London doesn't do spontaneous. It does organised, and it organises everything, including meeting people.
Where travellers are#
King's Cross (the big hostels, every train), Shoreditch (bars, a younger crowd), Bayswater and Earl's Court (value near the park). Pick a hostel with a bar and a kitchen. Things to do in London and is London safe?
Things with a start time#
- A free walking tour on day one: the fastest group you'll join.
- Solo traveller and expat meetups: pub nights, museum lates, Sunday walks. Weekly.
- Pub quiz on a Tuesday: teams are made of strangers.
- Park run on Saturday morning, free, every borough.
- A language exchange or a football match.
- The bar, not the table. The one rule of English pubs.
Online#
Post your trip on Roavi Community with your dates. Travellers heading to London in the next two weeks appear in the same place, and Local Friends can reply. How to find a travel buddy and travel communities and apps.
Londoners#
A Local Friend lives here, spends a few hours with you at a rate they set, and takes you to their pub, their market, their bit of the river. Rent a friend in London. Elsewhere in the UK: Manchester, Edinburgh.
Meet someone from London on your first day.
Meet a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
Where do solo travellers stay in London?
King's Cross for the big social hostels and transport, Shoreditch for nightlife and a younger crowd, Bayswater and Earl's Court for value near Hyde Park. A hostel with a bar is where you meet people.Are there solo travel meetups in London?
Weekly, several: solo traveller pub nights, expat socials, museum lates, Sunday walking groups, language exchanges. London has the densest meetup scene in Europe.How do I meet Londoners, not only tourists?
Pub quizzes, park runs on Saturday mornings, a football match, a language exchange, and a Local Friend who shows you their neighbourhood for a few hours. Londoners open up in pubs and nowhere else.Is there a community for travellers going to London?
Roavi Community: post your trip with dates and see who else is heading to London in the next two weeks, ask a question that locals answer, and message Local Friends who live there.Is London good for solo travellers?
Very: safe, English-speaking, walkable by neighbourhood, with free museums and more organised social events than anywhere nearby. Expensive, so hostels and pub meetups are where the budget crowd gathers.
