If you’ve never solo traveled or are looking for more great places to do so, this post is for you. It’s important to choose destinations for solo travel wisely to ensure you get the most out of your trip. Factors such as what each place has to offer, language skills, and safety play a big role in making a decision on where to go. With that said, here is a list of cities that are best for solo travel and I’m going to tell you why!
Paris
Why not start with the place I solo lived for a year! After spending so much time here, I can say confidently that Paris is a great place to go solo. With it being one of the most popular destinations in all of Europe, the locals are used to all the tourists. This means you normally won’t have a problem finding English speakers at all of the attractions. It can be scary going to a country that speaks a different language than you so finding a place where many of the people speak English is nice.
The city also has a bunch of activities that are enjoyable and comfortable to do alone. Activities include museum hopping, walking around all the beautiful parks and gardens, visiting the multitude of churches, and of course sitting at a café drinking a glass of wine! If you stay at a hostel and meet people, the nightlife is fun too.
Rome
Rome is a tourist-friendly place. Everyone seems to speak English and just like Paris, many of the activities are great to do solo. A bonus is the atmosphere. People in the city are extremely friendly and that makes a huge difference when you’re solo traveling. When people are nice, you’re 100x more comfortable, as well as confident.
London
If you’re wanting to take your first solo trip, but you’re worried about a language barrier, pick a country that speaks your native language! For you English speakers, the United Kingdom is a good start to begin your solo travel adventures.
London is known for being an extremely diverse city, home to people of many different nationalities, meaning you’ll fit right in!
Edinburgh
This is another place for you English speakers, but I say this with caution! Scottish accents can be hard to understand, but don’t let that stop you from visiting the capital of Scotland! The Scots understand their accent can be hard to understand so they’ll work with you.
Overall, Edinburgh has a very cozy feeling to it, making it a pleasant place to be. Being an easy place to get around, the stress of getting from one place to the next without getting lost is one less thing a solo traveler has to worry about.
Tokyo
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, making it one of the best places to solo travel! These people don’t even lock their bikes up because it’s so unlikely that they'll be stolen!
Although many people in Japan don’t speak English, Japanese people are very understanding, therefore, very accommodating to non-native speakers and let me tell you, that is not always the case in other places!
For being an extremely organized, detail-oriented culture, the Japanese have found ways to make it easier for tourists to understand them. When I was in Tokyo, I was making a purchase at a shop, and the employee needed to ask me something about purchasing the product, so he whipped out a laminated paper with an English translation. That’s just one example of how the Japanese go above and beyond to help. Using google translate as well as hand gestures goes a long way when visiting the country.
Florence
Florence was the first place I ever solo traveled! Going alone only happened because my plans changed last minute, otherwise, I might have never realized all the amazing aspects of traveling solo. The trip changed my whole perspective.
The city is easy to navigate, lots of people speak English, and all the historical sites will keep you busy!
Geneva
For solo travelers who like a mix of nature and city, go to Geneva! The city is laidback, clean, and safe. It’s also super easy to go hiking outside of the city for a day trip. You can even walk across the border to France! I highly recommend doing this and going to Le Salève. You can take the cable car to the top to overlook all of Geneva.
Since it’s Switzerland, many people speak English! Geneva is also a very walkable city.
Wrapping it Up
This guide is for you to feel better prepared to take on a solo trip! From here, research the culture of where you’re wanting to go so you know more about the place. Don’t forget to also learn a few phrases of the native language of the country you’re visiting. It’s the respectful thing to do and just knowing a few words will make you feel way more prepared than you might think. If you’re wanting to find out ways to make friends on your trip, check out my post on how to meet people in hostels!
