The Three Best Seats on a London Bus

As a regular passenger on London buses, I’ve sat in a great range of seats. I feel this leaves me well placed to list the three seats that will provide you with the ultimate travel experience.

Top deck, front seat

Undoubtedly the greatest seat, whether you choose to sit on the left or the right. Has the greatest breadth of vision from the single front window, and you can pretend to be the driver. Added thrills come in the trick of perspective that make you feel like the bus is going to crash into cars in front when you stop at traffic lights. Also, if you choose the seats on the right, you can look down the driver’s periscope. Can be overwhelmingly hot in strong, direct sunlight, but the advantages stated above are more than worth the potential heat stroke.

Lower deck, single seat

On some buses there is a single seat behind the driver. It has no window, and no forward view. That may not sound enticing, but what you get instead is the feeling that you’re being carried in a royal sedan with the curtains closed so you can’t see the peasants. Also, this is not a priority seat, so it’s the furthest forward you can sit without having to surrender your seat to someone who needs it more.

Lower deck, high back

On the new routemaster there are a pair of forward-facing seats to the right of the middle entrance. They have very high backs, so you feel like a regent sitting on a throne, and that everybody that gets on has come to pay tribute to you.