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Post by LBOTG on May 12, 2018 8:40:51 GMT
Having a distant, panoramic view to admire from the bus is one of my favourite things about riding bus routes and if you have any examples of these moments you would like to share, please go ahead and if it's direction dependant, please make this clear too!
My more mainstream examples are the W3 from Alexandra Palace, 196/468 from Beulah Hill heading Northbound and even the 175 from Hillrise Estate, although I'm sure there are some hidden gems out there which I would love to discover.
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Post by john on May 12, 2018 9:26:32 GMT
Having a distant, panoramic view to admire from the bus is one of my favourite things about riding bus routes and if you have any examples of these moments you would like to share, please go ahead and if it's direction dependant, please make this clear too! My more mainstream examples are the W3 from Alexandra Palace, 196/468 from Beulah Hill heading Northbound and even the 175 from Hillrise Estate, although I'm sure there are some hidden gems out there which I would love to discover. The 247 gives you a brilliant view between Marks Gate and Hainault. The 370 also gives two different views while travelling through North Ockendon. If you look one way, you get to see Canary Wharf and the city in the background of farm land. The other way, you can see Tilbury Docks
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2018 9:45:01 GMT
My favourites are
65 between Richmond and Petersham, looking towards the Thames as it bends between Richmond and Twickenham at edge of the Petersham Meadows.
477 as it runs over Dartford Top Hill between Wilmington and Hextable.
Any bus crossing Waterloo Bridge looking east.
90/285/482/X26 looking across Heathrow Airfield
X80 on a double deck crossing the QE2 bridge
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Post by wirewiper on May 12, 2018 10:07:13 GMT
210 between Golders Green and Archway, across the top of Hampstead Heath. Beautiful in its own right for most of the year, and also worth experiencing on a winter's night as the lack of leaves reveal the lights of Central London.
246 from Bromley to Westerham - the section through Biggin Hill is a bit scrappy, but the view as you crest Westerham Hill and drop into the Weald of Kent is just jaw-dropping. You won't experience many routes like that on your Oyster Card.
The W5 also has some interesting views at it scampers over the hills of North London, including a panoramic glimpse of Central London as it crosses the Archway viaduct.
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Post by ADH45258 on May 12, 2018 10:19:14 GMT
Any route crossing any bridge over the Thames
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Post by vjaska on May 12, 2018 10:33:24 GMT
The 432 gives a lovely, brief view of Central London along Central Hill
As well as the view across Croydon & beyond on Beulah Hill, the 196 & 468 also give a view of Central London going down Knights Hill & a view of the countryside beyond London when going down South Norwood Hill
You can also get a view of Central London's tall buildings when coming down Brixton Hill.
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Post by DE20106 on May 12, 2018 11:15:57 GMT
Here are some routes that I absolutely recommend everyone to ride because of their fantastic surroundings: 53 through Charlton/Greenwich, 85 especially when it goes down the windy narrow road near Roehampton 135, 139, 210, 247, 265 (amazing through Barnes Common), 269, 388, 401 (BX end, get off after Belvedere Station ), 423 for the ULTIMATE Heathrow experience, 412, C3, C10. One I’ve heard a lot of good things about is the W3, I haven’t ridden it yet. It’s high up on my hit list, I’m sure it will impress. EDIT now I’ve looked at it again: apparently I thought 412 was a bigger number than 423
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Post by M1104 on May 12, 2018 11:37:12 GMT
As a kid always used to love riding the 105 and the 140 around the Heathrow area. Not sure what the routing is like now as I last wrote those two routes back around the late 80s and early 90s.
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Post by DE20106 on May 12, 2018 11:56:47 GMT
As a kid always used to love riding the 105 and the 140 around the Heathrow area. Not sure what the routing is like now as I last wrote those two routes back around the late 80s and early 90s. Heathrow is an amazing area for travelling on the buses. The 90 and 285 and quite a few others travel directly around the end of one of the runways, the only thing thing separating that and the bus is a mesh fence, when there’s a plane taking off it’s spectacular to watch. The 285 (and others I think) also travels past the BA hangar, it’s barely comprehensible how enormous the inside space is, and then it goes under in the tunnel to Heathrow Central, it’s one of my favourite parts anywhere on any London bus. The 81/423 are amazing as well, they’re the only two routes to travel alongside all the way down a runway, that’s unbelievable as well. Fantastic place to ride buses around there.
