Because it’s Christmas, and bus drivers want to eat turkey too. TfL pays double time and a half to drivers who work the day, so it’s a volunteer-only thing. Can you blame them? I wouldn’t swap my mince pies for a packed bus on Christmas morning.
The irony is, the few buses that do run are often packed. You get a weird mix of hungover tourists, frantic last-minute gift buyers, and people like Dave. Expect crowds, and don’t expect a seat.
And if you’re thinking, “Oh, I’ll just take the Tube instead,” ha! London Underground closes entirely on Christmas Day. No tubes, no DLR, no Overground. Buses are your only hope, alongside walking and your aunt’s car.
How to Survive (and Not End Up Like Dave)
First, plan ahead. TfL posts the Christmas Day timetable on their website by mid-December. Bookmark it, or print it out. Your phone battery will die just when you need it.
Second, use the TfL Go app or Citymapper. They update in real-time, and they’ll tell you if that bus is a mirage. Just don’t trust Google Maps blindly—I’ve seen it claim a bus runs at 3 PM, only to find the driver already singing carols at home.
See London's Christmas Lights From One Of These Special Festive Buses
Third, walk in pairs if you’re out late. I’m serious. London on Christmas night is eerily quiet, and you don’t want to be wandering Shoreditch alone at 10 PM trying to find a bus that doesn’t exist.
