The best destinations for solo travellers… and top tips if you’re planning a solo trip
Specialist Sports Travel Insurance provider SportsCover Direct has uncovered the best countries for solo travel based on the number of solo tours, the percentage of five-star hotels and the number of activities which were rated five stars in TripAdvisor.
Many people are embracing their freedom more than ever before and aren’t letting it stop them from having a rewarding experience. To help empower travellers across the world and feel more confident going on a solo adventure, SportsCover Direct has researched the best and safest destinations across the globe for solo travellers for the second year in a row to discover which countries are the best in 2023.
Table 1: The best countries across the world for women solo travellers
|
Rank |
Country |
Women’s safety score |
Number of solo tours |
% of 5 star Hotels |
% of 5 star activities |
Overall score out of 50 |
|
1 |
Spain |
212 |
544 |
32% |
544 |
47.2 |
|
1 |
Croatia |
287 |
338 |
28% |
338 |
46.8 |
|
3 |
Ireland |
247 |
198 |
37% |
198 |
45.95 |
|
4 |
Canada |
291 |
337 |
36% |
337 |
44.5 |
|
5 |
Italy |
323 |
940 |
68% |
940 |
43.1 |
|
5 |
Austria |
252 |
230 |
37% |
230 |
43.1 |
|
6 |
Norway |
260 |
97 |
16% |
97 |
43.05 |
|
6 |
Portugal |
278 |
233 |
30% |
233 |
43.05 |
|
9 |
Singapore |
245 |
8 |
1% |
8 |
42.4 |
|
10 |
Switzerland |
253 |
75 |
24% |
21% |
42.05 |
Europe tops the list for the second year in a row for best female solo adventures, with Spain in first as the best destination, scoring 47 out of 50. Boasting a whopping 544 tours, make new friends and see the sights by travelling across the country on a guided tour – each range from 5 to 9 days where you can safely explore Spain’s most popular cities including Madrid, Barcelona and its newest favourite, Valencia.
As an added bonus, a third of Spain’s accommodation is rated five star (32%), so why not treat yourself to a luxury experience and enjoy it all to yourself!
Croatia has moved up to second this year – it was the fifth best place for solo travellers in 2022. Scoring 46/50 in 2023. Ireland has moved down to third place (it was second in 2022) scoring 45.95.
With only a short flight from the U.K solo travels can enjoy hot tub tours, sampling the smoothest whiskey, to exploring the beautiful Connemara National Park, Ireland has 37% of five-star hotels according to Tripadvisor, so female travellers will have no worries finding safe and comfortable accommodation whilst on their own.
Table 2: The best countries across the world for solo travellers overall
|
Rank |
Country |
Number of solo tours |
% of 5 star Hotels |
% of 5 star activities |
Overall score out of 30 |
|
1 |
Morocco |
928 |
44% |
53% |
29.1 |
|
1 |
United States |
583 |
60% |
43% |
29.1 |
|
3 |
Greece |
684 |
48% |
39% |
28.9 |
|
4 |
India |
3401 |
50% |
25% |
28.7 |
|
5 |
South Africa |
311 |
39% |
31% |
27.8 |
|
6 |
Turkey |
497 |
39% |
27% |
27.7 |
|
6 |
Indonesia |
198 |
39% |
35% |
27.7 |
|
8 |
Italy |
940 |
68% |
19% |
27.6 |
|
9 |
Egypt |
979 |
16% |
43% |
27.5 |
What are the best countries to visit overall for solo travellers? When we look at the number of solo tours, the % of five-star hotels and the % of five-star activities on TripAdvisor Morocco and the United States tie as the best country for solo travellers.
55% of the activities listed on Tripadvisor for Morocco are rated with five stars vs 43% of the activities for the U.S.
With 3,401 solo tours, India comes in fourth place for solo travellers. No trip to India is complete without seeing the infamous Taj Mahal, for a more active adventure travellers should also visit the Ranthambore National park.
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Elina Ilieva, Digital Marketing Executive from SportsCover Direct, provides top tips if you’re planning a solo travel trip:
“Travelling alone can be intimidating as for many it’s a new experience. You’re on unfamiliar ground and adjusting to different cultures. There’s also the fear of something going wrong in a foreign land. But, bad things can happen anywhere, so this shouldn’t hold people back from enjoying a rewarding experience.
Here’s how you can enjoy travelling by yourself without fear and with the confidence to go on an adventure alone.
-
Do your research. Whether it’s researching the neighbourhood you are staying, the accommodation and activities, if you have all the information you need you’ll be prepared for anything!
-
Make sure you’re covered. When travelling it’s always important to have the correct insurance for the activities you may want to explore. From kayaking to hiking, there are many sports activities that won’t be covered by your travel insurance policies – make sure you’re covered in case an accident happens while you’re away.
-
Find people with similar interests. Solo tours that tie in with your interests are a great way to find connections with similar interests when travelling – solo travel doesn’t necessarily mean travelling alone.
-
Stay somewhere with multiple positive ratings. When travelling alone, you can feel more vulnerable when in an unfamiliar place. Before booking your accommodation, only stay in a place which has multiple positive reviews. The reviews typically give you an idea of the host, neighbourhood and the standard of your accommodation.”
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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At first. I was surprised to see Morocco tops for solo travellers, then I thought back to how many times I’ve been offered mint tea at a strangers house or shop. The Moroccans are a very patient people with us solo travellers, usually very caring too.
Nice to see some help for the solo traveller. For far too long we’ve just been the victims of single supplements.
These lists are useful and very thought provoking. My mind works the wrong way round. I think about where I’d like to go and only then think through how good it is for solo and female travellers. Starting with the tables might be a better way of getting ideas on where to go.
That stat on 5* Spanish hotels that they make up 44% of Spanish hotels shows how the Spanish tourism industry has transformed itself. Back in the 70s and 80s Spain tourism had a dodgy reputation for being cheap and cheerful.
That number tallies with my recent experience of Spanish hotels having moved hugely up market and being a lot more sophisticated than they used to be.
It’s a good point about people embracing their freedom especially after all the restrictions of lock-downs. From what I’ve heard from single friends who spent months on their own it’s no surprise that the solo travellers are keener than ever to make up for lost time and get travelling.
Almost always I travel with my partner but I get a lot more holiday than her and also I’m much keener on travelling than she is.
Solo travel is very different. In some ways it’s relaxing as you only have to please yourself. If a flight is late or a hotel disappoints it only impacts on me. Then again solo travel can be a problem if you’re ill as you may not have anyone to help you out.
It’s a little surprising that Switzerland did not rank higher for woman travellers. When I’ve visited the country on my own which I’ve done twice for business, I’ve always felt very safe. It’s the punctuality of the public transport and the fact that you know it will arrive which helps with the sense of security.
My wife and I were due to take a holiday when her mother fell and broke her hip. It was all so close to our departure time that I ended up travelling solo for the first time for over 30 years.
It was a very different experience. Mealtimes were a bit odd but generally travelling was less stressful as whenever there was a problem I knew that I was the only one affected.
Travelling so has its advantages but on balance I think I’d do it again if my wife wasn’t available.
After several years of being single and travelling solo I’m now back to having holidays with a partner.
Both ways of travelling have their pros and cons. I don’t want to sound selfish – even if I am – but the freedom of solo travel is good. Suddenly changing your plans, eating when and what you want. Solo travel is nowhere near as bad as some people make it out to be.