lord Mayor's show
No idea which year but must have been between 2007 and 2009 as 15 only went there during that time
Jumble

15/N15 Paddington Basin journey's started 2007, then were cut & replaced by the 159 in 2010, irritating a few of the Oxford Street routes have been cut/withdrawn even though Crossrail isn't open yet.

alex397 · 28 Jan 2019

user1234 said:
If it is any bus route within the borders of Greater London than my favourite is probably the RV1 service.

Better make the most of the RV1!

----

I don't enjoy travelling by bus in London as much as the past - it mostly seems to consist of sitting in traffic jams. My favourite central London routes are possibly the 11 (Liverpool Street - Fulham) - an excellent way to see London without paying extortionate tour bus prices. I liked the 23 before it was cut back, as it followed a similar route. The 15H is good too for central London.

I grew up with the 20 bus route (Walthamstow Central - Debden), travelling to school. This is a cross-border route, going into Essex. One of my favourite routes as it is double deck (the only regular DD route in Loughton/Debden area), and I liked the contrast of the route. Starting on an Essex council estate, then through leafy Loughton/Buckhurst Hill and over the London border into Woodford. A lot of the route goes through sections of Epping Forest, and the route runs quite smoothly with relatively little traffic (compared to other routes). Then there is the big contrast of entering Leyton and Walthamstow, which seem a lot further from Woodford / Loughton than it actually is.

My other favourite routes are the 108 (Stratford-Lewisham), for the novelty of going through the Blackwall Tunnel. I like the 100 (Museum of London - Shadwell), as it starts right in the City of London, before going to the contrasting old dock area of Wapping along cobbled streets. The 474 is interesting as it goes through the still-developing Docklands area of Silvertown/North Woolwich which is an odd landscape. Not forgetting the already-mentioned 465, and also the X26 and X68.

Wirewiper · 28 Jan 2019

I enjoy the 210, especially across the top of Hampstead Heath and down Highgate Hill. I also second the W3 past Alexandra Palace.

A route I have a particular soft spot is the 394, as it winds its way through the narrow twists and turns of the back streets of Hackney. It's almost like a village bus in the heart of the Inner City!

Stan Drews · 28 Jan 2019

Drove the 24 for a spell in the mid-90s, so that’s my favourite ...although sadly it is no longer home to the Volvo Citybus and Scania N113.

class387 · 28 Jan 2019

As someone who enjoys narrow country lanes R8 is best for me.

I also love the Hampstead Garden Suburb routes and the 139 is useful for quite a few purposes.

306024 · 28 Jan 2019

Red Bus Rovers were a great way to explore London as a kid. Favourites were:
11 Liverpool St to Fulham Broadway for the tourist sights. Still the best route.
62 the last RT route.
78 as it went over Tower Bridge.
86 for going to Romford dogs.

Busaholic · 28 Jan 2019

Wirewiper said:
I enjoy the 210, especially across the top of Hampstead Heath and down Highgate Hill. I also second the W3 past Alexandra Palace.

A route I have a particular soft spot is the 394, as it winds its way through the narrow twists and turns of the back streets of Hackney. It's almost like a village bus in the heart of the Inner City!

I never did the complete journey, but when the 210 got extended via the 236 on a Sunday, so Golders Green to Leytonstone, on an RF that would be a journey of contrasts: just joining up the 'missing link' at Finsbury Park would have been fun in itself.

Another route I never experienced in its entirety was the 54 from Woolwich to Selsdon (even Riddlesdown at school times). Even better when it started at Plumstead Common.

Mikey C · 28 Jan 2019

I enjoy the 46, it would be great to do it on a double decker as it's a varied route

W-on-Sea · 29 Jan 2019

The 464 has some scenic (and hilly) stretches, and possibly the most rural destination destinations of any current TfL route.

Closer to town, the 139 is a great little run through some interesting neighbourhoods, that benefits from mostly (North of Baker Street, anyway) not being on main roads.