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Post by 6HP502C on May 12, 2018 12:57:02 GMT
Route 363 - Sydenham Hill towards Elephant & Castle Route 380 - Thorntree Road, Kinveachy Gardens and Charlton Church Street towards Lewisham Route 386 - Vanbrugh Hill towards Greenwich Route 422/486 - Charlton Church Street towards North Greenwich
Some of them are blink and you miss it so keep your eyes open!
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Post by redexpress on May 12, 2018 13:44:40 GMT
As a kid always used to love riding the 105 and the 140 around the Heathrow area. Not sure what the routing is like now as I last wrote those two routes back around the late 80s and early 90s. Heathrow is an amazing area for travelling on the buses. The 90 and 285 and quite a few others travel directly around the end of one of the runways, the only thing thing separating that and the bus is a mesh fence, when there’s a plane taking off it’s spectacular to watch. The 285 (and others I think) also travels past the BA hangar, it’s barely comprehensible how enormous the inside space is, and then it goes under in the tunnel to Heathrow Central, it’s one of my favourite parts anywhere on any London bus. The 81/423 are amazing as well, they’re the only two routes to travel alongside all the way down a runway, that’s unbelievable as well. Fantastic place to ride buses around there. At Heathrow X26 is even better than 285, as it sticks to the Northern Perimeter Road instead of using Bath Road, so runs alongside the runway for quite a while. Depending on traffic light phasings you can usually see more than one take-off or landing; last time I went that way there were 4 landings in the time it took the X26 to get round the perimeter.
The run round the eastern side of the airport used to be even better when Eastchurch Road was still open to through traffic. There was a "level crossing" of sorts for aircraft to access the BA hangars, so if you were really lucky you'd be held at the crossing to allow a 747 to cross in front of the bus.
N9 is also worth a mention as it's now the only route to use the Perimeter road round the NW corner, although of course you're unlikely to see any plane activity at that time.
In the same vein I do like the 473 and 474 at either end of City Airport, although of course that's nothing compared with the size of Heathrow.
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Post by redexpress on May 12, 2018 13:48:50 GMT
One I’ve heard a lot of good things about is the W3, I haven’t ridden it yet. It’s high up on my hit list, I’m sure it will impress. Just make sure you don't go east of Wood Green! No good can come of going east of Wood Green. The section between Stroud Green and Ally Pally is well worth it though. It's best done in the northbound direction as you get a good view of the Palace from the top of Ferme Park Road.
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Post by DE20106 on May 12, 2018 14:01:18 GMT
In the same vein I do like the 473 and 474 at either end of City Airport, although of course that's nothing compared with the size of Heathrow.
Oh noooo had I have known the 473 went around the airport I would have never got off it I went on the 473 for the first time a few weeks ago from Stratford and I hated it so I got bored and got off and got a 147 instead. The 473’s routing at the Stratford end is awful
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Post by DE20106 on May 12, 2018 14:05:09 GMT
One I’ve heard a lot of good things about is the W3, I haven’t ridden it yet. It’s high up on my hit list, I’m sure it will impress. Just make sure you don't go east of Wood Green! No good can come of going east of Wood Green. The section between Stroud Green and Ally Pally is well worth it though. It's best done in the northbound direction as you get a good view of the Palace from the top of Ferme Park Road. I’m just looking at the W3’s routing right now on Google Maps, I can very much envisage it being like the 401, an amazing first half with fabulous scenery but an absolutely wretched second half
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Post by redexpress on May 12, 2018 14:11:19 GMT
In the same vein I do like the 473 and 474 at either end of City Airport, although of course that's nothing compared with the size of Heathrow.
Oh noooo had I have known the 473 went around the airport I would have never got off it I went on the 473 for the first time a few weeks ago from Stratford and I hated it so I got bored and got off and got a 147 instead. The 473’s routing at the Stratford end is awful You missed the only good bit! Yes most of the route is pretty dull. You only get a quick view of the airport as you're crossing Connaught Bridge, so not really worth going out of your way just for that.
It's a similar story on the 474 at the other end of the runway. I do find the Canning Town - Gallions Reach section of the 474 quite interesting but I'd never describe it as scenic.
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