Solo Travel: Our Expert’s Tips and Guide to the Best Places

Updated December 17, 2024 10:00AM

In traveling, I’ve always chosen to go it alone rather than not go at all. Over the years, friends have called me fearless. Don’t you get scared? they ask. Very rarely. Lonely? Honestly, never, even before the days of social media. And isn’t it more expensive to travel by yourself than with others? Traditionally, yes. Solo travelers often got slapped with single-supplement, or premium, hotel and tour fees, but since the pandemic, companies have started courting solo travelers. Priceline even held its first-ever solo explorer sale this year.

According to Travelocity, safety, loneliness, and expense are the three biggest reasons people hate to travel solo. But I’ve been adventuring on my own for more than two decades, and I find it freeing. I can travel at my own pace and on my own budget. I can easily score a table for one—even at top restaurants that often require bookings weeks in advance. And I connect more with locals.

More people are catching on to the appeal of solo travel, however, especially Gen Zers and Millennials. Google searches for solo travel have increased 223 percent over the past decade, and according to a recent report by Kayak and OpenTable, 50 percent of Americans planned to travel alone in 2024. And while women have led the indie trip trend in recent years, men are joining the ranks. A report from the travel booking site Omio found that 30 percent of men, compared to 23 percent of women, have solo journeys planned for 2025.

If you’ve hesitated to give solo travel a go, let me alleviate your concerns and suggest some of my favorite places for awesome adventuring on your own.

Always Consider Safety First

Certain destinations lend themselves to solo travel more than others. Certainly, safety is top of mind.

I scan the U.S. State Department’s travel-safety ratings and avoid countries of conflict. I also browse the Global Peace Index (GPI), an annual ranking of nations based on factors like the absence of violence or fear of violence, a nation’s level of harmony or discord, and its degree of militarization. Coming into 2025, Iceland, Ireland, and Austria are the safest three countries in the world, according to the overall GPI score.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, which also researches and ranks the safest places to visit each year, is another great resource. Rankings are based on an average of “all measures from [BHTP’s] State of Travel Insurance research,” and factor in other indices including the Global Peace Index and information from sources like Numbeo, a destination database that scores living conditions. Berkshire Hathaway puts Iceland, Australia, and Canada as top three for safety, with Ireland close behind.

In addition to its list, Berkshire Hathaway provides write-ups that touch on smart considerations to take into account in each of the high-ranking nations, from dangerous wildlife like box jellyfish in Australia to driving on the left-hand side of the road in Ireland to expensive emergency-evacuation costs in remote destinations of northern Norway.

My 6 Favorite Solo-Travel Destinations

Some of my picks are at the top of the Berkshire Hathaway and Global Peace Index lists, but I cast a wider lens to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations. In particular, such places have satisfied my craving for big doses of nature and adventure.

Portugal

The GPI ranked Portugal the seventh-safest country in the world in 2024. It’s also a bargain compared to most Western European countries (a draft of craft beer cost me $3 in Lisbon compared to $8 in Paris), and the rail system effortlessly connects the northern and southern regions.

I’ve visited this country solo four times and have always found the locals extremely hospitable. On my first trip, I checked out the beach town of Sagres in the southern region of Algarve and met two couples from Lisbon who offered to drive me back to the city. One of the women took off work the next day to be my tour guide, and that evening she and her husband threw a dinner party for me at their home.

I love making solo surf trips up and down Portugal’s coast. Hotels like Noah Surf House (from $200) in Santa Cruz and Surfers Lodge Peniche (from $73), just north in the town of Peniche, have a clubhouse vibe and offer activities and events—like rooftop music sessions—that make it easy to meet new friends. Both places can arrange board rentals, lessons, and English-speaking guides.

If you, too, fall hard for the country, Portugal’s recently introduced digital nomad visa makes it easy to pursue residency while working remotely.

Costa Rica

Pura vida vibes have always made me feel welcome in Costa Rica. The State Department’s Level 2 advisory recommends that trip-goers use increased caution here, due to petty crime risks and natural hazards like earthquakes (which are common-ish here, with events of magnitude 7 about every decade). For 2025, Berkshire Hathaway ranks Costa Rica the sixth-safest place in the world for female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ travelers.

Surf towns such as Nosara and Santa Teresa along the Pacific Coast attract a lot of Americans and have small expat communities. Selina, a hotel brand catering to digital nomads with coworking spaces as well as rooms, has eight outposts in Costa Rica, including in Nosara, Santa Teresa, and Monteverde (shared dorms from $24). These properties host music events and arrange local experiences for guests.

On the Caribbean Coast, I’m a big fan of the boutique hotel Aguas Claras (from $365), which is part of the sustainability-focused Cayuga Collection. The hotel works with local guides and outfitters to arrange snorkeling excursions and hiking day trips in Cahuita National Park, including for solo guests. The place also offers free bike use, which I love for exploring the nearby town on my own.

Canada

Canadians have a reputation for being incredibly friendly, and that as well as proximity to the U.S. and our shared language are bonuses. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection highlighted the country’s low crime rate and noted that wildlife like bears and moose posed some of the biggest dangers to visitors.

Canada has 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves, as well as two beautiful coasts. I’ve made friends while soaking in the swimming-pool-sized hot tub at Sunshine Mountain Lodge (from $250) in Alberta’s Banff National Park. I’ve also plotted solo snowboard trips to Revelstoke, British Columbia, to coincide with the Natural Selection Tour freestyle competition, knowing I’d meet like-minded travelers.

