Why You Should Solo Travel to London
Thinking about traveling solo but feeling nervous? London is the perfect destination to ease into solo travel. With its rich history, iconic landmarks, and easy-to-navigate public transport, it’s a city that offers something for everyone—whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned adventurer.
Plus, if English is your native language, you can skip the stress of language barriers and enjoy the charm of the local accent. Let me guide you through planning a week-long solo trip to London and share why it’s such an amazing destination for solo travelers.
Depending on your budget, this can be a luxurious solo trip or you can do a little more budget friendly trip. But please keep in mind that London is one of the most expensive cities, so be prepared to spend a little, but there are definitely ways to make it more affordable.
Flights:
This is going to be one of your largest expenses, but honestly if you go during a slightly off-season, than you can find pretty decent deals. Off-season for London is typically around late October to March. I traveled in late September and had a round trip flight for about $500 flying from the east coast with JetBlue. Which is a great price to fly to Europe. And if I lived in a larger city it probably would have been even less. I had a few hour layover in Boston, which gave me time to eat and relax and then it was only about a 7 hour flight to the Heathrow Airport on a red eye.
If you are someone that wants to sleep on the flight, I would pay a little extra to get the window seat so you have somewhere to rest your head. But if you think you plan to get out of your seat a lot, I highly recommend getting an aisle seat, then you don’t have to worry about climbing over the sleeping stranger in the seat next to you.
Best flight booking tip is to just be flexible with your dates if you want to find a good deal they exist. And both Google Flights and Skyscanner have a great function, where you can put in a location but then have flexible dates and they’ll provide the lowest upcoming flights.
Where to Stay in London for Solo Travelers:
London offers a wide range of accommodation options that can suit any traveler style. From budget in a bunk bed to bougie in a 5 star hotel there are options for you. Personally on this last trip since I booked a little bit last minute, I chose the more budget friendly option and went for two different hostels. One was definitely better than the other.
Some tips to keep in mind when you are booking your stay regardless of the type:
Location: this I think is the biggest factor for a solo trip is being close to the activities that you are plan on doing. I probably could have booked a hotel that was a bit outside of the city for a decent price. But when traveling alone, you don’t want to be too far from your stay.
A centralized location also saves time. If it takes you an hour each way to get back to your room that cuts into your trip when you only have a week or less. And if you forget something at your room it is easier to get back.
Public Transportation: Book a place that is close to a tube station because that will really help you fully access all the London areas.
Luggage Storage: This is pretty common now, but it still is important to check that the place you are staying has luggage storage available if you arriving early or have a late flight.
Safe Areas: Check the area that you are staying in, to make sure that overall you would feel safe walking back at night, even if you don’t plan walking in the dark. I think the best balance is a place that is in a semi busy place, you don’t want it to be too busy with lots of clubs and pubs, but also not completely residential, becasue then it kind of becomes eerie. Nowhere is going to be perfect but there are definitely areas that are better for solo travelers.
Below are some recommendations in each price range and category:
Hostel
Part of the outside common area at Wombat City Hostel London.
Yes they still exist and can still be a great option for solo travelers. Many often even have free or low cost group activities that you can sign up for.
Wombat's City Hostel London: This was the hostel that I stayed at for the first part of my trip and where I honestly wished I stayed the entire time. It had all the important necessities of a hostel. Below are some of the highlights
Average Price: $20 - $45 / night
Why it’s Great: Located only about a 10 minute walk to Tower Bridge. As well as a short distance to many other attractions and not too far from at least 3 tube stops. Overall a great choice if you are looking for a nice hostel.
Amenities:
Nice bathroom/shower: it honestly felt like a hotel shower and it was inside of the room that you sleep in, so now going into the hallway dripping wet.
Privacy: Every bed had a blackout curtain that you could close, so if someone came back late and had the light on it wasn’t a huge deal.
Charging Stations: Every bed had a personal light and charging area.
Storage Locker: Inside each room they had decent size storage locker that fit a carry-on suitcase and was able to be locked with a key card, making it very secure.
Several common areas both inside and out are available.
Book here: Wombat City Hostel London
Affordable Hotel
Strand Palace Hotel
Average Price: £150–£200/night
Why it’s great: Located on the Strand, only a few steps away from Covent Garden and near many other iconic London locations. Several tube stations are nearby so you can easily navigate around the vibrant city. It’s a well lit area with many restaurants close by.
Amenities:
Food & Bar: The Strand has great options if you don’t feel like venturing out. Between the Haxells Restaurant and the The Gin Palace Cocktail Bar both conveniently located on the ground floor. A great lounge area, if you feel like
Afternoon Tea: If you are a fan of Mamma Mia!, then you may want to check out their themed afternoon Mamma Mia! tea that they offer at the Palace Tea Parlour.
