I’m back from my first big solo trip and here with a whole guide on London solo travel!
I’ve had “moments” of solo travel here and there over the years — things like one night in Copenhagen before other people arrived for a group trip — but I’ve never done a long solo trip until now.
I had been toying around with the idea of seeing Harry Styles on tour in the UK or Europe at some point this summer (can you blame me!) and after a few friends said they wouldn’t be able to go I decided “Screw it! I’m going on my own!”
Seeing Harry Styles in London at the iconic Wembley Stadium quickly became the the obvious choice for me:
- I’ve been to London a handful of times so it’s somewhat familiar
- the stadium is easily accessible by public transit
- I know a few people there should I have any major issues
- it’s not drastically different from navigating NYC which I do every day
- I speak the language…
And so, off I went to London solo to see Harry Styles… but also explore!
Solo London Travel Guide
Where to Stay:
The Marylebone Hotel is great for solo travelers. I stayed in one of the “cozy” rooms and while it could be tight for two, for just me it was perfect. It’s close the tube which made it easy for me to get wherever I wanted to go.
The area of Marylebone is so charming with lots of great restaurants, cafes, and places to shop. The hotel is also walking distance to other shopping areas like Oxford Street and Carnaby… but far enough away that I didn’t feel like I was right in a tourist hub.
Most of all and arguably most important: I felt super safe at the hotel and in the area, even when I was walking back from the tube at night after a concert or theater.
How To Get Around:
Take the tube or walk! The public transit system in London is incredible I think easier to navigate than the NYC subway system…
Look up directions to wherever you’re going on Google Maps beforehand (there’s not cell service underground!) and then follow the signs. I was a bit worried at first that I wouldn’t feel as safe at night on the tube after theater, but I personally felt totally safe.
As far as paying, my family had a bunch of unused Oyster cards from previous London trips. I ended up using those but you can also just tap your credit card tor phone to pay.
I only took a taxi to get to and from the airport. London — it wasn’t necessary and was both cheaper and easier to get around underground.
What to do:
See some theater!
Besides seeing Harry, my other London priority was to see as much theater as I could. For buying tickets I did a mix of using the TodayTix app for slightly discounted tickets or I bought directly from the show’s website.
Here’s what I saw:
Grease – This was my least favorite of the shows I saw. It was a perfectly adequate production of Grease and while it’s fun it’s also nothing special
Guys and Dolls – This production of Guys and Dolls is totally immersive. You have the option for standing room tickets (which is what I did!) and the set pieces move up down and around bringing you all over NYC… with a brief stop in Havana, of course. I always love Guys and Dolls as a show and this took it to the next level!
Cabaret – This new production of Cabaret is absolutely chilling. From the second you walk through the doors you feel like you’ve been transported to a seedy cabaret in 1940’s Berlin. Cabaret is a favorite show of mine and I’m glad I got to see this production of the show.
ABBA Voyage —This show is incredible and bizarre all at once. It’s essentially a concert… but with holograms of ABBA and outrageous intricate lighting and projections throughout. They literally had to build a special theater for this production! If you love ABBA like I do it’s a total blast.
Go Shopping
Most of my London shopping was window shopping, but I still loved walking around the big department stores. My favorites are Harrods (it’s MASSIVE and a must if you’ve never been!) and Selfridges. Both also have surprisingly good bookstores in their basements.
Also on the topic of bookstores, here are the ones I visited:
Daunt Books: This cutie bookstore was around the corner from my hotel. It’s got this fabulous lofted area.
The Notting Hill Bookshop: I’ve never seen the movie Notting Hill (I know, I know!) and this bookstore was totally packed with fans.
Water Stones: The UK’s big chain bookstore the multiple locations. It’s similar to Barnes and Noble here.
South Kensington Books: Great indie bookstore walking distance from Harrod’s. Whole area is fun to explore around the bookstore.
For areas with lots of stores to visit I love Oxford Street and Carnaby street
Do a walking tour
A walking tour is a great and pretty inexpensive way to explore a part of the city. I searched for interesting walking tours on AirBNB Experiences and ended up signing up for one in Notting Hill, an area I haven’t been to on previous London trips.
The tour was SO good! I learned so much in 2 hours and enjoyed the area far more than if I would have just been there on my own. Everyone on the tour was a bit older than me, but it didn’t matter. It was still fun to chat with all of them and get to know them. I highly recommend signing up for Jordan’s tour if you’re looking for something fun to do!
See some art:
I’m not much of a museum person, but I did visit The Wallace Collection to see their current Portraits of Dogs exhibit.
Where to eat:
A lot of people asked me how I felt about dining solo in London. I do it in NYC from time to time so it’s not totally new to me. Something I noticed was there were SO many people also dining solo in London. I knew I was in good company… even if I wasn’t in any company!
It was warm while I was there and a lot of the restaurants had cute outside dining setups. I found eating outside solo to be especially nice. I’d pop in my AirPods and listen to a podcast while I’d people watch, scroll on Instagram, or read my book.
With that being said, this is also the category where I failed a bit on this trip. I had a lot of stomach issues throughout the trip (a me problem, not a problem specific to London or anything I ate there…) so I was a bit boring with my food choices.
On top of that I also had two nights at Wembley for concerts… although I will say the vegan hot dog was surprisingly good!
A few food standouts:
Pizza Express: I LOVE this chain pizzeria and wish we had it here in NYC! It’s got a to of vegan options which is great for lactose intolerant girlie like me!
Farm Girl Cafe: Super cute and health-focused cafe with a few locations. I went to ths one in Notting Hill and there was a bit of a wait. I got the avocado toast with poached eggs and the most incredible chai. Everything was great!
Harrods Cafe: I was starving after wandering around Harrods. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the cafe is. Maybe it was the extreme hunger but their chicken sandwich was amazing.
Oka: Sushi spot around the corner from The Marylebone Hotel. Cute spot for a solo meal or to meet friends.
Vapiano: I know, I know, wtf Kayla why did you go to so many chains!?!?!? As I said, I kind of failed on the food front because of my tummy issues, but one thing that didn’t fail me was the Italian chain, Vapiano. It’s a create your own pasta (or pizza!) situation and always hits the spot. There was one near the theater district which was perfect to pick up something to eat after a show.
And on the list for next time: Dishoom – So many of you recommended Dishoom for Indian food. I didn’t get to go, but definitely will next time!
I also visited Borough Market and while it’s incredible I found it VERY crowded and overwhelming and didn’t stay too long.
More Solo London Travel Tips….
- The tube doesn’t have service. Make sure you know where you’re going BEFORE you go underground. I’d pull up the directions on Google Maps and screen shot it just in case.
- Be prepared to walk. A LOT. As a New Yorker I’m no stranger to walking 10K steps every day. But London was next level. I was clocking in over 20K steps most days! Prioritize comfy footwear over something fancy. Trust me!
- Most tube lines don’t have air conditioning. This bit shocked me! I started to opt for the lines that I knew had air con (the Metro line home from Wembley felt like HEAVEN) but also dress accordingly if you’re there during the summer. I was there during a heatwave and it was HOT.
- You probably won’t need cash. I had some pounds on me just in case but didn’t use any cash this week. Pretty much everywhere uses card… and some places don’t even take cash these days!