There is just something so fantastic about traveling on your own and being completely free to do whatever you want with your day. The whole world is an adventure waiting to be explored, and although you may have your concerns about solo travel, there are a lot of countries that are very safe for a woman traveling alone.
You just have to be well-informed and safe when traveling. However, you should never limit yourself simply because you don’t have a travel buddy. Here are a few places that I have found safe for a solo woman traveler.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
London has an old school historical and classy charm to it. Posh is the one word that I would use to describe London. The best time to visit London is April to October because it’s less rainy and gray and you will see blue sky a lot during the summer months. London doesn’t get very hot so it’s really nice to visit in the summer. Spring is pretty because of all the flowers, especially wisteria and cherry blossom. Christmas time in London is worth visiting too, due to all the Christmas markets, outdoor ice skating rink and Christmas decorations.
There is so much to do in London. There are a ton of free museums and galleries for visitors. Some of the best ones include the British Museum, National Gallery, V&A Museum, the Natural History Museum, Tate Modern. A visit to London is not complete without seeing the Big Ben and the surrounding area. East London is now a very trendy and hip place with numerous restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, clubs and street art. Also another very British thing to do is to get afternoon tea. Go hungry because one set of afternoon tea offers a lot of food and dessert. Some of my favorite afternoon tea places include the Wolseley and Rosewood Hotel. I suggest making a reservation online because they are popular places.
PARIS, FRANCE
The city of love….and croissants. Paris is an all time favorite destination for many girls; it’s chic, cute, and classy, in a very French way. The best time to visit Paris is May to October. Spring is very pretty with all the flowers and fall is dry and cool. Summer can get a bit hot and crowded but if you don’t mind that then it’s fine.
Paris houses some of the world’s best museums. The two that are particularly famous are the Louvre and Orsay Museum. Mona Lisa is one of the most famous pieces at Louvre among others. Tip: Orsay is free the first Sunday of every month and admission is free for the Louvre on July 14th (and every Friday after 6pm for people under 26 with IDs). When you visit the Orsay, go early and go to the top floor first to take photo with the clock before it gets crowded. The Louvre is also beautiful to visit at night!
There is a lot to do and see in Paris. Check out The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris and often the first stop for first time visitors. Explore Montmartre, climb to the top of the Sacré-Cœur, visit Notre- Dame and Versailles. There are a lot of cute cafes and restaurants.
SINGAPORE
This small city-state has extremely low crime rate but a ton of things to do and eat. It’s geographical location also makes it super convenient to visit other Southeastern countries like Malaysia and Thailand. Singapore is very close to the equator it’s hot and humid all year round. Generally people recommend visiting Singapore between February to April when it’s slightly cooler and it’s not monsoon season. May and June are the hottest months in Singapore and November to January are the the most wet month in Singapore.
Explore Gardens By The Bay. You may recognize Gardens By the Bay from the movie Crazy Rich Asians where Colin and Araminta had their wedding receptions. The Gardens by The Way is the famous nature park in Singapore featuring Cloud Forest Dome, Colorful Supertrees.
Check out the beaches in Sentosa. Sentosa is an island in the Central Region of Singapore and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore. There is so much to do in Singapore such as walking to Chinatown, Little India, Koon Seng Road and Haji Lane are all places that are instagram worthy in Singapore.
MADEIRA, PORTUGAL
Madeira is a Portuguese possession situated off the west coast of North Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. It is actually made up of two islands, Madeira and Porto Santo. Madeira is extremely safe and interesting to visit; the locals are nice, food is amazing, tons of things to do, and the hikes are beautiful.
Madeira has just the most perfect climate anywhere. It rarely rains is never too hot. Due to its mountainous topography, the island is full of microclimates. You can find snow on the top of the mountains but only sunny weather at sea level.
Madeira is volcanic by nature and there are volcanic rock formed natural pools all over the island. Check out some of waterfalls in Madeira such as the Bridal Veil Fall, Garganta Funda waterfall, Risco Waterfall. Being an island, it should be no surprise that Madeira has incredible seafood.
BUDVA, MONTENEGRO
Montenegro is a safe country to visit. Its crime rate is fairly low and as a tourist, you should only be worried about petty theft in destinations frequented by tourists. Otherwise, Montenegrin people are very warm and friendly.
Budva is famous for its glorious beaches ,with miles of fine pebble and sand beaches. Slovenska Plaza and Bečići are the most popular with tourists. Then there’s Mogren Beach, found by following a seaside path from the old town. Jaz Beach is a lively cove and home to one of Montenegro’s most popular music festivals, Sea Dance Festival. Further up the coast there are dozens of little beaches, like a local favorite Drobnji Pijesak.
