X26 London Ticket

[route101]

Looking at doing this route . Is a zones 1 to 6 travelcard valid on the full route?

 

[Esker-pades]

Yes. TfL buses are flat fare, so any London Travelcard should be valid on any TfL bus.

 

[Statto]

Yes, i caught this route using a zone 1-6 Travelcard last year, you should have no problems

 

[CatfordCat]

Another yes.

All TFL bus routes are classed as any zone for Travelcard purposes (i.e. any travelcard is valid on any TFL bus route - buses no longer have zones)

And may be worth mentioning that all TFL bus routes are flat fare / Travelcard / Oyster-able throughout the route, even if they cross the GLA boundary (e.g. 81 to Slough, routes to Lakeside / Bluewater etc)

 

[atraindriver]

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[JonathanH]

465 to Dorking used to be a nice ride when it was deckers, but I believe it's single deck now so not as enjoyable. It feels a bit strange getting on a bus that far outside the GLA area and using your Oyster card!

When was the 465 ever routinely double deck operated?

https://www.londonbuses.co.uk/_routes/current/465.html

X26 is, of course, now double deckers and a good ride except when Kingston traffic is at its worst although Citaros were a good ride too.

 

[Robertj21a]

405 to Redhill is usually double deck.

 

[JonathanH]

405 to Redhill is usually double deck.

According to LVF the 405 has been 100% double deck in 2018 other than on 31 January when Go Ahead London 190 YY13VKP appears to have operated to Redhill.

There was a period of late evening diversions via Chaldon for the 405 in 2014/5 during work on the A23 which required the use of single deckers on the 405.

LVF suggests very occasional use of double deckers on the 465.

No single deck workings on the X26 in 2018 that I can see on LVF.

 

[atraindriver]

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[Statto]

When was the 465 ever routinely double deck operated?

https://www.londonbuses.co.uk/_routes/current/465.html

X26 is, of course, now double deckers and a good ride except when Kingston traffic is at its worst although Citaros were a good ride too.

X26 is great with the deckers on, especially around Heathrow, & only route that does most of the Northern Perimeter road, the rest do a small section of the Northern Perimeter, so you get a great view of planes on the runway.

One scenario that takes most of the TFL operated express routes, do the X68 Russell Square-West Croydon, then X26 West Croydon-Heathrow, A10 Heathrow-Uxbridge, 607 Uxbridge-White City, watch out when connecting to the X68 as it operates in one direction depending on the peak, last bus from West Croydon is 08.30, last bus from Russell Square is 18.50

 

[Deerfold]

One scenario that takes most of the TFL operated express routes, do the X68 Russell Square-West Croydon, then X26 West Croydon-Heathrow, A10 Heathrow-Uxbridge, 607 Uxbridge-White City, watch out when connecting to the X68 as it operates in one direction depending on the peak, last bus from West Croydon is 08.30, last bus from Russell Square is 18.50

It might be more useful to know that the first X68 from Russell Square is at 1550 - if you get the 1850 you'll find you've missed the last 607 from Uxbridge by about 90 minutes. It's not possible to start at White City and do all the routes to Russell Square without an overnight stay somewhere.

 

[Statto]

It might be more useful to know that the first X68 from Russell Square is at 1550 - if you get the 1850 you'll find you've missed the last 607 from Uxbridge by about 90 minutes. It's not possible to start at White City and do all the routes to Russell Square without an overnight stay somewhere.

Yep, it is possible to start at White City & do this in a day, but you have to start early afternoon around 13.30-1400, in order to make the 15.50, X68 from Russell Square itenary could be;

72 or 220 White City-Hammersmith
10 Hammersmith-Russell Square
X68 Russell Square-West Croydon, 15.50 from Russell Square arrives in West Croydon 17.09
X26 West Croydon-Heathrow, 17.30 from West Croydon arrives Heathrow 19.30
A10 Heathrow-Uxbridge
607 Uxbridge-White City

The 72/220 take 15-20 minutes White City-Hammersmith

The 10 takes about an hour Hammersmith-Russell Square in normal traffic conditions, but leave extra time incase of hold ups especially going through Kensington & down Oxford Street, frequency is about every 8-9 minutes.

The last 607 from Uxbridge is at 21.00, so you need the 20.20, A10 from Heathrow at the latest, the A10 takes around 30 minutes, & is every 20 minutes in the evening, the 607 is about every 15 minutes from around 19.30 until the last bus.

 

[Deerfold]

I said you couldn't do all the routes in a day from White City, finishing at Russell Square. Of course you can do as you suggest which adds in the links from White City to Russell Square before starting the express routes from there.

 

[Statto]

I said you couldn't do all the routes in a day from White City, finishing at Russell Square. Of course you can do as you suggest which adds in the links from White City to Russell Square before starting the express routes from there.

