The UK’s Top Solo Bus Trips

Solo travel is on the rise, with more people choosing independence, spontaneity, and self-connection over waiting for the perfect travel companion. Call it self-love, call it main character energy - either way, this is your cue to take centre stage 🎬

Forget the classic romcom meet-cute. Your adventure is your biopic, and your big entrance starts with a bus ticket 🎫 Wherever travel takes you - emotionally, spiritually, geographically - it’s best explored by bus.

So, where’s the best location for your solo travel story? Using data from Google, TikTok, and Instagram, FlixBus analysed the top trends in solo UK bus travel to identify the most sought-after locations for a solitary adventure. Spoiler alert - they’re not what you might expect. But, then, the best stories never are. Get ready for the plot twist 🤩

1. Oxford

Of course, Oxford scored top marks in our analysis, because is there anywhere more quintessentially English than this historical city? Cobblestone lanes, river punting, creamy Jurassic stone architecture and the air of academia in the streets - it practically writes its own love story.

Oxford is made for solo wandering. Duck into independent bookshops, linger in museum courtyards, or take a peaceful punt along the river where your only commitment is deciding which bridge to drift under next 🛶 

And don’t forget the independent family-run shops you can peruse. The type with crooked fronting and a musty cellar or room where the owner will “find something in the back” they’re sure you’ll like. With everything walkable and well-connected by bus, it’s an easy place to lose track of time - in the best way.

2. Newport

Newport is one of those cities best explored outdoors, clad in winter knitwear and a statement coat while you deeply contemplate the city’s ever-growing collection of outdoor art 🎨 Be sure to catch the statue of Welsh suffragette Lady Rhondda, unveiled in 2024.

Or, if you’re visiting during sunglasses season, bathe in golden hour light against the Newport Transport Bridge. Coastal path walks frame the city and bring you closer to nature, while the riverfront here offers fresh air and head-clearing views.

Travelling solo to Newport gives you space to slow the pace. Whether it’s self-photography, reflective walks, or simply sitting with a coffee and watching the city move around you, Newport is great value for anyone seeking inspiration.

3. Leeds

Leeds is a grand city, criminally overlooked as far as UK city breaks go. Towering museums, the Victorian tiled ceiling of Leeds Art Gallery coffee shop and, of course, the ornate interior (and exterior) of Leeds Corn Exchange are the perfect browsing spots for quiet, inquisitive types.

For solo travellers, Leeds rewards curiosity. Spend hours weaving through its historic arcades, grab street food from the Kirkgate Market, or settle into a cosy cafe with your headphones on and your thoughts uninterrupted 🎧 It’s truly a city that lets you blend in - or stand out - entirely on your own terms.

4. Glasgow

Start your personal journey with an overnight service to Glasgow, because there’s something magical about a night-time bus ride 🌛 Upon arrival, the low-lights, hushed conversations, and quiet, empty roads create the perfect moment to meditate on your next chapter.

Look out upon the city from the Glasgow Necropolis, indulge in 90s nostalgia with a trip to the famed King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, or weave in and out of quirky bars in Glasgow’s West End. By day, the city opens up with galleries, record shops, vintage stores, and riverside walks along the Clyde.

Whether you settle into a cafe with a notebook, wander the West End without a plan, or let the city’s humour and warmth do the heavy lifting for you, Glasgow is a city fuelled by creativity and character - ideal for solo travellers carving out their own rhythm 🎶 

5. Reading

The birthplace of the biscuit, Reading is the perfect place to take afternoon tea or enjoy a riverside picnic while you read your book or journal your thoughts. You’re intense. You’re mysterious. Your book is covered in crumbs 📖🫣

Reading’s green spaces and gentle pace make it ideal for solo travellers who want to slow things down. Wander the Thames Path, explore the town centre at your leisure, or spend an afternoon cafe-hopping without a plan. It’s the kind of place you visit when you want a reset; less rush, more breathing room, and zero pressure to tick off a checklist ⏳

Sometimes solo travel isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing less, better.

6. Cardiff

Cardiff offers the chance to live out explorer or treasure hunter childhood fantasies. Among its recently unearthed treasures is a 200-year-old chapel, discovered during construction work on St Mary Street in 2023. The same year, a hidden waterway was uncovered near Churchill Way, transforming the area into a new, landscaped Canal Quarter - the perfect place for sitting in nature and watching the world go by.

Balance city exploration with sea air by heading to Cardiff Bay by boat and letting the breeze whip through your hair 🍃 With castles, arcades, waterfront trails and independent shops all within easy reach, Cardiff lets solo travellers explore freely - no schedule, no compromises.

7. Preston

What’s not to love about Preston, Lancashire? Leafy green spaces you can explore at your leisure, from solo strolls through Avenham park to the elegance of Winckley gardens, and a free library, museum, and historic and modern art gallery all inside The Harris.

Once you’ve satisfied your appetite for culture, treat your inner child to a photo beside the bronze Wallace and Gromit statue near Preston's Market Hall 📸or indulge in a spot of retail therapy at the city’s mix of high-street and independent shops. Preston is proof that solo travel doesn’t need to be loud to be memorable. Sometimes, quiet charm hits the hardest.

8. London

In London, you can be whoever you want to be, so try all identities on for size. Scoring highly in our TikTok trends analysis, the capital is the ultimate solo playground. Doodle on your artists’ sketchpad, play boardgames among creatives in one of East London’s quirky pubs, or disappear into a museum for the afternoon 🖼️

Get thrifty on Portobello Road Market, indulge in the arts at Tate Modern, or join the theatre crowd in the West End 🎭 And always, always, take a windy walk across Millennium Bridge for iconic sights of the city. London is the capital of ‘doing it your way’ - anonymous when you want to be, electric when you don’t ⚡️

Travel solo, the FlixBus way

Solo travel isn’t about being alone; it’s about freedom. The freedom to leave when you want, explore what excites you, and follow your own storyline without waiting for anyone else 🎒

With cheap bus tickets across the UK, flexible routes, and comfortable journeys with onboard amenities, FlixBus makes solo travel easy, affordable, and refreshingly spontaneous 💚 Whether you’re chasing quiet moments or bold new experiences, your next chapter is only a bus ride away. Book your journey online, in the app, at a FlixBus sales point, or directly with your driver.

Main characters don’t wait around. They book the ticket 🎟️

Methodology

Flixbus’s index of most popular solo travel destinations combines Google, TikTok and Instagram trend data for solo UK travel by bus.