For first-timers, stay south of the river around London Bridge or in the City near Liverpool Street. London Bridge puts Borough Market, Tower Bridge and the Thames Path on your doorstep with the Tube and trains underneath you, while Liverpool Street sits between the City and the bars of Shoreditch with direct Elizabeth line links to Heathrow. Our three London hostels cover both, which is no accident. They’re the neighbourhoods that let you walk to the big sights and still find somewhere open at midnight.

More than most European cities, but less than its reputation suggests. Budget travellers should plan for £75 to £95 per day including a hostel bed, food and transport. Dorm beds run £25 to £50 a night depending on season, supermarket meal deals keep lunch under £5 and the city’s biggest museums cost nothing at all. Booking your bed direct stretches it further with 5% off your rate and 25% off food downstairs.

Tap a contactless card or phone on the Tube, buses and Overground and the system works out your best fare automatically. Travel in Zones 1 and 2 caps at £8.90 a day no matter how much you ride, buses are £1.75 with unlimited changes within an hour, and you never need to buy a paper ticket. One rule: use the same card all day or you lose the cap. Central London is also far more walkable than the Tube map suggests, with many “two stop” journeys quicker on foot.

More than almost any city on earth. The British Museum, Natural History Museum, Tate Modern and National Gallery are all free to enter, every day. Add the Changing of the Guard, the view from Sky Garden (book ahead, costs nothing), Borough Market browsing and the walk from Westminster along the South Bank to Tower Bridge and you can fill three days before spending a pound on attractions.

Yes, London is well suited to solo travel and one of the easiest cities in the world to navigate alone, with English signage, helpful transport staff and busy streets late into the night. Take the usual precautions: keep your phone off the kerb edge to avoid snatch thefts, watch your belongings in crowds and stick to licensed black cabs or app-based rides after hours. Female-only dorms are available at our London hostels, and the bar downstairs means your first evening sorts itself out.