I'm a very frequent visitor to London.
Originally Posted by localady
I'm not sure how much I'd be walking around Victoria Station area at night or other less populated areas
It's not a problem. Used to stay at the Crowne Plaza St James, and meander around all the little back streets by myself at night. In the other direction, company would occasionally use a hotel in Pimlico (I won't recommend, it's crap. Nothing like getting a basement room, to discover the window has a dodgy lock on it, to make you feel like they understand women's security concerns
), and again, I'd be walking from Victoria.
The only area which did give me pause was the Kings Cross area, down to what used to be the Thistle - not a great area, quite red lightly.
In honesty though, most of the central parts of London are busy enough and touristy enough to be relatively safe, so long as you exercise common sense. Probably the biggest concern is pickpockets on Oxford St - watch your bag, be aware of where it is and how accessible it is to others at all times.
Other comments - if you do find yourself going clubbing, getting a black cab home can be a nightmare (as in, they get very, very scarce). London has a good nightbus service (there's a poster on the BA board who is my nightbus guru - he's put entire dos onto the correct nightbuses at the end of the night
). Or use minicabs, but be aware of not just picking them up on the street (ever -really not a good idea) - always, always, always go to a minicab office, or try and get a company number from your hotel/restaurant etc Minicabs can be cheaper than black cabs, and many restaurants also routinely use companies they are happy with. But never take one on the street.