Solo travel is growing faster than any other segment of the travel market — and the growth is not just among young backpackers. Divorcees rediscovering independence, retirees with a bucket list and working professionals who simply can't find anyone to travel with on their two weeks of annual leave are all part of the solo travel explosion.
The honest truth about solo travel is that it's simultaneously lonelier and more social than group travel. You miss the shared reference points of travelling with someone you know. But you also talk to more strangers, make more spontaneous decisions, eat at the bar and end up with stories that nobody else has. It is different — not better or worse.
🧍 The solo supplement problem: Hotels, cruises and tour operators typically charge a "single supplement" of 25–60% extra when one person occupies a room designed for two. The strategies to avoid it: book hostels, choose single rooms in hotels (smaller, cheaper rooms designed for one), book organised group tours, or use slow travel to negotiate longer stays at reduced rates.
Best Solo Travel Destinations 2026
Iceland
3 hrs from UK
Iceland is the world's safest country for solo travellers and offers some of its most dramatic scenery. Self-drive the Ring Road (7–10 days), see the Northern Lights in winter, hike in summer. English is universally spoken; public safety is essentially perfect; the campervan culture means other solo travellers are always nearby.
Japan
12 hrs from UK
Japan is the best solo destination for culturally curious travellers — extraordinarily safe (crime is genuinely rare), easy to navigate even without Japanese, and a culture where solo dining is completely normal (sushi bars and ramen shops are designed for it). The country rewards every level of curiosity.
Portugal
2h 30m from UK
The best European solo destination — Lisbon and Porto are walkable, safe, easy to navigate and have excellent hostel cultures where meeting people is effortless. The Algarve for solo beach time, the Douro Valley for solo walking. Portuguese people are among the most welcoming in Europe.
Vietnam
11 hrs from UK (Hanoi)
Vietnam's north-south geography creates a natural solo itinerary: Hanoi → Halong Bay → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City. Each destination has a well-established backpacker infrastructure, cheap and good food, and a steady flow of solo travellers. The Bắc Hà Sunday market and Mã Pí Lèng Pass are among Asia's most extraordinary experiences.
Colombia
11 hrs from UK (Bogotá)
Colombia has transformed from dangerous to genuinely excellent for informed solo travellers. Medellín (urban renaissance story), the Cocora Valley (tall wax palms), Cartagena (Caribbean colonial city) and the coffee region create a compelling itinerary. Stay aware, use reputable transport and accommodation, and the rewards are substantial.
New Zealand
24 hrs from UK
New Zealand is the ideal destination for solo adventure travel — safe, English-speaking, extraordinarily beautiful, and with a culture (particularly among campervans and hostels) that actively facilitates meeting other solo travellers. The South Island's landscapes are some of the finest on Earth.
Thailand
11 hrs from UK
The original backpacker trail remains excellent for solo travel in 2026. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai, the islands (Koh Lanta, Koh Phangan, Ko Tao) — each has a well-established solo traveller scene. The food is extraordinary, costs are low and the welcome genuine.
Ireland
1 hr from UK
Often overlooked because it's close to home, Ireland is exceptional for UK solo travellers — the Wild Atlantic Way is one of Europe's great road trips, the pub culture is unmatched for meeting people, and the combination of dramatic coastal scenery, literary heritage and genuinely warm hospitality is hard to beat.
Solo Travel Safety & Practical Tips
- Tell someone your plans. Share your itinerary with a friend or family member before you leave. Check in regularly, especially in more remote areas. This isn't about fear — it's basic common sense that all experienced solo travellers follow.
- Stay in social accommodation. Hotels isolate you; hostels connect you. Even if you book a private room in a hostel (available at most decent hostels for £30–£60 in most European cities), you still have access to the common areas and kitchen where conversations happen spontaneously.
- Trust your instincts, not your politeness. If a situation feels wrong, leave it. You owe no explanation to anyone. Solo travellers who ignore their gut feeling because they don't want to seem rude are the ones who get into trouble. The instinct that something is off is usually correct.
- Meet other travellers on group day tours. Book a cooking class, a walking tour, a day hike or a wine tasting. These activities create natural social situations where meeting other solo travellers is easy and the conversation has a ready-made starting point.
- Apps that actually help. Meetup (find local events and activity groups), Couchsurfing Hangouts (meet locals and travellers, no accommodation required), Duolingo (basic language learning), Maps.me (offline maps), and Rome2Rio (transport options between destinations) are genuinely useful for solo travel.
Solo Female Travel: Extra Considerations
Female solo travel has its own specific considerations that male travellers don't face. Our dedicated guide covers the 15 safest destinations specifically for women travelling alone in 2026, with destination-specific safety ratings, tips on local cultural norms and the apps and strategies that experienced solo female travellers rely on.
Read: Solo Female Travel — 15 Safest Destinations for Women 2026 →
🧍 Best Solo Trip for First-Timers
Portugal is our top recommendation for a first solo trip from the UK — safe, inexpensive, warm, English-friendly and with a hostel/social scene that makes meeting people effortless. Iceland is the second choice: extraordinary natural scenery and essentially zero crime. Japan is the most rewarding longer solo trip for anyone with even a passing interest in culture, food and the genuinely different.