Hold my hand and help me on to a London bus.

[LondonBus]

I've had to name change because this is so embarrassing.

When going to London I always use the tube. I even lived in London for three years, and never took a bus! But the time has come when I need to take the bus...so how do I figure out where I'm going?

And this is the best bit...do I just flash my travel card (don't have an oyster card) at the driver when I get on?

You see...I don't think any one really does know where they are going on buses, unless it's the same bus to work and back. For going to several different places in one day buses just aren't practical, are they?

Go on tfl and find out what bus you need
Go to closest bus stop and make sure the buses are going in the right direction of travel.
Get on bus and show driver your travel card
Get ff when the electronic announcement says the name of the bus stop you want to get off at.
It'll be fine.

If you have an iPhone there is an app called city mapper. It's free and it's brilliant. I use it all the time.

It knows where you are so you use that as your start position. Then you move the map, or type in where you want to go. That is your "end" position. It will tell you all routes, walk, bus, tube and variations on each, where to get off, if you choose bus (and the buses speak to you so you can't go wrong!) it also shows you where the bus/tube is in relation to where you are and when the next 3 buses are due.

Think it may be available for androids too.

cool, I'll see if the apps available for android.

You can find the bus route on google maps as well. Buses are fantastic!! I much prefer to tube now I have got over my fear.

Yes to just flashing your (non oyster) pass. But if it is an oyster,you must 'touch in'.

Most London buses now have a display showing where you are, and a recorded voice shouting out each bus stop location. We had Boris talking from them in the Olympics

OK, so I got home...but I still haven't mastered the bus thing. I did take the bus (when with friend and we got on bus together - she has the bus thing sorted) but when left to my own devices defaulted to the tube.

Siting on the bus wasn't too horrendous - (not sure what I expected, lol!) and I may well be brave enough to try it on my own in the near future I'll just have to study a bus map meticulously first. I think part of my problem is that I'm too spontaneous and don't think about where I might want to go to next when I'm mooching about, which isn't a problem with an underground map. (One of the best designs of the 20's century IMO).

Bus travel is so much easier now with the electronic display - I use it all the time for work site visits and I'm completely stuck if the driver has been naughty and turned it off (they're not meant to)!