Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

Like afternoon tea? And sightseeing? Combine the two with afternoon tea on a bus! I know it sounds crazy but this is exactly what I got to do at the weekend, thanks to Thistle Hotels. They have a range of hotels within easy reach of the top London attractions, so what better way to promote this than going around and seeing the attractions for ourselves?

On a gorgeously sunny Sunday afternoon, 20 bloggers boarded the BB Bakery Bus- one of three revamped 1960s Routemasters named Rodney, Del Boy and Marlene- for 2 hours of sightseeing, sandwiches and sugary treats! 

When I arrived at the bus stop opposite the London Eye, I found Milly who was ruthless in ensuring we got the front seats on the top deck! I think we were all a little concerned about just how the food was going to stay on the table, but it turns out the plates and trays are stuck down with little plastic suckers, and there are cup holders for the flasks of hot drink. I'm not a tea or coffee drinker but I can handle hot chocolate so I was delighted to hear that was on the menu! If you prefer soft drinks, however, everyone was given a bottle of orange juice and the staff were happy to give out a second bottle when finished. 

The food, as you can probably tell, was absolutely delicious! Milly and I both agreed that the ham, cheese & mustard sandwiches were the underrated heroes of the tea (and may or may not have scoffed some leftovers on our way out!) but the sweet treats were also incredible, especially the chocolate macaron! 

Our tour started near Southbank and took us up past the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, through Kensington and around Hyde Park to Oxford Street before heading past Trafalgar Square and back across Westminster Bridge to our starting point. There's not a traditional "and on your right, you can see..." tour guide, but there is a booklet on the table with a map and facts about each landmark so we didn't miss out. Besides, the staff were happy to play our own music through the speakers, even when it was Backstreet Boys! Although the sights were amazing, it was very difficult to take photos on a moving bus so definitely one to enjoy without looking through the lens! 

It was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon. I'd definitely recommend it and I'm thinking of booking a table for the Christmas special! 

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