How do London buses work?

[plipplops]

I am not from London and have never got a bus when I'm there. We live rurally in the South West so getting a bus here is 'ask the driver for a return to the closest city, pay with a card, show your paper ticket for a return trip'.

On Friday night we need to get a bus from Canary Wharf about a mile up the road and back again later. I'm taking my two autistic daughters (15 and 17) and one of them absolutely needs to know how everything works before we do it.

How do I pay for the three of us? What do I ask for (if I ask for a random small stop a mile up the road will they know what I'm talking about or is it zones?)

How do return tickets work?

I know I sound like a clueless idiot but I need to have the answers for DD and look like I know what I'm doing.

Thanks!

Do you know what stop your getting off at OP? Most buses announce the stop names these days so you can listen out for when to get off

Where are you going from Canary Wharf? Might determine if dlr or bus better

We're staying at the Premier Inn Canary Wharf and going to a gig at Troxy...

Almost certainly better to get DLR - where are you going?

Just remember to tap on AND off the DLR, these machines will be on the platform/around the station instead of physical barriers

DLR would be quicker (just one stop from westferry to limehouse) if there's traffic, so just keep an eye on Citymapper as it will tell you what the traffic is like on the bus route.

Or it's a 20 minute walk and you can go the nicer way along the water rather than up Commercial Road (if you're all able to walk, appreciate that might not be feasible!)

I would get an Uber.

Never had great experiences on buses.

3 of you in an Uber and travelling for a mile each way shouldn't be so bad.

And you will avoid needing to interact with bus people. Especially late at night on a Friday/Saturday.

This thread is lovely and reminds me of that Reddit one where someone asks how to order a Subway sandwich cause they are really nervous about it and loads of people very kindly and without judgement explain it step by step.

I'm going to London soon too and was also wondering about this, so thank you!

I wondered if there was a way to walk up the river (DD1 not keen but it really isn't far). Bearing in mind we're country girls, is it a route you'd happily do at 11pm on a Friday night?

Here is the link to the Thames Path.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/thames-path

I’m not sure I would want to walk it at 11pm. That part of town is quite quiet in the evening so there might be some empty stretches of the path but I don’t know it well enough to be sure.

And you will avoid needing to interact with bus people

🤔"Bus people" is everyone in London. Literally everyone. Just moving around living their lives.

I second the Uber idea.

However, most TfL bus drivers are super friendly. If you ask them for help/stop reminder when you get on, they are often keen as mustard to assist.

Yes, we're quite normal, not some kind of dangerous fringe subculture that eats those who venture in from the country!