Gym: If you feel like you haven’t gotten in enough steps with all of your exploring there is a gym available.
Guest Services can help you book or give you more information on any attractions that you are interested in.
Book Here: Strand Palace Hotel
Mid-Range Hotel
The Hoxton, Holborn
Average Price: £250–£350/night
Why it’s great: This stylish and vibrant hotel features cozy rooms and a buzzing atmosphere. Just steps from Holborn Tube station, it’s perfectly situated for accessing the West End and surrounding areas.
Amenities:
On site dining and co-working spaces makes this a great place for the solo traveler that may want to get some work in while on their adventure or want the opportunity for a little social interaction.
Sometimes they do offer free breakfast, check their website to see if they are running any promotions
Flexible check in and out times compared to a lot of other hotels.
Book here: The Hoxton
Luxury (High End) Hotel
The Corinthia London
Average Price: £600–£900/night
Why it’s great: A gorgeous luxurious hotel with rich classical character that will make you question whether you want to even step outside for the day.
Amenities:
If you are looking to enjoy a spa day after treking all around London look no further than ESPA Life perfectly locate inside your hotel. Expanding across four floors you are bound to be able to get some rest an relaxation in.
There are also a plenty of culinary delights to choose from as well from afternoon tea to a the Michlen-star owned restaurant by Tom Kerridge.
They even have live music available at the Velvet by Salvatore Calabrese every Tuesday to Saturday.
Book here: The Corinthia London
How to Get Around London: A Solo Traveler’s Guide
The Tube
The Tube is very simple to use and a great way to get around the city. If you have Apple Pay or contactless payment method, you don’t even need to go tho those little kiosks to print out any tickets. Always use the same device and card to touch in and out to ensure the correct fare is charged.
Walking
Walking is one of my favorite ways to get around any city. I think you get to experience so much more of the culture and the people by walking. London is a very easy city to walk in and my favorite was walking along the Thames River, and it soen’t really require you to use any map.
Double Decker Bus
At least once you need to take a classic double decker bus and see the city. Many of them you can also use a contactless payment method.
Apps
London Transport:Live TFL is the best app that gives you live updates on the tube, bus and train times. That way you know if there are going to be any delays because unless you are lucky you are going to have delays.
Citymapper is another great app that will give you the best route to your destination to optimize your time best.
Top Activities in London
There is something for everyone in London. Whether you want to visit the museums, historical landmarks, Harry Potter filiming sites, theatre show, food markets and so many more great things to do. Don’t plan your schedule to tight but if there are places that require tickets try to at least book those a few weeks in advance, especially if you go during peak season.
Map out your activities in Google Maps
One of the best tips I have is that when you are doing research on cool restaurants or popular attractions that you want to visit, save them on Google maps with special icons, that way when you pull up maps, you don’t have to search and search for things to do or place to eat, you have already done the leg work. I also like to save any accommodation that I am staying at with a little luggage icon to mark that as your base.
Packing Tips for a London Trip
Prepare for London Rain:
No matter what season you are visiting plan for rain, I happened to be extremely lucky according to many locals and it only lightly rained one time in the week that I was there in September. A good trench coat is always a great staple to wear in London.
Limit your liquids:
Be aware that when you are returning home that the London airports limit your liquids to only one quart size bag otherwise they will make you throw out what doesn’t fit, unless you plan on having a checked bag.
Dress like the locals:
As a solo traveler, especially as a female solo traveler it is best to fit in with the locals, so that you don’t look like a tourist. Londoners for the most part dress very classic. I made the mistake and wore a pair of my light wash slightly ripped denim jeans on the airplane and did not change after I landed. I spent the whole day walking around London and I don’t think I saw a single person with ripped jeans and I felt like it screamed “American Tourist”. The rest of trip I had more of a trousers and trench coat type of look and I was actually stopped two different times by people asking me for directions, which means I achieved the goal of blending in with the locals.
Necessary Electronics
Make sure you bring the necessary converter to charge your phone. Some hotels will have the USB-C port and you won’t need the convertor, but don’t count on that. Also don’t try to bring your favorite hair tools unless you want them to quit working, because those will not do well with a converter.
If you plan to be gone for long periods of the day or are taking a day trip, it is always important to bring a portable charger.
Start Planning Your Solo London Trip Today
Solo traveling to London is an incredible experience, whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned adventurer you won’t regret it. With its rich history, walkable streets, and endless activities, the city offers something for every traveler. By planning ahead and staying flexible, you'll create memories that will last a lifetime.
If you’re curious about how to structure your days, stay tuned. I’ll be sharing another post with the details of my week-long itinerary in London, with must-see attractions and even recommended day trips . Have you been to London or are you planning your first solo trip? Share your thoughts, questions, or favorite tips in the comments below—I’d love to hear from you!
