Routemaster bus hire

[telstarbox]

I'm interested in hiring a Routemaster for the day in south east London. There are many companies which offer this service - does anyone have any recommendations for which is best?

 

[transportphoto]

Ensignbus?

TP

 

[ert47]

Do Blue Triangle have routemasters?

 

[user15681]

I was a bit shocked recently during the tube strike to hear how much it cost to hire for a day! TfL hired in 8 Routemasters (yes, they were Routemasters, not RTs) for the route 29. The conductor on the one I was on quoted £6,000 for a day! (although that may have been £6,000 for the bus, fuel for an entire day, a conductor and driver)

 

[BestWestern]

I was a bit shocked recently during the tube strike to hear how much it cost to hire for a day! TfL hired in 8 Routemasters (yes, they were Routemasters, not RTs) for the route 29. The conductor on the one I was on quoted £6,000 for a day! (although that may have been £6,000 for the bus, fuel for an entire day, a conductor and driver)

I would imagine so, yes!

 

[mainframe444]

I'm interested in hiring a Routemaster for the day in south east London. There are many companies which offer this service - does anyone have any recommendations for which is best?

ThisBus.com

Two of the names on the operator licence are

Kenneth Bruce
Allan Dedicoat


Yes, the two who appear on Radio 2!!

Make sure you hire from a licenced operator, with an operators licence. If not, they are breaking the law and you may not be insured.

MF

 

[CatfordCat]

in alphabetic order - the following have all been around for a while

http://www.ensignbus.com/

http://thelondonbuscompany.co.uk/

http://www.redroutebuses.co.uk/

http://www.traditional-travel.co.uk/

The latter 2 are N Kent / SE London based.

Be aware that you'll be paying for the fuel and crew time from and back to base, including the dead mileage (unless they can fit in another hire with the same vehicle on the same day.)

And if it's the sort of hire where party is taken from A to B, then back again later, you will probably have to pay for the staff time during whatever event it is.

And if that's a wedding, some classic bus operators are not keen on transporting people late evening after the reception, and may suggest doing that bit with a modern coach instead.

And definite yes to MF's point about hiring from a licensed operator - there are some preservationists who will do 'private hire' on the quiet with a vehicle that's not PSV licensed or insured for hire & reward.

 

[grid56126]

We used International Coachlines of Thornton heath for our wedding. This was for an RM and was for me and the best man only to the register office, thence family from Croydon to Vauxhall for the reception and back at half twelve in the morning - through Brixton and Streatham - to various drop offs in the Croydon area with ultimately just me and the wife to the last drop off at our Hotel.

Superb day out (!) and the crew very receptive to our own quirky needs. We paid £350 which included the balloons and music system for the slushy wedding songs.

The wife had a London cab - all done up in the wedding Garb for her trip to the register office.

I am guessing the longer you need it for the more the cost will go up, ours was a few years back so no idea what the cost is these days, but shop around.

 

[BestWestern]

I would hazard a guess it'd be a fair bit more than 350 quid today. But well worth a good fee for not only something a bit different bit also going towards a good cause - I'd rather my cash went on keeping an RM on the road than on patching up some tatty limo!

 

[34D]

Do Blue Triangle have routemasters?

They're in with the London Bus Co now - url already provided.

I have previously been an enthusiast driver with both the above and Ensign, and can vouch for both.

 

[christopher]

Ensignbus are the ones to go to without a doubt

www.ensignbushire.com

 

[telstarbox]

Thanks to all responses - have gone with Traditional Travel.