Big Bus Tours London - Reviews and experiences

I saw their stand near Baker Street after a friend suggested it. I was wary — price sounded too good and the seller was pushy. In the end the trip worked out okay; buses were slow and the guide was mediocre, but tickets were valid and overall it wasn’t a total waste.

a solid way to see London, even if it's not flawless. My buddy Alex tipped me off and I first noticed the blue bus outside Westminster. The route hits the big spots, audio is clear, seats comfy to be fair — James at Bridge Street helped me plan stops. Little delays and some repeats, but overall decent, would recommend.

I first saw Big Bus on a London travel blog and a friend swore by it, but I was sceptical — worried about long waits and indifferent staff. On the tour we did sit idle while crew switched drivers and chatted, which annoyed me, but the driver stayed calm and polite. The company later apologiz(ed) by email, gave a partial refund and a voucher. Not flawless, but my doubts eased enough that I’d consider them again, cautiously.

I saw the bus at the waterfront kiosk and a hostel mate had suggested it, so I bought tickets. I was dubious about the audio guide and those doubts weren't eased. The driver arrived on time and the stops were where they should be, but the ride had more music than facts. Big landmarks passed with almost no commentary. When there was narration it was often repetitive or sounded like it belonged to the loop going the other way. The kids lost interest after half the circuit so we got off and grabbed the subway. Not totally useless. It gives a quick overview, but I won't use them again.

skip the bus and do a walking route if you can. We chose the bus because we had a sore back and only a long weekend in London, so wanted a sit-down overview. Sounded sensible. In practice it dragged out and frustrated more than it helped. Traffic slowed everything, sure—London traffic is what it is—but we looped past the same spots more than once and still missed decent on-foot time. Midway through the driver switched off, grabbed his bag and walked off. Engine off, people sitting there, twenty minutes of awkward waiting while a replacement showed up. I get shifts end, but that felt careless. The routes only go one way, so you can’t jump off and wander without risking being stuck later. That’s what stopped us from exploring the few places we actually wanted to see. The audio guide wasn’t great either. It would tell you about a landmark either minutes too late or while you were looking at something else, so it never quite matched what you were seeing. Some staff were friendly and the idea is fine on paper, but timing and execution were off. A little disappointed. If mobility is the reason you’d pick this, weigh the risk of delays and missed stops first.