, the The Superloop is a London bus that travels express in the southbound direction.

Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.

You can experience the best view of London for just £1.75 by riding on the upper deck of a bus going south over Waterloo Bridge.

During this season, it is most ideal to travel near sunset. In the eastern direction, the sky and river reflect a shimmering blue, while St. Paul’s Cathedral emits a peaceful aura amidst the shining skyscrapers of the City. In the western direction, the London Eye and Palace of Westminster appear as silhouettes, with the horizon blending into a hazy golden hue as the clouds are illuminated by the fading sunlight.

The sunset in Waterloo is truly a heavenly moment.

Any old bus will do. The front seats are best if you can grab one. But for many more thrills for your money, I commend London’s southbound express: the supercharged SL6, destination the deep south of the capital.

Every afternoon, several buses with unique branding leave from Russell Square in the heart of London, heading to West Croydon.

“SL” refers to Superloop, a concept introduced by Transport for London to enhance transportation connections throughout the city – except for the SL6, which deviates from the circular route.

A group of limited-stop buses travels from Bexleyheath in the southeast, connecting Bromley, Croydon, Heathrow, Harrow, North Finchley, Walthamstow, and the Royal Docks in east London in a clockwise direction. The SL6 is the only bus that runs linearly rather than in a circular route, which I found to be a positive aspect after completing the 95-minute journey.

Public transportation in the city is quite affordable, with a fare of £1.75 allowing for unlimited rides within an hour. However, the slow pace of buses is a major drawback due to frequent stops and congested traffic conditions caused by lengthy traffic lights. This is intentional, as it aims to discourage individuals from driving.

Express buses are services with most of the passenger stops cut out. The SL6 pauses six times in central London after setting off from Russell Square – but upon leaving Waterloo station passengers are scheduled to be on board for the next 33 minutes (more like 40 in reality). So if you need to get to the straggle of suburbs in the deep south of London, it is a reasonable choice. And, unlike a Tube or train, you benefit from 360-degree views.

When you are elevated above the people and cars, you have a better view of the beautiful terracotta front of the Fitzroy Hotel. You can see things that would not be visible from the sidewalk, like the Holy Door of St Anselm and St Cecilia Catholic church on Kingsway. And just a minute later, you come across a stunning sculpture of debris protruding from the wall of an LSE building at the intersection of Sardinia Street.

The impressive Waterloo Bridge offers a picturesque drive that concludes with a descent towards the Imax, which happens to be the largest cinema screen in the UK. This unique structure also serves as an advertising platform on its exterior. It is situated at the roundabout outside Waterloo station, which is known as the busiest in Britain and marks the final destination for the next five miles.

The SL6 causes less congestion behind it. We smoothly passed many buses, which are required to stop at every requested location by the public. Bus lanes in the southern part of London, as well as other areas in the UK, are not consistently implemented. On Brixton Road, our skilled driver avoided the busy bus lane. However, we still encountered delays due to ongoing road construction.

It took 42 minutes to travel from Russell Square to Brixton, with an average speed of approximately 7 miles per hour. If traveling by Tube, it would only take half the time, even with a transfer at Green Park.

The final stop of the Victoria Line boasts the largest roundel I have ever encountered, situated above the entrance to Brixton station. As I continue on, I am greeted by a massive Bovril “ghost sign” adorning the side of a nearby building.

The car is a hybrid, so it smoothly glides for approximately half of its operation. However, the engine frequently starts with a persistent rumble, which could potentially deter many individuals from taking buses.

Shortly after, we were passing through a partially connected, idyllic suburban area. The initial group of travelers disembarked at West Norwood, precisely 60 minutes into the trip, near an impressive cemetery entrance. As we continued, we ascended to traverse the elevated region (by London’s standards) that separates us from Croydon. Upon reaching Grecian Crescent in London SE19, my altimeter displayed 95 meters (or over 300 feet, accounting for the added height of the upper level).

Currently, it was nighttime, so there were not many beautiful views to be seen.

As we arrived at West Croydon, we passed by Selhurst Park, the home of Crystal Palace FC. As we continued on, I noticed a stark difference in the types of businesses around us – from trendy craft beer to fast food fried chicken. It was quite a lesson in the geography of hospitality.

The French have a preference for the phrase “dernier virage” which translates to “final turn”. Our own final turn occurred at a set of traffic lights that are likely the slowest in the world, where buses are not given any priority, even those as advanced as the SL6. Despite our skilled driving, we arrived at West Croydon bus station 13 minutes behind schedule, suggesting that the timetable may be overly optimistic.

It takes eighty-two minutes to travel from central London to Lille, France on the Eurostar, according to the published time for the SL6.

The capital of French Flanders is considered by some to be a more thrilling place to visit compared to Croydon. However, purchasing a ticket will be significantly more expensive and the views are said to be more impressive on the SL6.

Source: independent.co.uk