In this review, we're looking at the Tootbus London Hop-On Hop-Off experience. Forming a clear opinion about this tour isn't straightforward, given its recent transition from the renowned Original Tour. While it retains some of the old tour's features, plenty has changed. I'll do my best to highlight both the positives and negatives so you can make the best decision based on your needs.
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Summary:
TooTBus offers an eco-friendly London city tour
Flexible timings
Special features like kids commentary
Affordable tour options
Choosing the Tootbus experience is a reasonably secure choice, ranking somewhere in the middle among London's sightseeing buses
Table of contents
1. Why choose TOOTBus London Hop-on Hop-off?
TootBus stands out for its use of eco-friendly buses, which run on modern technologies and low-emission engines. They even have a full electric bus that you can easily recognize while cruising the city. Unlike most of its competitors still using older, less environmentally friendly buses, TootBus prioritizes sustainability.
This means your sightseeing experience is not only enjoyable but also contributes to a greener, more eco-conscious London. Explore this Tootbus London review to find more reasons to choose their tour.
2. Advantages over other companies
You'll observe that each company strives to distinguish itself from competitors, a positive trend for us tourists as it leads to continuous improvements in the London city tours.
Summary:
later departure times (depending on the season)
kids commentary
child tickets cheaper than the other top companies
user friendly app
complimentary self-guided walking tours
more seats upstairs
Toot Bus London stands out with its convenient later departure times, especially on weekends. This is a great advantage as sometimes you want to ride that bus into the sunset, or catch some of the night magic London has to offer.
Pro Tip : Instead of paying for an expensive Night Tour, just use the hop-on hop-off during the day and make sure you pick the last bus of the day that usually departs from their stop at Coventry Street. This way you will have an almost identical experience, without having to pay extra. Don't forget to ask the staff about the last departure time!
Toot Bus has a unique feature that sets it apart from the other tours: a special kids commentary. None of the other London city tours offer this type of commentary, so it makes it a no-brainer if you are travelling with kids. The commentary is designed to keep the young ones engaged, and the historical facts about London are quite educational.
Another major advantage is that Toot Bus offers child tickets at a much more budget-friendly rate compared to Big Bus and many of the other companies, making it an affordable option for young adventurers to explore the wonders of London without putting a strain on your wallet.
They have a user-friendly app where you can check schedules, service updates and routes. They also have a real-time bus tracking feature, but I would recommend you exercise caution when using it, it's not always accurate. You should always check first with the staff before relying on the app.
Pro Tip: Within the Tootbus app, you'll discover three complimentary self-guided walking tours. So, whether you opt for the bus tour or not, it's certainly worth downloading the app. These informative tours can add value to your London experience.
During peak hours and especially busy times, you're more likely to find available free seats upstairs on Tootbus compared to other operators like Big Bus, making it a great choice for a more comfortable and scenic sightseeing experience.
3. Things to consider
While TootBus has recently emerged as a rebranding of the renowned The Original Tour, which has been a fixture in London for over 60 years, it is currently striving to reach the exceptional level of quality established by its predecessor.
Summary:
onboard commentary
service frequency
bus tracker accuracy
Onboard commentary
Several negative reviews have surfaced regarding the commentary. Many passengers have expressed concerns about frequent instances where music plays instead of informative narration, along with outdated content in some segments.
The quality of the provided headphones is not great. My recommendation is to access the commentary through the Tootbus app on your smartphone, using your personal headphones.
Service frequency
It's worth noting that the bus frequency at specific stops with Tootbus may be less frequent compared to some of its competitors. At some of the major stops like The London Eye, Marble Arch, St Paul's you could see more buses from its competitors, especially Big Bus in this case.
4. Maximising your time while using the London city tour
One-day tour: Ideally, I would recommend you start with the Tootbus London blue route. Make sure you end up at Buckingham Palace before the changing of the guard starts. This is one of the highlights you don't want to miss. Once you are done with this, you can enjoy the flexibility of the hop-on hop-off, exploring at your own pace. If you find yourself with extra time, consider exploring the west part of the tour, on the blue route. It will take you past Harrods, The Museums, Kensington Palace, and Notting Hill.
Cruise on river Thames: The main ticket includes a boat ride that I cannot recommend enough. Not only do you get to see the city from a different perspective, but the guides are also known for their fun commentary. Plus, you can grab snacks or drinks from the onboard bar.
5. Discover more tours by TooTBus London (with reviews)
Tootbus provides a variety of additional themed tours that differ from the hop-on-hop-off experience. For more in-depth information and insights, please visit the dedicated blog posts on our website.
Is Tootbus London the best bus tour for families?
If you're traveling with young children, then yes! Tootbus offers two unique tours that set them apart from the competition. First, the Kids Tour, an affordable, live-guided, fun, and short sightseeing experience designed specifically for little ones. Second, their regular hop-on hop-off tour features specially designed kids' commentary to keep the little ones engaged and curious throughout the ride.
6. Routes and Timetable
TootBus has 3 hop-on hop-off routes:
The Blue route is the main tour covering all the major sights. Only this company and Big Bus offer a route that spans both East and West London. It's a huge advantage if you want to see everything in one go without hopping on and off frequently.
The Yellow route focuses on central London and the East side.
The Green route focuses on the British Museum and Kings Cross.
Tootbus London schedule:
Blue route: First departure 08:30AM - Last departure 04:00PM (5:00PM Weekends)
Yellow route: First departure 08:30AM - Last departure 04:00PM (5:00PM Weekends)
Green: 08:20AM, 09:20AM, 10:20AM, 03:00PM, 04:00PM, 05:00PM
The schedule tends to change quite often, so it's best to check here for the latest updates. It's also a good idea to consult the staff and inquire about departure schedules.
If you're wondering how long the tours are, the blue tour takes 3 hours and 15 minutes, the yellow tour lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the green tour is a shorter 45-minute tour.
Where does the Tootbus London start?
Blue Tour starts at Grosvenor Gardens.
Yellow Tour starts at Coventry Street.
Green Tour starts at Stop 38, Wyndham's Theatre.
Pro Tip: This one is important. They have a service update button on their website/app where you can find out about events and protests well in advance. This can save you a lot of headaches.
7. Available Tickets
Tootbus provides two ticket options:
London Discovery (without the cruise on river Thames )
Must See London (with the cruise on river Thames )
Both ticket options, provide flexibility with choices of 24, 48, and 72 hours, allowing you to select the duration that best suits your London city tour.
The key distinction lies in the cruise on river Thames, which I highly recommend if you haven't experienced it before. The price difference is minimal, around £6, while purchasing the cruise separately would cost you roughly three times as much.
Here are the Tootbus prices:
London Discovery: £33.15 (Adult), £19.55 (Child), £85.85 (Family)
Must See London: £39.10 (Adult), £22.10 (Child), £100.30 (Family)
Kids Tour: £22.00 (Per Person), £66.00 (Family – 2 Adults & 2 Children
London by Night Tour: £25.50 (Adult), £17.00 (Child)
If our TootBus London review captivated your interest, be sure to explore our assessments of other London city tours here and discover valuable travel tips here.
Getting tickets
While tickets can be obtained from the street sellers or when boarding the bus , they tend to be cheaper online.