Budva’s old town is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic Sea. At around 2,500 years old it’s a beautiful and historical site. A wander through the town reveals ancient churches and palaces. Don’t forget to visit the square in front of Santa Maria del Punta church, with its gorgeous view of the ancient church overlooking Ričardova Glava Beach. There are some excellent restaurants, like Stari Grad, which serves traditional Montenegrin cuisine. The place to stay here is Hotel Astoria, which has a rooftop restaurant overlooking Ričardova Glava Beach in front of the town. So much to see and do in this old country town.
NEW YORK CITY
There is no place like New York and that’s not even an overstatement. New York offers everything you would want to do/eat/drink/see/party. It’s the city that never sleeps and you will never run out of things to do and eat in New York.
The best time to visit New York City is spring or fall because the temperature is warm and breezy. Summer is really hot and humid and winter is bitter cold with heavy snowfall. However, Christmas time is another good time to visit because of all the Christmas lights and decorations everywhere in the city. And you can catch all the holiday broadway shows and concerts.
Wake up before sunrise to walk down the Brooklyn Bridge to avoid the crowd. Or visit Brooklyn Bridge Park during sunset. If you are here during the warmer months, have a picnic in Central Park. In the summertime, there is free Shakespeare in the park performance every weekend. Go shopping in SoHo and get lost. Grab pizza at Prince st. and some beer at SoHo Park. Take a free boat to see the Statue of Liberty. If its your first time in New York you have to head to Times Square and Herald Square.
For more ideas of where to go eat and what to do click the link for an itinerary and for plane tickets: https://travelsmarter.app/city/new-york
BARCELONA, SPAIN
Barcelona is usually the first city in Spain that people visit and it’s not hard to understand why. Barcelona has everything you can ever want: sunshine, beach, mountain, food, history, culture, and good looking nice people.
Best time to visit Barcelona is spring and fall because of milder and drier weather. In the summer it can get really hot and humid and very crowded due to tourism. Visit all of Antoni Gaudi’s masterpieces such as Casa Bastilo’. To save time at Sagrada Familia, make sure to order tickets online to avoid disappointments.
Eat all the tapas that your heart’s desires in Barcelona. Barcelona is famous for some of the best Spanish food you can get. Take a stroll down the La Ramblas and explore the amazing La Boqueria, a famous food market in Barcelona. Explore Montjuïc during the day and the Magic Fountain at night. Get your tan on at Barceloneta, is actually a man made beach. There are also many famous clubs such as Opium on the beach. The W hotel of Barcelona is also located on the beach and offers some of the best views of the city. Stay safe and have fun!
Dublin, Ireland
Ireland is a very fun and welcoming country. A lot of woman travel alone in Ireland so you won’t feel out of place or in danger whatsoever. The country is filled with friendly and helpful people. Another big bonus point is there is no language barrier when visiting making the trip a lot less stressful.
Spend some time exploring the beautiful scenery and be sure to visit a couple of pubs to get the full Irish experience. Check out the Dublin Castle is steeped in history and you will definitely want to take their guided tour, admission fee required. Within walking distance of Dublin Castle is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
Head to the trendy Temple Bar District. It consists of a few blocks where eclectic restaurants, pubs, and galleries are jam-packed together, It is considered the most popular tourist destination in Dublin. There are many museums you have to check out such as the Kilmainham Gaol Museum. Love beer? tour the world-famous Guinness Storehouse. Dublin has alittle for anyone plenty of great pubs, beautiful old cathedral and gorgeous gardens.
DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
Fan of Game of Thrones? Then you simply can’t miss Dubrovnik (King’s Landing) ! Croatia is very similar to its neighbor, Montenegro. The best time to visit Dubrovnik is from mid May to mid September. The weather is nice during this time and the water will be warm enough to swim in.
There’s alot to see and do in Croatia. You can go on a tour, check out the beaches or get lost in the old city. The old town is very interesting to explore. Get lost among the alleyways, buy some trinkets from the colorful stores, try all the gelato shops and watch a firework at night. Walk the city walls in Dubrovnik in the morning and find a hole in the wall bar and re-live your Game of Throne moments.
TORONTO, CANADA
Toronto is one of the biggest cities in Canada. There are a ton of things to do and eat in Toronto and you’ll never once fell unsafe walking around by yourself, even at night.
Summer and Fall are great time to visit Toronto due to its beautiful weather. Toronto has a pretty cold and snowy winter and it’s still pretty cold even in April.
Toronto has some of the most famous food markets with the two best ones being St. Lawrence Market and Kensington Market. There are a lot to see in downtown Toronto, including Distillery District, CN Tower and the Toronto Sign. If you are into shopping then you will not be disappointed by the shopping in Toronto. Check out Queen Street for casual shops but If you want high end stores, head to Yorkville. During the summer, Toronto is all about the rooftop bar and brunch scene. Some of the best rooftops you can explore include the Thomson Hotel Rooftop Bar, Lavelle, the Porch and Kost. Toronto is not too far from Niagara Falls and it’s a cheap and quick day trip check out this natural wonder.
