Solo Travel: 72 Hours in London

I enjoy being around people as much (if not more) than the next person. While I definitely value my alone time, I’ve always leaned more toward the extroverted side of the spectrum. I love spending time with my friends, especially when it comes to traveling. Some of my favorite memories are from group trips, so if you had told me two months ago that I’d be traveling solo to another country, I wouldn’t have believed you.

But this past weekend, I spent three days exploring London completely on my own.

My program in Germany gave us the Fourth of July off, which meant a three-day weekend, aka, prime time for a quick trip. Originally, I had planned to go with my best friend from home. One of my favorite artists, Lana Del Rey, was performing in London on the 4th, and since my friend is just as obsessed with concerts as I am, we had talked about going together. Flights were booked, concert tickets purchased, and a hotel reserved - the whole thing. But then she wasn’t able to make it, and three weeks before I was set to leave, I realized I was going to London solo.

That is, until a small miracle happened: one of the other students in my program was also planning a trip to London. We synced up plans to hit all the touristy must-dos like the London Eye and the Tower, and since I had an extra Lana ticket, he was going to come to the concert too. It was shaping up to be the perfect weekend.

Naturally, that’s when everything fell apart.

On Thursday, the day we were supposed to fly out, I made it to the airport and got through security just fine, only to find out that due to worker strikes and air traffic control issues, flights were getting delayed left and right. Mine was pushed back, but not canceled, so I eventually made it to London. My friend? Not so lucky. His flight kept getting delayed and was eventually canceled altogether. I didn’t even see any of his messages about it until I landed in London. With demand for tickets so high because of the strikes, he couldn’t find another flight, so unfortunately but understandably, he decided to stay in Germany. So now, not only was I in a new country, but I was completely alone.

After a brief (okay, maybe not so brief) moment of panic, I decided to just roll with it. The next morning, I set out with no real plan, just me, my phone, and Google Maps against the world (or in this case, London). And honestly? That spontaneous decision turned into one of the best choices I’ve ever made.

Within an hour, I found myself at Camden Market, and I immediately understood the hype. It was one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. The stands were so unique and full of personality, selling everything from handmade jewelry to vintage records. I spent hours just browsing and taking it all in.

Next, I made my way to Abbey Road. While I’m not a hardcore Beatles fan, I do love music, and getting to see the iconic crosswalk and nearby studio was genuinely exciting. I even got to window-shop at some local record stores, which totally made my inner music self happy.

Over the next two days, I packed in as much sightseeing as possible: Oxford Street, Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria’s Memorial, the London Eye, Big Ben—you name it. I wandered through Soho, Regent Street, and Covent Garden, did some shopping, watched live street performers, and picked up souvenirs for all my friends and family back home.

Of course, the highlight was seeing Lana Del Rey live, and she was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, but the truth is, this trip became so much more than just a concert. Traveling solo pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to rely on myself in ways I never had before, but in the best way possible. It was empowering, exciting, and weirdly peaceful. There’s something really special about doing exactly what you want, when you want, in a brand-new city.

After this weekend, I firmly believe that everyone should try solo travel at least once, especially while you’re young. Yes, it’s a little scary at first, and yes, things will go wrong, but those unexpected moments can turn into the most memorable experiences. I went to London for Lana, but I came back with something even better: a new sense of independence, confidence, and adventure.