buyagift Christmas Lights Open Top Vintage Bus Tour for Two in London Review

Reviewed by Dorothy White

Recently I received an eVoucher from buyagift for the Christmas Lights Open Top Vintage Bus Tour in London. The tours are available from now until after the Christmas and New Year period.

First, I had to visit the buyagift website to redeem the voucher, then email the company (Premium Tours) to make the booking.

I was confused as to where this tour was starting as the buyagift website said Westminster, Central London, but the email response from Premium Tours said Victoria Coach Station (Victoria is within the borough of Westminster, so don’t head for Westminster tube).

We were booked on the first tour of the season, 4pm 25th November 2018 and had to arrive at 3.45pm.

My granddaughter and myself went by tube to Victoria Station then followed the signs for Victoria Coach Station. We were supposed to arrive 3.45pm but were early and first to check in. We were allocated to bus number 1.

The bus arrived, as the weather was cold but dry so we decided to head upstairs to the open top deck as did most people. We had a tour guide with us.

We encountered a great deal of Sunday afternoon traffic, hold ups, road closures and even a protest march so the tour took longer than it should have. We made our way through Sloane Square, Knightsbridge, South Kensington, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Bridge, London Eye, Waterloo Bridge, The Strand, Piccadilly, Regents Street, Oxford Street, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner and Winter Wonderland.

We admired the window displays, the Christmas Trees, the Christmas Lights. The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree hasn’t arrived yet. We even had a toilet stop by the London Eye, then the option to be dropped at the entrance of Winter Wonderland towards the end of the tour. We decided to stay until Victoria Train Station.

We thought we had wrapped up really well with warm coats, scarves, gloves and hats, but were still cold. A couple of families had taken blankets to wrap round themselves and their children, we wished we had thought of it.

It was a good way to see all the Christmas lights, but be prepared to be cold.

The driver did exceptionally well negotiating a vintage bus down narrow streets full of traffic without power steering.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: Now £32 (was £64) – upgrade to a family ticket for an extra £17.

For more information or to buy a voucher visit www.buyagift.co.uk.