The best (and worst) destinations for solo travellers

From cheap public transport to welcoming locals, we look at the destinations offering a great experience for holidaymakers travelling alone

Travelling solo offers the ultimate freedom – to go where and when you want, eat the foods you desire, visit sights you want to see and form opinions that are entirely your own. It’s little wonder the trend is booming. 
AITO (The Association of Independent Tour Operators) recently found that 27 per cent of holidaymakers travelled alone in 2023, up from 23 per cent in 2022, while Airbnb reported a 55 per cent jump in the number of UK women exploring the world solo – many aged over 45.
Unsurprisingly, tour operators, cruise companies, hotels, restaurants and bars are keen to capitalise on this burgeoning market, with solo-friendly facilities cropping up all over the place – though there are still various factors you’ll need to bear in mind when planning a solo trip. Single supplements, for example, can often be a barrier, though many companies now eschew them entirely or offer attractive deals for those not holidaying in a pair or group. Perhaps the most important factor, however, is choosing the right destination. For most travellers, especially women, places with good safety credentials and low crime rates are high on the list – but there are other considerations, too. Is English widely spoken? Is WiFi readily available? And is public transport cheap and easy to use (taxis and hire cars can soon get expensive when you’re not splitting the cost)? Are the people friendly, and is dining or exploring solo something that’s likely to turn heads?
So with all this in mind, we pulled together some of the best places to travel solo – and where you might want to avoid.
No one place in Canada is more friendly than another; the entire country is clean, safe, welcoming and easy-going – but Haligonians (as the people of Halifax are called), and Nova Scotians in general, regularly rank as the most hospitable and sociable citizens in the whole of Canada. It’s still off the beaten package-tour trail, but with new direct flights (with WestJet) between Halifax and London, Dublin and Edinburgh this year, it’s now easier to reach than ever. 
The city itself is small and full of students – making for a dynamic and open-minded feel. There are regular festivals and a vibrant music scene, with more pubs and bars per capita than anywhere else in Canada. Because of its size (with a population of just over 500,000), it’s easy to navigate on foot, whether for a stroll downtown, along the recently reinvigorated waterfront boardwalk (the longest in North America), visiting the maritime museums, or climbing Citadel Hill. With a sensible grid system and friendly locals, there’s little chance of getting lost. As a bonus, the food scene is spectacular, with the longest-running farmers’ market in North America and restaurants all over town serving fresh fish and locally caught shellfish. 
Safety: 5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 4/5
Culture and community: 4/5
Accessibility:  5/5
Language barriers:  5/5
How to do it: The newly opened Moxy Hotel (marriott.com) has double rooms from £224, including breakfast. You can fly from Edinburgh or Gatwick to Halifax from £372 return with WestJet (westjet.com).
Incredibly affordable and wonderfully hospitable, Vietnam has much to offer the solo holidaymaker. It’s a progressive, open-minded country and Hanoi, in particular, is on a well-worn tourist trail filled with visitors of all ages, so while you might arrive alone, you will undoubtedly leave with new friends. WiFi is widespread, and SIM cards can be bought cheaply if you’d prefer to use the local network.
English is spoken reasonably widely, and there’s plenty to see and do here, from museums and temples to the Old Quarter, night market, Hoan Kiem lake (lovely for walks), and nearby Halong Bay. Eating here is also a joy (and affordable – a slap-up meal is likely to cost you less than £5), and it’s perfectly acceptable to sit in a restaurant or café alone.
While relatively safe, Hanoi is a big city, so beware of pickpockets and tourist scams (wrong directions, excessively long rickshaw rides and offers of free transport are the classic ones). If you use a taxi with Grab, make sure the driver and car’s details match the app. And although travelling by motorbike or scooter is appealing for solos, bear in mind that it is unlikely to be covered by your travel insurance.
Solo female travellers will be safe, but should take the usual precautions of dressing modestly, especially when visiting temples, and keeping an eye out for drink spiking. If you’re going totally DIY, it’s worth making some connections with other travellers via social media groups such as Facebook’s Vietnam Travel Group – though many hostels will also link guests up with WhatsApp groups. 
Safety: 4/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 5/5
Culture and community: 5/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Language barriers: 3/5  
How to do it: WeRoad (02382 356459; weroad.co.uk) offers regular 12-night trips from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City for £1,249, including breakfasts, excluding flights and airport transfers.
