Advice for a solo traveler to London..

Oh thanks both of you. I guess the upside to traveling alone is doing what I want when I want. Wow I sound so selfish.. Yeah I love that the meusems are mostly free. Thanks so much for the help..have a great day..

Terry, last time I went to the UK I went solo. Got a room in London via bidding on Priceline. It was a pretty nice business hotel for less than 100 a night. It is different traveling on your own, but I rather enjoyed it:)

No, it's not selfish at all. Being married with kids I have to compromise all the stinking time and I love the few chances I get to do things "my way". I'm about to take a trip to Italy with my BFF, and while it's going to be tons of fun, she insists on seeing every tourist trap. Leaning tower of Pisa, really? At least she is letting me plan 90% of the itinerary provided it includes Venice, Florence and Rome.

I travelled to England by myself about 8 years ago. My advice for saving money would be to spend only a few days in London, and the rest of the time elsewhere. Lodging and meals are cheaper in smaller towns, and people tend to be far friendlier. I had a marvelous time in Bath, having friendly "arguments" about George Bush with the waiter in an Indian restaurant, taking a small tour out to stonehenge and the Cotswolds, etc. The cheapest lodging I had during my trip was at a lovely little B&B in Stratford-upon-Avon. Big cities are expensive and often impersonal. Anyway, thats my 2 cents.

Use airbnb website to find a room. You can search by price range. Or stay at a B n B that includes free breakfast or has it's own kitchenette. Vancouver Studio Apartments in Bayswater have those. Use the Oyster card to get around.
Use such websites as London Eating or SquareMeal for special offers. The majority of Museums are free. Wonderful spots to people watch, rest weary feet and use the restroom.

One way to save money would be to stay at a college or university. Several offer spare dorm rooms/apartments to tourists. One that I know does this is the London School of Economics. They have multiple locations in central London- all near tube stations and bus stops. You get ensuite, a kitchenett or kitchen access on your hall and access to the student lounge (read TV and game room) and student laundry. I have seen rates as low as 30GBP/night. If you check their site and it shows no vacanies, you might want to contact them via email or phone as their site has problems with some browsers (esp Internet Explorer).
www.lsevacations.co.uk/

I have often traveled alone in London and had a great time. I love their museums and have found them also great for toilets and places to eat. Last May, I had my best lunch at the National Gallery.

Solo travel is not selfish. Solo travel is liberating and fun. I dont' think there is anything "sad" about it. Change your attitude towards solo travel , you will enjoy it alot more when you revel in the ability to do what you want,, when you want, for as long as you want. i travel with friends, family and solo, and I love my solo trips so much I would never give them up. London isn't cheap , but I found a hotel that had a small kitchenette so I could heat some take out or stuff from grocers. I am alot older then you ( I think) so couldn't stay at many hostels( some have age limits of 35 , but I would look into those,, some have shared kitchen facilities, so eat lunch out and then maybe dinner in) A good thing about hostels is you will likely have some companionship,, someone to chat with or take a daytrip with.

have travelled quite frequently solo to London (businesss or pleasure). I enjoy being able to poke about in side streets, or amble down allets that look interesting, stand on Thames Embankment and watch the activity. very different than being there with someone, you can indulge your spur of the moment impulses. So many little sights tosee in London that get overlooked among the major sights. I would definitely suggest staying as near to the west End (Piccadilly Circus) as you can get- dont need to use transport for many many sights. But if not, try anywhere on Piccadilly Line