Locations in this article: London, England
This is a series that explores the travel trend of solo traveling and the growing industry that is developing around it. Rosalyn Oshmyansky reports on the various hotels and tour operators that are catering specifically to the solo traveler and especially to solo women travelers.
The United Kingdom’s tourism has hit a record high in 2018, and the country is looking to continue this trend for the rest of the year. So far, about 40 million visits have been made to the U.K. With the influx in the amount of tourists, in addition to London’s population of over 8.5 million, a solo traveler can blend right in.
In London, I checked out the St Giles London’s “Go Solo” program. As part of the package, solo travelers get their own concierge, free Wi-Fi (so they’re never really alone), and flexible check-in and check-out times.
Since I had never been to London before, I explored on foot—just like I did when I was solo in New York. With the hotel’s central location, I was able to walk to the sights on my own with the help of Google maps. I didn’t take the Tube, but I did clock a solid 30,000 steps a day and gave in to a couple of rideshare rides with drivers who turned into tour guides.
After all of the royal wedding coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, I couldn’t wait to see the official London residence and administrative headquarters of the monarch of the U.K. And so, I walked straight to Buckingham Palace. While the outside was impressive, the State Rooms weren’t open to the public. In fact, they’re only open for two months out of the year.
The magnificent State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are only open to the public when the Queen is not in residence, and, this year, that’s from July 21st through September 30th. Know before you go!
With the Westminster Abbey, there are also events that may close the church. Word to the wise: check its schedule ahead of time before walking on over too.
And also be prepared because the Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben, may not exactly look like pictured. In fact, it’s undergoing renovations including repairs to the roof and its 13-foot pendulum. Big Ben is currently silent and won’t be heard again until 2021.
In spite of what I didn’t see, I am happy to report that I did see the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Lines to get in ranged from three to four hours with the amount of tourists there, but I have to say that the wait time was completely worth it. No photos are allowed inside, which actually makes for a better overall experience for everyone because there aren’t any flashing cameras or tourists taking selfies to detract from the beauty of the diamonds and precious jewels.
Not having to worry about taking photos gave me a feeling of peace and allowed me to be more in the moment. When alone, photography takes on a whole new meaning. The thought of someone taking my photo gave me some anxiety because who would I approach to take it? While there’s no exact scientific proof to this, I always went for the teenage girl who seems like she posts on Instagram and Snapchat. It always worked, because I ended up with great angle shots.
Just like photos, asking someone for directions also seemed like a daunting and embarrassing task. But I soon discovered that when a smartphone dies and I could no longer Google map a destination or rideshare on over, I relied on the kindness of strangers to get on the right path. I listened for British accents and had conversations, just like Peter Greenberg always says to do!
Part of being solo is learning to have uncomfortable conversations. While I didn’t see the infamous President Trump baby balloon while I was there, I did go into pubs solo and wound up talking about American politics with new friends from Norway who happened to be sitting by me. And by having these conversations, I also ended up learning a lot about Norway and its politics.
The question of safety is important here because walking into a pub in a foreign country solo can seem terrifying, especially as a solo female traveler. But the situation forced me to be more aware of my surroundings, the local beer in front of me and the people who were sitting next to me. In my situation, I never felt unsafe, but I do believe in exercising extra caution when solo and talking to strangers in foreign countries. I chose a pub next to my hotel so that I could have a quick exit strategy, if needed.
More than anything, this solo travel experience in London taught me that it’s ok to not know where I’m going because when surrounded by people, chances are good that there’s a local who can help out with directions and recommendations. And also, I learned to not be so afraid of going somewhere just because I have no one else with me.
For the traveler who just wants to go or simply just doesn’t have that other person to travel with, cheers to London for being a place that the solo traveler may never really feel alone.
Stay tuned for more hotels that cater to the solo traveler in The Solo Travel series.