Scandinavia is often heralded as one of the best places to holiday alone, and Sweden’s capital – which encompasses 14 beautiful islands – is a good starting point for first-timers. The immaculate, charming city is easy to navigate, with pedestrian-friendly streets that are predominantly safe at night (Stockholm is considered to be one of the safest cities in the world, in fact). The metro system – filled with interesting art – is efficient and clean, but renting a bicycle and exploring on two wheels (with no one to hold you up) is a particularly fun way for solo travellers to explore. If you tire of the thriving café culture, there are museums, palaces, castles and a cathedral. Join a walking tour of the old city to meet like-minded people, or hop on one of the tourist sightseeing boats which ferry visitors around Stockholm and its surrounding archipelago. Most Swedes speak excellent English, too – though be prepared for high prices, especially where accommodation is concerned.
Safety: 5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 4/5
Culture and community: 4/5
Accessibility:  5/5
Language barriers: 5/5  
How to do it: One Traveller ( 01760 722011; onetraveller.co.uk) offers eight nights in Stockholm for the Christmas markets from £2,990 per person, including flights, transfers, accommodation in a double room for sole occupancy, all breakfasts, dinners, Christmas Day lunch and drinks with evening meals. Excursions and a tour manager are included.
South America is currently attracting solo travellers in droves, and with vast landscapes, vineyard-speckled wine country and a vibrant, safe and relaxed cityscape, Mendoza is as perfect a spot for solos as you’ll find anywhere on the continent. While away happy days people-watching from the many bars and cafés which line the leafy streets, while sipping the region’s world-famous Malbec and munching on fresh empanadas. You can then join one of the many wine-tasting excursions or cycle trips around the city or head out to Aconcagua National Park to befriend like-minded travellers. The culture here is warm and welcoming, and the city has a good reputation for safety (though the UK FCO does advise travellers to keep a close eye on personal possessions, especially handbags, to reduce the risk of theft, particularly when in the downtown area). 
Safety: 3.5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 5/5
Culture and community: 5/5
Accessibility:  3.5 /5
Language barriers:  3/5
How to do it: Explore! (01252 240702; explore.co.uk) offers a 14-day trip to Argentina’s Northwest for £2,945 per person, including accommodation, breakfast, activities, excursions and a local tour leader throughout. Optional single supplement is £490 for the trip. Flights excluded. 
With English widely spoken and personal space well respected, the Sultanate of Oman provides a safe and easy option for solo travellers – provided you dress appropriately, and respect the local customs and laws (use pedestrian crossings; don’t drink alcohol in public places; avoid open displays of affection). It offers endless opportunities to experience authentic Arabic culture, and there’s plenty to do – a key factor when holidaying solo. Natural landscapes vary from the port city of Muscat with its corniche, to desert dunes, limestone mountains and a 3,165 km-long coastline filled with white-sand beaches, hidden coves and pristine islands. There’s also adventure to be had, from diving and kite-surfing to trekking and swimming in the Wadi Shab – easily done on a group trip, which also offers the chance to meet fellow travellers.
While Omani culture is open-minded – aided by its very high expat population – it is unusual for single women to be travelling completely alone there, so don’t be surprised if locals react with curiosity. If you’re eating on your own, bear in mind that most restaurants have a section reserved specifically for families and women, and that you must always remember to cover your head, wrists and ankles when entering a mosque. The main downside for solo travellers is that you’ll often be reliant on taking taxis.
Safety: 5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 3/5
Culture and community: 3/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Language barriers: 4/5
How to do it: Solos (020 8951 2900; solosholidays.co.uk) offers a nine-night tour for £4,999 per person, including return flights, transfers, a double room for sole occupancy with daily breakfasts, eight lunches and nine dinners, excursions and tour leader. 
There can be no greater adventure than cruising to the north or south pole, and it’s an experience which attracts far more than its fair share of solo travellers. Cruise company Swan Hellenic reports that its Arctic and Antarctic itineraries see more solo bookings than any of the line’s other sailings. It makes sense: adventure cruises like these provide an inclusive environment where mealtimes are sociable and activities and sights provide endless talking points, making it easy for solo holidaymakers to meet like-minded fellow travellers.
Safety: 5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 5/5
Culture and community: 5/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Language barriers: 5/5  
How to do it: Swan Hellenic (020 7846 0271; swanhellenic.com) offers a 10-night High Arctic expedition cruise for £9,880 per person (the company has removed single supplements), including all meals and four/five-star accommodation on board, one-night pre-cruise, transfers, selected drinks, 24-hour room service, shore excursions, WiFii and expedition equipment. 