If you’re wary of wandering the wilderness alone, sign up for a guided trek with a local outfitter. I like the Banff Hiking Company.

Another low-stress option is crisscrossing the country via rail. The Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West route from Vancouver to Banff takes just two days and is staffed with storytellers who can shed light on indigenous sites and wildlife. It offers single-berth accommodations from $1,752.

Australia

Australia has long been a magnet for backpackers. I spent nearly a year in my twenties backpacking mostly solo around the country’s east coast, and the biggest dangers were crocodiles, snakes, and jellyfish. Despite its resident poisonous critters, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection scored Australia the second-safest place in the world to travel for 2025.

Affordable and clean hostels, like Cape Trib Beach House (from $140) in Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest, abound and are filled with other solo travelers. Bounce is a beach-club-vibe hostel brand with Queensland locations in Noosa, Cairns, and Airlie Beach (from $32 for a spot in a mixed dorm).

Australia is a fantastic destination for hiking. Great Walks of Australia is a collection of 13 treks that you can do yourself or with a guide. I spent four days traversing the wildlife-filled Maria Island Walk in Tasmania, opting for a guide via the local outfitter the Maria Island Walk because I wanted to learn more about the flora, fauna, and culture on the island (from $1,900, all-inclusive). The first two nights we stayed in secluded, simple bush camps near the beach ($7), and the final night we were pampered in the recently renovated historic-home-turned-hotel, Bernacchi House.

If you’re sticking to the mainland, the Twelve Apostles Signature Walk in the state of Victoria is a very doable 27 miles over four days along the Great Ocean Road, with campsites en route. The walk is suitable for hikers of any experience and takes in the shipwreck-dotted coastline, wild beaches, and Great Otway and Port Campbell National Parks.

Austria

Austria is a fantastic option for solo alpine adventures. The country is ranked third on the Global Peace Index and fifth worldwide in terms of safety by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Most locals speak English, and a great public transportation network makes it easy to travel car-free. If you’re deciding between alpine destinations, consider that the cost of living in Switzerland is 84 percent higher than in Austria, and that affects tourism; in general, expect lodging and meals in Austria to cost half of what you’d pay in Switzerland.

Bhutan

Solo travel, for me, has been the perfect way to do some soul searching when I’m making big decisions or going through a transition. And one of the most soulful places I’ve ever visited is the Kingdom of Bhutan. It is a place of beauty and spirituality, and travelers here are required to have a guide, which is an exceptional way to become familiar with the culture.

Six years ago, I went on assignment on a solo ten-day guided trip of this Southeast Asia nation and learned so much, including the proper way to throw a dart (this is a traditional sport in Bhutan) and about dating habits here (yes, there’s Tinder in Bhutan). I still keep in touch with my guide, who was a woman, on WhatsApp.

Bhutan is ranked 21 on the Global Peace Index, and it’s a mecca for hiking and mountain biking—the king is an avid mountain biker, and my guide and I spotted him one day on the trail. While getting there from the U.S. isn’t cheap, nor are costs within the country, visits are slightly more affordable since the kingdom halved its daily tourist fee from $200 to $100 last year.

Phil Bowen of Guides of Bhutan should be your go-to logistician to find a guide, driver, and accommodations, which can range from homestays to splurge-worthy hotels. Gangtey Lodge (from $550, half-board, meaning room, breakfast, and one other meal) is one of the most memorable places I’ve stayed in throughout my global travels.

5 Tips for Solo Travelers, From a Pro

Share Your Plans

I always email my mom my rough itinerary. It includes the contact information for any hotels I’ve already booked or the names of campsites where I plan to stay. I also regularly check in with her or a good friend via What’s App or email to let them know I’ve reached a destination safely and when I’m moving on to my next stop.

Eat at the Restaurant’s Bar

I absolutely love dining alone at the bar. It’s usually easy to score a single seat, and before long I’m chatting with some fascinating local characters. Bartenders are often fantastic sources of local intel and can direct you to good restaurants and the best hiking and mountain-biking trails. Finally, happy-hour specials are a great way to save a few bucks.

Watch and Post on Message Boards

If you’re craving companionship, you might post on social-media channels like Facebook and Instagram—you never know who in your circles, or your friends’ circles, is headed to the same place as you—or use the Friends setting on apps like Bumble. Many hotels and hostels, and often the local grocery store, still have bulletin boards with postings for local activities, like free yoga sessions or group hikes.

Pack Meds

Being alone isn’t so great when you fall ill in a far-flung place. In many countries it’s manageable: you can walk into a pharmacy, explain your symptoms, and get what you need. But I recently suffered through a debilitating urinary-tract infection in Morocco, and now I never travel without the broad-spectrum antibiotic I needed. I convinced my doctor to prescribe one in case I get that sick on the road again.

Don’t Second-Guess Yourself

Trust your gut. If something feels unsafe, it probably is. The very few times I’ve gotten food poisoning have been when actions went against my instinct. Don’t be afraid to be impolite. Once, in Varanasi, India, an elderly woman offered me a glass of sketchy looking lassi. I felt rude saying no, and all it took was one sip to give me Delhi Belly. I knew better.

You should also follow your intuition. When I meet strangers and feel genuine good vibes, I will accept an invitation to share a ride or join for a meal in someone’s home. These chance encounters have rewarded me with some wonderful friends and experiences over the years.