You can solo travel to any country in the world. Having said that, some destinations are better suited than others for traveling alone. In this guide, I break the world up into 10 regions and countries and explain the pros and cons of each in terms of solo travel friendliness. I’ll discuss activities, accommodation options, food, safety, and transportation. I’ll also talk about the types of travelers that you’re likely to meet in each region. These are the best solo travel destinations.
This guide is designed to help you choose the perfect solo travel destination for your interests and personality. Even though every country is unique, there are a lot of regional similarities. For example, one region may attract outdoorsy types while another region attracts hippies while yet another region attracts adventure tourists. Hopefully, this guide helps you decide which solo travel region is right for you.
Table of Contents
- Africa
- Southeast Asia
- India
- Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- Central America
- South America
- Australia
- The United States and Canada
- Mexico
Africa Solo Travel
I’ll start off by talking about one of my favorite solo travel destinations, Africa. This beautiful continent offers incredible wildlife, some of the best beaches in the world, and breathtaking natural landscapes. The locals are also very friendly and welcoming. Africa is a rewarding place to travel. Having said that, solo travel in Africa does have a few drawbacks.
Activities for Solo Travelers in Africa
As far as activities go, Africa’s offerings are more spread out and limited than other regions. Most focus on nature and the outdoors. You don’t travel to Africa for resorts, theme parks, architecture, or museums. It’s more of a place you experience. Africa’s major attractions include:
- Safari- Let’s be honest. The main reason you came to Africa was to see wildlife. Two of the most popular safari parks are the Serengeti and Maasai Mara. A safari doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out my guide: How to Safari in Massai Mara in Kenya for less than $200.
- The Great Lakes- The Great Lakes of the Rift Valley are excellent for wildlife viewing and just relaxing. I particularly enjoyed Lake Malawi, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Kivu.
- Victoria Falls- One of the earth’s largest waterfalls lies on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Make sure you take a swim in Angel’s or Devil’s pool on the top of the falls
- Visit tribes- Visit them before they’re gone. I visited the tribes of the Omo Valley of Ethiopia.
- Hiking- Many travelers choose to hike Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain. Other popular hikes include Mount Kenya, Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, Danakil Depression in Ethiopia, and Fish River Canyon in Namibia. For more ideas, check out this excellent article about African hikes from The Adventure Junkies.
- Beaches- West Africa is said to have the best beaches in the world. In particular Sierra Leone. The beaches of Zanzibar are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
Transportation Options for Solo Travelers in Africa
Transportation infrastructure is pretty lacking across most of the continent. Minibuses and shared taxis are often your only option. They are uncomfortable and not very reliable. Longer or international routes often offer coach service. For some unpopular routes, there is only one bus per week.
Getting around within cities can also be a hassle. Taxis are surprisingly expensive in Africa. When you travel solo, you don’t have anyone to share the cost with. This can add up quickly.
Most locals use minibuses or motorcycle taxis to get around. These are inexpensive. Luckily, Uber is available in many large cities these days as well.
For more info on getting around, check out my Africa Bus Guide. It includes step-by-step guides to some of the most popular bus routes on the continent.
Accommodation for Solo Travelers in Africa
Hostels are pretty rare outside of touristy areas and large capital cities. When you can find one, expect to spend $12-$15 for a bed in a dorm. Most nights, you’ll be staying in hotels which are surprisingly expensive in much of Africa. Expect to pay $20-$50 per night for a room on average. In smaller villages, you can find budget hotels for just a couple of bucks per night.
Camping is also a good option in Africa. I highly recommend you travel with a tent. Camping is common around tourist attractions. You can save money by avoiding expensive lodges.
Safety for Solo Travelers in Africa
Solo travel in Africa is probably safer than you’d expect. Across most of the continent, petty theft and pickpocketing is your biggest risk. Having said this, risks vary greatly by region. Make sure you do your research about safety in your destination before you arrive. For example, there are a few hot regions where terrorism, kidnapping, and muggings are common crimes. Most of the continent is pretty peaceful.
For more info, check out my extensive guide: Is Africa Safe? Avoiding Crime, Disease, Injury, and Scams.
Food
In general, African food isn’t too exciting but it is affordable. There are a few nice dishes to try in each region of the continent. One thing African food has going for it is the cost. You can buy yourself a nice plate of rice and beans or chicken for just a dollar or two. If you want to eat western food, expect higher prices. A decent western meal will cost $5-$10.
Fellow Travelers in Africa
If you’re hoping to meet fellow travelers to go out and travel with, Africa isn’t the best solo travel destination for you. In some countries, you can travel for weeks without seeing a single other foreign tourist. This was the case for me in Ethiopia. In general, Africa contains some of the least visited countries on earth.
