A double-decker sightseeing bus in a London street

Hop on hop off: how to choose the right bus

Every big city has several sightseeing bus companies. Five criteria are enough to pick the right ticket.

Photo: Kk70088, CC BY 4.0

By Rédaction LocationAutocar · Updated

The five criteria

  1. Ticket length: 24, 48 or 72 hours, counted from your first boarding.
  2. Frequency: a bus every 10 to 20 minutes is what makes hop-on hop-off practical.
  3. Add-ons: river cruise, Ferris wheel or museum entry included.
  4. Commentary: multilingual audio guide or a live guide.
  5. Recent reviews: punctuality and bus condition matter more than price.

Pay once: bus + cruise combos often cost less than buying the two tickets separately.

ParisBus + Seine24–72 hFirst visitRead guide LondonBus + Thames24–72 hFamiliesRead guide IstanbulBus + Bosphorus1–2 daysTwo continentsRead guide

Frequently asked questions

Is a 24-hour ticket enough?

For a first loop and a few stops, yes. Take 48 hours if you plan to use the bus as transport for your whole stay.

When does a hop on hop off ticket start?

Usually at your first boarding, not at purchase, so a 24-hour ticket can cover an afternoon and the next morning.

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Keep planning

All cities Our hop on hop off bus guides: Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, London, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Dubai, New York, San Francisco and more. Read guide Paris Hop on hop off Paris: Tootbus or Big Bus, routes and stops (Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre-Dame), 24–72 hour tickets and the optional Seine river cruise. Read guide London Hop on hop off London: Big Bus, City Sightseeing or a guided vintage bus. Stops at Westminster and the Tower of London, tickets and the optional Thames cruise. Read guide New York Hop on hop off New York: open-top double-deckers around Manhattan, a luxury highlights tour and a 3-hour night tour. Tickets, reviews and tips. Read guide Batobus Paris Batobus Paris explained: the hop-on hop-off river boat on the Seine, stops near the main landmarks, 24h or 48h passes, tips and how it compares with the bus. Read guide Seine river cruise Seine river cruise in Paris: independent comparison of the sightseeing companies (Bateaux Mouches, Vedettes du Pont Neuf, Batobus), piers, duration and bus combos. Read guide