I think even starting & finishing at Russell Square & catch the 15.50, X26, is doable in less than a day, the last 607 arrives in White City around 10pm, quick hop to Hammersmith on the 72/220 then the 10, the 10 takes 40 minutes in the evening Hammersmith-Russell Square, so you'll be back in Russell Square 23.30-midnight.

I'm planning do a visit to London for October, so probably end up trying this out, although i might do it the other way in the morning peak if i don't do it in the afternoon peak,. My itinerary would be start & finish at Heathrow;

X26 Heathrow-West Croydon, get the 05.40 which arrives in West Croydon around 07.10
X68 West Croydon-Russell Square, any bus from West Croydon until the last one at 08.30
then make my way to White City for the 607 then A10 to Heathrow, might go a different way to White City by bus only, rather than get the 10 then 72/220

The advantage of this way round, are the early morning X26s are quite fast traffic doesn't start to build up from 06.30-7am, & i'm not worrying over any delays to either X68 or X26 that might make me miss the last 607 from Uxbridge, only planning is getting to Heathrow for 05.00-05.30 on the night buses

Edit, starting on the X68 from West Croydon isn't a bad idea either.

 

[Deerfold]

I think even starting & finishing at Russell Square & catch the 15.50, X26, is doable in less than a day, the last 607 arrives in White City around 10pm, quick hop to Hammersmith on the 72/220 then the 10, the 10 takes 40 minutes in the evening Hammersmith-Russell Square, so you'll be back in Russell Square 23.30-midnight.

You appear to still be misreading what I've said. The only thing I've said is impossible on the same day is starting to get the express buses at White City and heading for Russell Square.

Starting at Russell Square and heading for White City on express buses is quite doable - I even suggested the 1550 as a useful service in an earlier post.

 

[Statto]

You appear to still be misreading what I've said. The only thing I've said is impossible on the same day is starting to get the express buses at White City and heading for Russell Square.

Starting at Russell Square and heading for White City on express buses is quite doable - I even suggested the 1550 as a useful service in an earlier post.

I see what you mean now, start at White City & get the 607 to Uxbridge first, then A10/X26/X68 in that order, you won't catch the X68 with the last one being 08.30 from West Croydon & first 607 arrives at Uxbridge around 06.45, but it is possible to do X68/X26/A10/607 in that order providing you get the 15.50, X68 from Russell Square first.

It is possible to start further down & do any combo, such as X68/get to White City then 607/A10/X26

 

[Statto]

Thinking back 25 years ago, it would have been impossible to do all the London area express routes in a day, you had;
607 Uxbridge-Shepherds Bush
726 Dartford-Heathrow
D1, Waterloo-Isle Of Dogs, Harbour Exchange Square
X15 Trafalgar Square-East Beckton
X30 West Croydon-New Addington
X43 Potters Bar-London Bridge
X68 West Croydon-Russell Square
I think there was an X53 Trafalgar Square-Plumstead as well.

607 & 726 were the only most of the day services, the others were only peak hour routes mostly to Central London in the morning peak & from Central London in the afternoon peak.

 

[route101]

Yes , i used a zones 1 to 6 travelcard . I was flying out of Gatwick later . Was wondering if there was any Buses from Croydon to Gatwick but i got the train .
I loved the bit around Heathrow , Charation and croydon freeway or flyover !! Didnt take as long as i thought . Was a 59 plate decker

 

[Deerfold]

Thinking back 25 years ago, it would have been impossible to do all the London area express routes in a day, you had;
607 Uxbridge-Shepherds Bush
726 Dartford-Heathrow
D1, Waterloo-Isle Of Dogs, Harbour Exchange Square
X15 Trafalgar Square-East Beckton
X30 West Croydon-New Addington
X43 Potters Bar-London Bridge
X68 West Croydon-Russell Square
I think there was an X53 Trafalgar Square-Plumstead as well.

607 & 726 were the only most of the day services, the others were only peak hour routes mostly to Central London in the morning peak & from Central London in the afternoon peak.

And:

472 Woolwich - Thamesmead
D11 London Bridge - Docklands

 

[Statto]

Yes , i used a zones 1 to 6 travelcard . I was flying out of Gatwick later . Was wondering if there was any Buses from Croydon to Gatwick but i got the train .
I loved the bit around Heathrow , Charation and croydon freeway or flyover !! Didnt take as long as i thought . Was a 59 plate decker

You can go from Croydon to Gatwick on the bus but requires a change at Redhill, the routes are;
405 West Croydon-Redhill
100/400/420/460 Redhill-Gatwick

Unfortunately though you'll need 2 separate tickets as Arriva London 405 is a TFL route, & Metrobus Surrey 100/400/420/460 are commercial routes.

Also the Metrobus Surrey 100 Park 25-Redhill-Maidenbower via Horley-Gatwick & Crawley is a 24 hour service.