megabus goes megasightseeing with converted deckers

Stagecoach-owned megabus.com is to launch what it describes as London’s first low-cost sightseeing tour.

Tickets for the capital’s new megasightseeing.com service are now on sale, with services beginning on St. Georges Day (23 April). The service is scheduled to take two hours to travel non-stop to around 50 tourist sights. Tickets are available from only £1 per seat, saying the cheapest alternative in London is currently priced at £24.95. Seats must be pre-booked via the megasightseeing.com website but can be reserved right up until the time of departure (subject to availability). The tours depart every hour from three different locations across the city using refurbished ADL Tridents.

Tours depart from Stop X in Park Lane opposite the Hilton Hotel, Stop TA at Tower Hill and Belvedere Road near the London Eye. Operated by the Stagecoach London subsidiary, the tours will run daily between 10am and 5pm, with additional services available during the busy seasons. Nine Dennis Tridents have been adapted by Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) across its Anston and Harlow workshops. Four vehicles are fully open-top and five offer a partially covered top deck. A GPS commentary system provides a comprehensive English-language commentary of all of the sights through interior speakers. The buses have received a full retrim including LED lighting to the floor and front LED destination fitment.

MD of megabus.com, Mark Venables, said: “By teaming up with Stagecoach London to deliver our megasightseeing.com services we’re bringing our brilliant value fares to a whole new audience. Around 19 million tourists visit London every year and this is the perfect sightseeing choice for those coming to this great city – a great value, non-stop tour of the capital’s most famous sights, from a brilliant top-deck vantage point. We look forward to welcoming people from around the globe on to our services.”