Yonda: How does a self-drive tour of London shape up?

Our diehard cyclist swaps two wheels for a two-seater exploration of the capital

For the people behind London’s latest tourism innovation, I was a lousy first customer.

Yonda, which started operations this week, claims to be London’s first self-drive sightseeing tour. It offers visitors the chance to take to the streets in a Smart car, and explore parts of capital that are off the average tourist’s satnav. The idea is that, in around 90 minutes, you will see some sights and gain some insights that the average passenger on the tourism omnibus would miss.

Now, I have been cycling in London for four decades, and like to think I have covered every inch of the streets in the city centre. Furthermore, while a bike can sneak through congestion, even a tiny vehicle like a Smart car cannot. To make life as uncomfortable as possible – and test the concept at the most congested time – I booked the 5pm time slot. And by 6.30pm my eyes had been opened.

James Kafton, one of the founders, told me: “When we set up Yonda, three years ago, we wanted to create a tour that showed what it is that makes London such a special place. The beauty of being in a car is that you can get into all the nooks and crannies of London – places like Mayfair, Soho and Seven Dials that other tours can’t.”

How to book

Booking the trip was straightforward; yes, I have held a valid driving licence for 2 years or more; no, I have no more than 6 penalty points; and no, I have not been involved in more than one fault motor accident in the past 3 years. (I find driving only once in a blue moon helps keep my record tidy).

I declined the chance to pay the £15 waiver, on the grounds that (a) I think having some financial skin in the game helps me drive better, and (b) the £60 charge was quite enough, thank you. I imagine that once the idea takes root, the firm will start adjusting rates in line with demand, allowing cheapskates like me a lower-price option.

Before you drive

Finding the location was easy: as far as I know there is only one underground car park on the west side of Park Lane, and the Smart cars were all huddled ready at the foot of the down ramp.

Within five minutes of checking in I was climbing the up rank. Which was my first mistake. Like an annoying cyclist champing at the bit at traffic lights, I was keen to get going, but I should have allowed the presentation to walk me through the idea before I began to run.

Talking you through the whole experience is a tablet, placed comfortably on the dashboard, which chats to you like a really friendly satnav. A chatnav, I shall call it. Indeed, actual “in 50 yards, turn left” instructions are almost entirely absent, on the reasonable grounds that you’re going slowly (30mph tops, 20mph better) and therefore following the clear moving map is easy enough. At a couple of points the commentary says “the map may say you’re at X but in fact you’re at Y”, which shows some thorough road-testing.

On the road

Escaping the rush home along Park Lane was easy enough, with generous motorists allowing my nippy little car to cross three lanes. The automatic transmission makes the real-life rush-hour dodgems much easier.

Then into Mayfair, where the satnav prescribed an intricate pattern that reminded me of a paper round – covering all the ground in the most efficient way. The chatnav pays attention to where you are – explaining that the Connaught hotel was the Coburg until the First World War, then after a right-hand hairpin pointing out where Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi had a horrible row outside Scott’s restaurant.

The tour

Sightseeing is made all the easier with a sun roof that extends so far back that it feels as though you are actually in a convertible. After a pleasant 15 minutes of al fresco pottering around the backstreets, you re-enter the flow of traffic along Piccadilly, but quickly delve into the gentlemen’s club territory of St James’s. Back in the stuttering traffic, you are guided past Piccadilly Circus (where the first illuminated advertising board in the area, apparently, was for Perrier), and along Shaftesbury Avenue.

During the spin around Soho Square you learn that Paul Raymond was more than a “porn baron” (the tabloid description of his club and magazine activities) – he was remarkably good at property development, buying up undervalued Soho buildings at a rate of one a week in the 1970s.

The trip designers have proved adept at extracting the most from London’s crowded, congested streets. The piazza at Covent Garden is almost inaccessible to vehicles, apart from a short strip along the south-west side. When you cross St Martin’s Lane, the commentary directs you to something I had never noticed before despite cycling past it 10,000 times: a bust of Agatha Christie, framed theatrically as she gazes towards the theatre that has been showing The Mousetrap since the dinosaurs roamed WC2.

Charing Cross Road, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall turned into a plod, and I imagine that the sclerotic effect of road works will impinge upon a fair proportion of trips. And at Parliament Square I deliberately ignored instructions to go west, and instead turned east across yonder Westminster Bridge. By going off grid, I must say, you get a spectacular view of Big Ben.

Being tracked

Watching my progress back at Yonda HQ was James Kafton. His firm reserves the right to charge a late-return fee, though if it is clear that the driver has been caught in heavy traffic rather than going shopping, a flexible approach will be taken.

Returning to the itinerary took a while due to the absurd new cycle lights at Parliament Square, which irritate everyone including cyclists. But the grand progress down the Mall made up for it: the trip designers have made sure that you drive towards the view, in this case Buckingham Palace, rather than seeing it in the rear-view mirror.

Ascending Constitution Hill, I was struck by the number of cyclists who ignore the parallel bike lane and wobble doggedly on the road. Until my Yonda experience, I was one of them – now I can appreciate the driver’s perspective.

Hopefully drivers will feel confident enough after around 90 minutes of London driving to take the 270-degree turn around Hyde Park Corner in their stride, before the final straight to Yonda.

Concluding, Poppy, who accompanied me, said: “It’s quicker and easier than a big bus. It feels a bit more personal when you’re sat with people you like, and you’ve got your own personal guide.”

James, the co-founder, said: “It’s not going to be for everyone. But I think it’s a really special tour.”

And I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. At £30 per person, it’s comparable in price with an all-day hop-on, hop-off bus trip. But I am troubled about adding to the capital’s congestion. If you are a confident cyclist, then a day’s access to Santander Cycles (aka Boris bikes or Sadiq cycles) at £2 is a real bargain. Just watch out for erratically driven Smart cars. And stick to your own lanes.