Another vote for the H3 and H2 around Hampstead Garden Suburb .

PeterC · 29 Jan 2019

When you get to my age you think of the Country area and Green Line as well. For me I would go for the now defunct 721 and 339 which I used to visit my first girlfriend as a teenager.

With so much chopping and changing of routes in central London I am not sure which are still in place. I always had a soft spot for the 9 and the 11 from Liverpool Street round by St Pauls and Aldwych (I know the 9 has been cut back since I used it regularly). Also, in an earlier incarnation the 8 as you could see over the rear wall of Buckingham Palace. When my kids were small they loved being able to look into the "Queen's back garden".

extendedpaul · 29 Jan 2019

A second vote for the 465 down to Dorking from me but I also like many the of routes covered by a travelcard beyond the rail boundary stations. To places like Westerham, Brentwood, Epsom and Staines.

My all-time favourite from days gone by was the X26 when it went from Heathrow all the way to Dartford using a coach.

Busaholic · 29 Jan 2019

PeterC said:
When you get to my age you think of the Country area and Green Line as well. For me I would go for the now defunct 721 and 339 which I used to visit my first girlfriend as a teenager.

With so much chopping and changing of routes in central London I am not sure which are still in place. I always had a soft spot for the 9 and the 11 from Liverpool Street round by St Pauls and Aldwych (I know the 9 has been cut back since I used it regularly). Also, in an earlier incarnation the 8 as you could see over the rear wall of Buckingham Palace. When my kids were small they loved being able to look into the "Queen's back garden".

Totally off topic, but mention of the ''Queen's back garden'' reminds me that when I was working for LT in their then newly acquired Grosvenor Place offices, one afternoon a ladder appeared against the huge garden wall right opposite our office and a 'gentleman' proceeded to start to ascend it. He hadn't got to the top before he was being threatened from the ground by armed police. It was the early 1970s, the IRA were exploding bombs and, in any case, several embassies and legations were present in Grosvenor Place: even without CCTV his chances of not being spotted were precisely zero! I believe he was a harmless nutter- into the paddy wagon he went, along with the ladder, and five minutes later you'd never have known anything had occurred. I didn't actually see it myself, but those with offices and desks next to the front windows saw all.

EnviroExplorer · 29 Jan 2019

A second vote for the 464 from me, I was totally blown away by how rural it is when I rode it a few weeks ago - nothing you would ever associate with London Buses. Even New Addington terminus is a strange but interesting terminus. Suddenly you appear to be in TfL area, after windy hills and tight roads, then loads of tower blocks appear and your there. There is a tram terminus too, though other than a few other bus routes, it seems just like a random London housing estate.

The 486 has some nice views over London whilst climbing Shooters Hill too

Welly · 29 Jan 2019

If you really want to see the contrast between the "haves" and "have-nots" in London, take the bus (I cannot remember the route number) from Waterloo to Hackney - I was with my mate who had an errand in Hackney and we rode that route and I was struck by the sheer opulence of the City and the shabbiness of Hackney High Street at the end of the ride! What a contrast.

Ianno87 · 29 Jan 2019

I was partial to a ride on the 405 to Redhill when I lived in Croydon.

MotCO · 29 Jan 2019

It doesn't happen now, but I enjoyed taking the 285 from New Malden to Heathrow, which, if I recall correctly, went inside the perimeter fence and had to cross a traffic-light controlled runway 'crossroads' for aeroplanes to access hangers. Or am I imaging it?

Statto · 29 Jan 2019

MotCO said:
It doesn't happen now, but I enjoyed taking the 285 from New Malden to Heathrow, which, if I recall correctly, went inside the perimeter fence and had to cross a traffic-light controlled runway 'crossroads' for aeroplanes to access hangers. Or am I imaging it?

