Shruti Sharma

TIPS FOR A SOLO TRAVEL TO LONDON They say that the best way to travel is to travel alone. Call it for the purpose of self indulgence, self journey or otherwise, solo travel is sure to change the way you feel about travelling in a lot of ways. One thing with solo travel is that you get to set the pace of your journey. You go wherever you want to, whenever you want to and however you want to.  Obviously there are concerns regarding solo travel as well when it comes to safety especially when you do not have anyone watching your back. But that should not be much of a concern if you’re a little prepared. My solo trip to London happened in September of 2015. It was a decision I took no time taking and I’m so glad I went for it. Even today, two years later, when I think about London, every thought walks through the city’s beautiful, resplendent streets. No matter how intimidating my first solo travelling experience was, I can say it was worth every moment spent there. Going by the way I’m describing, you can easily say that I have a never ending love for the city. And that’s absolutely true because I don’t mind melting into the blue colors of the English sky. I learned a lot of things while solo travelling to this beautiful city. Based on my first hand experience, here are the top tips for anyone planning to go on a solo trip to London, the beautiful mega city. But before that, don’t forget to check out our 20 reasons to travel to London first. 1. Oyster Card is an absolute must This has got to be the top travel tip. You can absolutely not do without an Oyster card in London. Taking a tube (the London Underground) in London is the easiest way to get from one stop to the other. Yes there are other alternatives as well but when it comes to solo traveling; you want to make sure you’re travelling safe. At least if you have the tube map with you, you know where exactly your destination is. You can get these tube maps for free at the tube stations. Yes, travelling in tube can be confusing, but check out how you can easily travel the tube in a step-by-step guide here – Travel tips for London tube To get your Oyster Card, Visit Transport for London website. 2. London weather is not your friend so pack accordingly If there’s anything unpredictable about London that is its weather. Although you cannot deny the fact that it is also the most beautiful. However, London weather can really dull your plans for the day at times. Leaving your accommodation without an umbrella would not be the wisest thing to do. One minute you see nice and sunny outside and the next a downpour with blue skies nowhere to be seen. Yes it gets that unpredictable. So whenever you plan to head out, it’s always better to carry an umbrella and a pair of flip-flops or rain boots. Another word of advice – pack clothes that can be layered well. In case it gets cold and windy, a nice scarf will do. And trust me when I say you will only need this for a few hours because the weather will change again. 3. Visit places Londoners go to over the weekends Being a solo traveler you may find yourself going to only tourist-y places and doing downright tourist-y things. A better thing to do would be to discover places where the Londoners go to for their much needed break. Case in point is Brighton and Eastbourne. Both these places, in the south of England, are the go-to (rocky) beach destination for most Londoners when they are trying to find peace from the madness of the city. Only about an hour’s time from London by train, you can book your ticket on Thetrainline.com website. If you pre-book it, you might as well get really cheap fares. A day’s trip to one of these places should be good enough. But if you’re planning to stay for a day or so, check out the things you should do while you’re in Brighton and in Eastbourne 4. Hire a London bike The best way to explore this magical city is not on a tube or bus but (in my personal experience) a bike. If you are 14 years of age or older, these bikes are readily available for you. In case you are looking at saving money as well while travelling, then renting a bike in London will come in handy. The cheapest you can rent these bikes for is 2 GBP for 24 hours. Isn’t that a deal? There are more than 750 docking stations in and around London so you should not have any problem looking for one. Visit Transport for London website if you want to know how you can hire these bikes and how you will be charged. Also on the website are some hidden gems leisure routes for cyclists. There’s nothing better than this especially if you are solo travelling through the city. 5. Stay in cheaper areas of London to save money I booked my accommodation in London through Airbnb and I was glad I did. One, I stayed with an English family who gave me good insights into the city and some travel advice. Two, the accommodation was in East London (Bethnal Green) which was way cheaper than Central London. Yes, you have a good option of staying in a youth hostel as well. But from safety point of view I thought it was best if I stayed with a family. If you want to save money on accommodation in London while you are on your solo travel there, book through Airbnb. And look for a place which is NOT in Central London because it is the most expensive in terms of accommodation. So based on my experience these are my top 5 tips for anyone on a solo trip to London. Keep in mind that you have to be extremely vigilant when you are travelling alone. But also don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it! Are you travelling solo to London anytime soon? If you have any questions for me feel free to ask. If you’ve already been to London, what travel tips do you have for a solo traveler? Comment below…