Can I still get from Heathrow to London on a double-decker bus?

Can I still get from Heathrow to London on a double-decker bus? - Low Angle Photo of People Waiting for the Red Bus to Pass

Some years ago I rode a double-decker bus from Heathrow to Victoria Station and found it to be a great way in to the city, since we could sit up top and see so much. I'd love to do the same thing for an upcoming visit, but I am not sure the service still exists.
The Heathrow transportation page mentions National Express as being the bus option from Heathrow to London.
A picture at the bottom of the page shows a double-decker bus, but I am hoping to find stronger evidence than that, like independent confirmation that that really is the bus and that the ride is good. Can anyone provide some feedback?



Best Answer

I feel I must take issue with dan's answer where it is stated:

There is now no way to get a single bus from Heathrow airport all the way to the center of London.

This is true but only during the day. London has an extensive network of Night Buses which, as the name suggests, run through the night. The vehicles used for these routes are the same red buses as for day routes.

You might well hear that night buses have a poor reputation for passenger safety - however, while this may have been the case in the past, these days with CCTV on pretty much every bus, things are a lot better.

Now, specifically to your point, there is a night bus N9 which runs between Heathrow Airport and Aldwych, close to Trafalgar Square. You can get the timetable from the TfL website, but to summarise:

  • The journey takes around 75 minutes
  • Buses run about every 20 minutes from around midnight to around 5am
  • The journey isn't particularly scenic outside the centre, as London is after all mostly suburbs
  • Depending on the time of year, much or all of your journey will be in darkness. Which might not be a deal-breaker for you; after all, cities are lit up at night...



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Are there still double-decker buses in London?

Even though the underground Tube has become many locals' preferred method of transport, you'll still see plenty of double deckers around London. Other cities also heavily feature them, such as Hong-Kong, Rome, Paris etc.

What is the easiest way to get from Heathrow to London?

Heathrow Express The fastest link between Heathrow and central London. Non-stop trains run to Paddington every 15 minutes, and journey time is 15 minutes from Terminals 2 and 3 (a few minutes more from Terminals 4 or 5).

Are double-decker buses all over the UK or just in London?

A double-decker bus or double-deck bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. They are used for mass transport in the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe and Asia; the best-known example is the red London bus, namely the AEC Routemaster....United Kingdom.DimensionValueMass12,000 kilograms (26,455 lb)3 more rows

Is Heathrow shuttle bus free?

Heathrow Airport subsidises all public buses, most of which are the famous red London buses so that any journey from the Heathrow Airport terminals to anywhere on the perimeter roads is completely free.



Best Way to Get from London Airports to the City Centre ✈️ Love and London




More answers regarding can I still get from Heathrow to London on a double-decker bus?

Answer 2

There is now no way to get a single bus from Heathrow airport all the way to the center of London. Most places will require at least three changes. You can search for bus routes on the tfl website (the official London transport website): http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk if, under "I prefer these modes" on the right hand side, you untick all boxes that aren't "Bus".

Answer 3

National Express from Heathrow Airport are long-distance coach services.

They do run services to London's Victoria Coach station from Heathrow, but all National Express coaches are single-decker.

The image you are seeing of a double-decker bus at the bottom of the National Express coach website is a link to their partner company, National Express Buses, which runs local bus services in the Midlands. You couldn't use that vehicle for a Heathrow to Victoria journey, which is a coach rather than a bus.

National Express coaches are high-floor so you're at a higher position than the lower-level of a double-decker, or a normal single-decker, but not as high as the top floor of a double-decker. They generally have rather large window pillars and the windows are all curtained (and the curtains, even when fully open, can block the view) so they're far from ideal as viewing platforms.

[Aside, in British English, a coach is intended for longer-distance journeys, with few, if any, intermediate stops and is therefore likely to use faster highway-type roads; they usually have better-quality seats with more room and belts, have under-floor storage for luggage, and may have a toilet; buses are intended for short-distance journeys with many stops and tends to stick to city streets and the resulting lower speeds; they usually have more basic seats with no belts and have grab bars for standing passengers, have luggage in the main passenger compartment, certainly don't have a toilet, and often have multiple doors to reduce dwell times at stops]

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