BEST PLACES TO VISIT SOLO
Find out about awesome cities throughout the world and also, if they are great for solo female travel… I admit I am not one of these bloggers who will tell you each place is safe and every city is perfect for solo female travelers. Though these bloggers are probably convinced it is like this, I am a bit more skeptical and do not think each great city is automatically a great city to travel solo to.
I planned on listing my 20 most favorite cities and it was easier as I got almost all of the cities I liked on that list. But then I decided to name only my 10 most favorite cities which made it much harder to pick those and I had to kick out some of the lovely cities which I really liked.
These are my 10 most loved cities and I highly recommend visiting any of them – not all of them are perfect for solo travel, though. Check out my post about all you need to know before traveling solo and solo travel tips here.
I put in some positive, but to be fair, also some “negative” aspects, and to disclose: My most favorite city is my hometown Bremen (more about this gorgeous city here) but I did not add it, neither Hamburg, Melbourne, or Berlin (click here to read more about Berlin) since these are cities I have lived in and thus it would not be fair to include them. I have visited some of those places as a female solo traveler, but not all of them. So, I added a bit of information on each destination from a female´s perspective and which cities are good for traveling solo, and where I had wished I would have taken someone with me.
Find out about my 10 most favorite cities….and the #10 is:
Find out which cities are great for solo female travel.
10) Cape Town
+ very beautiful city
+ good price level
– high crime rate
Can I travel to Cape Town alone?
I did not visit Cape Town as a solo female traveler but in a group of girls and we felt safe. However, the crime rate is higher than in cities like Dubai or Zurich. But we did not bring any expensive jewelry, stayed at my friend´s house (who had moved to Cape Town), and lived in a secured house, we did not use public transport (as we were recommended not to do by locals), we only went out in big groups, and were careful where we went.
Read more about Cape Town´s nightlife.
I personally would not travel there by myself, but I heard about positive experiences from other solo travelers and despite all the precautions I would loooove to visit this gorgeous city again (here is an itinerary for the city)
9) Sydney
+ extremely beautiful
+ good weather even in winter
+ a lot of parks and greenery in such a huge city
– very expensive
Can I travel to Sydney alone?
I visited Sydney twice in a group of several girls and we felt safe at any time, and my answer is yes – yes, you can travel alone and enjoy Sydney by yourself. As in any big city, I would be more careful and always watch my purse and research areas I want to visit – especially at night.
P.S. One of the main reasons I have fallen in love with Sydney is the amazing coast and the scenery it has!
8) Las Vegas
+ crazy city
+ good hotels
– extremely hot in summer
– gambling reputation
Can I travel to Las Vegas alone?
I visited Las Vegas by myself and stayed there for 2 nights – I loved it. I never felt insecure and would definitely visit again by myself.
I went out at night, went to casinos by myself (just be careful, if you are dressed too fancy and are by yourself people might think you are a hooker and approach you), and would visit anytime by myself again. Find my mini guide for Las Vegas here.
7) Dubai
+ super modern
+ safe
+ clean
– still developing and thus a lot of construction work going on
– not the cheapest destination
Can I travel to Dubai alone?
My answer is: YES! Dubai is one of the safest places I have been to – even as a female solo traveler. I know many people are skeptical about women traveling solo in Muslimic countries, but I have been to Dubai three times – always solo. I went out at night, and stroll the streets during the day – and loved it.
Be careful in some parts – like Dubai Deira as a female traveler. Though, I did not make any real bad experiences it is an area where I felt less secure – since there are mostly men constantly staring at me. Read my full travel guide on Dubai here and tips for the dress code here.
6) London
+ beautiful sights
+ friendliest people
+ a lot of great things are free in London (read more about 21 things to do for free in London here)
– bad weather
– expensive accommodation
Can I travel to London alone?
I normally visit someone when I am in London or I travel there with my students, but I normally spend a lot of time by myself. London is a secure big city, and if you use your common sense I think London is a great place to travel solo. I would travel there by myself without hesitation. Check out my London guide.
5) Barcelona
+beach
+city life
+siesta
– be aware of pickpockets
Can I travel to Barcelona alone?
I did not visit Barcelona as a solo female traveler but in a group of two females and we felt safe, and would definitely travel to Barcelona by myself. I am not sure if I would spend a lot of time alone at nights, but I assume it is fine if you are careful.
Click here to find out more about Barcelona and the things to do there.
4) Lisbon
+ very beautiful
+friendly people
+good price level
Can I travel solo to Lisbon?
I visited Lisbon once with my female friend and we felt secure and it is a place I like to visit as a solo female traveler. I would not probably stroll the narrow streets in some areas at nights by myself, but other than that I would suggest traveling to Lisbon alone. Read more about my Lisbon experiences and how to spend 3 days in Lisbon here.
3) Zurich
+ Lake Zurich
+ amazing nature close by
+ super secure
– most expensive city
Can I travel solo to Zurich?
Awww, beautiful and secure Zurich. I have always visited my friend in Zurich but spent a lot of time by myself – Zurich is a great city to travel solo. I never felt insecure or felt the need to be extremely careful. Zurich is one of my most favorite places to travel solo.
Find out about my favorite places in Zurich here.
2) Paris
+small and perfect for strolls
+ houses, buildings, everything is just beautiful
– not my favorite food (not vegan, vegetarian-friendly, or healthy)
– people hardly speak English
– not the friendliest people (sorry to say, but I think hardly anybody can argue)
Can I travel solo to Paris?
I have been to Paris many times, but never by myself. However, I think Paris is also great to visit alone, just be aware at night and keep your bag close to you. There are some areas I would not necessarily visit at night – as a solo female traveler, so do some research but apart from that, I think Paris is great for solo travelers. Here is my 4-day itinerary for this great city!
My most favorite city is not Bremen, my beautiful hometown I am totally in love with. It is also not one of the beautiful cities like Budapest, Vienna, colorful Venice, lovely Stockholm, crazy Bangkok or Cairo, hip Berlin, or Kuala Lumpur. It is:
1) New York City
+ unchallenged coolest city on Earth, a place I had known from movies and TV shows and proved to be cooler than you can imagine,
-accommodation super expensive (tips on how to save money in New York here)
-some areas are probably not very safe to visit at night as a solo traveler
Can I travel solo to New York City?
I visited New York by myself – I totally loved it. It was easy to meet people and there are many solo travelers in New York, but when I went out in the evening I did not go alone (except when I went to Times Square).
I felt a bit insecure to walk Brooklyn Bridge by night – alone. I definitely would visit New York by myself, but would not mind having someone, since I felt more unsafe at night.
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I actually came up with the idea of my favorite cities when coloring this poster from Meine Weltkarte. Do you like to have a cool poster? You can order it here. Use the code “arzotravels” to receive 10% off (this is not an affiliate program so I don’t get anything if you order the map).
I was provided with that beautiful picture and I was allowed to design it myself, and I colored it myself (still need to color Nevada on the map). This also means that I can always add more places I visit. The agreement was that I would mention it only in my blog if I really liked it and I really did 🙂
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