Austria is an ideal destination for a first holiday alone. It not only ranks third in the 2024 Global Peace Index, but is also the third most proficient English-speaking country in the world. It is clean and easily navigable with an efficient, affordable transport system, where a ticket booked in advance for the three-hour train journey from Vienna to Saltzburg costs just £22.
Austrians are world-renowned for being hospitable, and this open, accepting community has already embraced the solo-travel trend. Europe’s first hotel exclusively for solo travellers, the four-star Aviva, opened this year in St Stefan-Afiesl in Oberösterreich – without a cosy table for two in sight. There’s also plenty to do, with mountains in easy reach of its vibrant, historical and culture-filled cities, as well as low crime rates and fabulous, hearty food at a reasonable price.
Safety: 5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 5/5
Culture and community: 5/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Language barriers:  5/5
How to do it: Inghams (01483 791111; inghams.co.uk) offers seven nights at Hotel Strass, Mayrhofen, for £959 per person, based on single occupancy. Flights, transfers and two guided walks included.  
Japan is topping many a solo traveller’s wish list this year, with tour operators Flash Pack (which caters mainly for those in their thirties and forties) and Saga (which mainly attracts bookings from those over fifty) reporting that the destination is currently a best-seller in the category.
It’s no small wonder. Japan is the safest country in the world, offering an abundance of once-in-a-lifetime sights and experiences where ultra-modern cities meet centuries-old tradition. 
Japan is perfect for the solo traveller because it caters for introverts – some don’t always wish to sit at communal tables, for example, or sightsee in a group, and nowhere in this country is it considered strange to be alone. Many public spaces are designed specifically for those on their own, including the substantial number of restaurants and bars which offer individually divided counter spots for those eating for one.
Language can be a barrier, with signs often only in Japanese – but WiFi is widespread, and the people are friendly and accommodating, almost without exception.
Safety: 5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 5/5
Culture and community: 5/5
Accessibility: 3/5
Language barriers: 3/5
Book it: Inside Japan (0117 244 3380; insidejapantours.com) offers the 13-night “Japan Unmasked” small-group tour (maximum 14 people) from £2,660, based on single occupancy (though guests may be asked to share with another tour member in traditional ryokan and temple lodging). Breakfast, transports, tour leader and some cultural experiences included. Flights not included.
Portugal has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe, and Lisbon consistently ranks as one of the continent’s safest capital cities (though beware the pickpockets). It’s big, without being overwhelming (last year the population hit three million; Barcelona is nearly half that number), extremely open-minded, and English is widely spoken. The transport system (trains, trams, funiculars, buses and ferries) is extensive and good-value, while there is plenty of walking, sight-seeing, shopping and people-watching to keep you busy, not to mention a couple of easily-accessible beaches. There’s also an excellent roster of events and festivals – a staple of the nightlife scene, and more easily navigable than bars and restaurants when you’re travelling alone, particularly for the first time. 
Safety: 4/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 4 / 5
Culture and community: 5/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Language barriers: 4/5
How to do it: Martinhal Chiado self-catering apartments (00 351 218 507 788; martinhal.com) are located in Lisbon Old Town and an adjacent gin and cocktail bar, with prices from £179 per night. You can fly to Lisbon with EasyJet from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester from £35.99.
Long-haul travel has boomed since the world opened up post pandemic, and its popularity shows no signs of waning. Ranked the fourth safest country in the world, New Zealand is a firm favourite for solo travellers. The lack of language barrier helps, of course, but many are also drawn by its reputation for adventure, where most activities – from jet boating to kayaking and trekking – are done in groups, giving solo holidaymakers the ideal opportunity to chat with other like-minded souls. 
It’s also very safe, with a respectful, open-minded and incredibly friendly culture, where asking for help and directions may well land you with an invitation for dinner, and sitting in a café drinking a world-class coffee on your own is positively encouraged. 
The best way to travel is overland, and while renting a car is expensive for a single person, New Zealand’s coach networks offer a pass for unlimited travelling, letting you hop on and off wherever you choose.
With around 600 islands, 13 national parks and three Unesco sites – plus ski slopes and an abundance of wildlife – there’s more than enough to see and do, and practically zero chance of ever feeling lonely.
Safety: 5/5
Facilities for solo travellers: 5/5
Culture and community: 5/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Language barriers: 5/5
How to do it: Exodus Adventure Travels (020 8131 5701; exodus.co.uk) offers an 18-day guided trails of New Zealand trip from £7,199 per person, based on two sharing (sole occupancy available at extra cost), including B&B accommodation, transfers and activities. Excludes flights.