Your not imagining it the 285 & other routes that went North from Hatton Cross did go inside the perimeter[Eastchurch Road], it's not possible now with the road closed & blocked off, it's used as part of aircraft parking area, Google Earth has a plane parked over what used to the road

MotCO · 29 Jan 2019

Statto said:
Your not imagining it the 285 & other routes that went North from Hatton Cross did go inside the perimeter[Eastchurch Road], it's not possible now with the road closed & blocked off, it's used as part of aircraft parking area, Google Earth has a plane parked over what used to the road

You've restored my sanity :lol:

Mutant Lemming · 30 Jan 2019

614 has a mix of views towards London from Arkley and some fast running along the A1 and A1(M)
251 the section between Highwood Hill and Totteridge & Whetstone has a rural feel to it - would be a good view to if they put double deckers on it.

Megafuss · 30 Jan 2019

The 65 on the section between Kingston and Richmond. Never done the full length but it's a very pleasant ride by the Thames and the side of Richmond Park and Ham Common. Ham is also rather nice

ValleyLines142 · 30 Jan 2019

Over the last few years I've really gone to town (pardon the pun) on the London bus front. There's a few routes I enjoy.

19: Going over Battersea Bridge is a fun one.

285: Enjoy circumnavigating Heathrow and seeing all the big jumbos parked up. Also that tunnel into Heathrow Central is pretty epic.

453: a proper London bus route. There's something particularly cosy about sitting on the top deck of a NB4L enjoying all the sights.

MedwayValiant · 30 Jan 2019

W-on-Sea said:
The 464 has some scenic (and hilly) stretches, and possibly the most rural destination destinations of any current TfL route.

The R5/R10 (Orpington to Halstead and Knockholt Pound, alternate ways around the loop) and the 146 (Bromley to Downe) also end up at very rural destinations - even though Downe is within the GLA area and Knockholt Pound used to be (it was "given back" to Kent in 1969). They also have fairly rural timetables; the 146 runs at a 65 minute interval for part of the day, and the R5/R10 run at a 75 minute interval.

The U9 (Uxbridge to Harefield in a straight line) doesn't have especially rural destinations, but it does career down a country lane for a couple of miles.

On the subject of routes which go beyond the GLA boundary, am I right in seeming to remember that there used to be a London Buses route (as it was then) which went as far out as Edenbridge? I don't think it can have lasted very long, but sometime around 1990. If that one still existed, it would rival Dorking for "furthest out of London you can go with an Oystercard".

Busaholic · 30 Jan 2019

MedwayValiant said:
On the subject of routes which go beyond the GLA boundary, am I right in seeming to remember that there used to be a London Buses route (as it was then) which went as far out as Edenbridge? I don't think it can have lasted very long, but sometime around 1990. If that one still existed, it would rival Dorking for "furthest out of London you can go with an Oystercard".

That was the Metrobus-operated 246, which at one time extended to East Grinstead and, separately, Tunbridge Wells, but I seem to remember it wasn't a London Buses route as such i.e. it was similar to Arriva's 402 from Bromley to Tunbridge Wells operated on Special Permit, but with LB- set fares within Greater London. Later on, it did become a proper TfL route, but only as far as Westerham/ Chartwell. I'm not 100% on that, so if I'm wrong please do say!

MotCO · 30 Jan 2019

Busaholic said:
That was the Metrobus-operated 246, which at one time extended to East Grinstead and, separately, Tunbridge Wells, but I seem to remember it wasn't a London Buses route as such i.e. it was similar to Arriva's 402 from Bromley to Tunbridge Wells operated on Special Permit, but with LB- set fares within Greater London. Later on, it did become a proper TfL route, but only as far as Westerham/ Chartwell. I'm not 100% on that, so if I'm wrong please do say!

I seem to recall that the 246 was a link to Westerham which had been severed when the 320 was terminated at Biggin Hill. I thought (but could easily be mistaken) that it was a Metrobus initiative adopted by TfL when the 146 was tendered. Metrobus ran it, then lost out to Stagecoach (TB), but since regained by Metrobus. The 146, though, has passed to Stagecoach.

Favourite London bus route?

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