To me, this is part of the draw of Africa. The place isn’t overrun with tourists like much of the world. Travel in Africa still feels like an adventure. Of course, the lack of tourists adds difficulty. Solo travel in Africa also gets lonely.
Most travelers that you do meet are on organized overland tours. Solo travelers in Africa tend to be a bit older. Most backpackers seem to save Africa until they become a bit more experienced with travel. Late 20s and up is the most common age range.
Budget for Solo Travel in Africa
One drawback to traveling alone in Africa is that it gets expensive when you don’t have anyone to split the cost of hotels, taxis, and tours with.
For example, most nights you’ll be staying in hotels because hostels are pretty rare. If you have a travel buddy, you can share a room and split the cost. A $50 room which might be too expensive for a budget traveler becomes affordable when it’s shared. The same is true of taxi rides. You’re only paying half of the cost if you share with someone.
Of course, if you’re on a tight budget and you don’t mind skipping the major tourist attractions, Africa is probably the cheapest place on earth to travel. You could get by on just a few hunded dollars per month if you’re willing to live like a local and rough it a bit.
To learn more about costs, check out my guide: Traveling Africa on a Budget.
Locals and the Language Barrier
Africans are some of the most hospitable people in the world. They are more than happy to help you with directions, finding a taxi, or a place to stay. During your travels, don’t be surprised to be invited for food, drinks, and even a bed.
The language barrier in Africa depends entirely on what region of the continent you’re traveling. Generally, in East and Southern Africa, English is widely spoken. Much of West and Central Africa is French-speaking. In Francophone Africa, you’ll want to know a bit of French to help you get around.
Southeast Asia Solo Travel
Southeast Asia is the top solo travel destination in the world. It is the backpacker capital. Tourists are everywhere. Southeast Asia is incredibly affordable and easy to get around. It’s also beautiful, exotic, and just feels adventurous. For these reasons, Southeast Asia makes for an excellent destination for a first-time solo traveler.
Food in Southeast Asia
The highlight of this region is the world-class cuisine. In my opinion, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia offer some of the best food. Dishes are flavorful, healthy, and not too heavy.
The abundance of street food makes Southeast Asia perfect for solo travelers. This is important because, for whatever reason, some solo travelers have trouble eating in restaurants alone. In Southeast Asia, you can easily survive on street food alone. It’s tasty, fast, and cheap.
Accommodation for Solo Travel in Southeast Asia
Finding a place to stay is never a problem. Budget hostels and hotels can be found in pretty much every town. You can usually find a bed for less than $10. In many cases even less. Check out my guide: How to Choose the Best Hostel* for some helpful tips.
Transportation for Solo Travelers in Southeast Asia
The bus, train, and air transport system is extensive and easy to use. Entire bus services are devoted to transporting tourists from city to city and country to country. Multiple budget airlines keep flight prices affordable. Train transport is also available throughout many parts of the region including Thailand and Vietnam.
Within cities, you have cheap tuk-tuks, subways, taxis, and rideshare to help you get around. Getting from point A to point B is never a problem in Southeast Asia. This is the main reason that this reason is so easy for solo travelers to visit.
Safety in Southeast Asia
Overall, the region is incredibly safe. Violent crime rates are low. The most common crime you are likely to encounter in Southeast Asia is pickpocketing and petty theft. Scams are also common in the region.
Fellow Solo Travelers in Southeast Asia
Travelers in Southeast Asia tend to be younger as many people make this their first trip abroad. Most travelers are in the 18-24 age group. You’ll also meet plenty of travelers on their second, third, or even 10th trip to the region. Southeast Asia is universally loved among travelers. Most return multiple times throughout their travels. I’ve been twice so far.
Southeast Asia is also a really easy place meet fellow solo travelers. You’ll meet people from all over the world with all kinds of interests. If you’re reading this guide to help you decide on a first solo travel destination, I highly recommend Southeast Asia.
Locals and the Language Barrier
Southeast Asian locals are friendly for the most part. They’re happy to help when you need it. Having said that, I have found that it’s harder to make friends with locals in this region. Even though the people are friendly and accommodating, they seem a bit distant and disinterested in making friends with foreigners. Of course, this is just a generalization.
English is widely spoken throughout Southeast Asia. Particularly among people who work in the tourism industry such as hotel staff and restaurant workers. This makes getting around very easy for solo travelers.
India Solo Travel
Solo traveling in India is an experience. It’s crowded, filthy, and very intense. Attention from locals can get overwhelming at times. On the other hand, India has some of the world’s best food, an incredible culture, and fascinating historic sites. While India may not be the best destination for a first solo trip it is still doable. India is one of the world’s top solo travel destinations.
Food in India
India offers one of the world’s greatest cuisines. There are plenty of street food options as well as affordable restaurants. Finding a great meal is never a problem. For foodies, India is one of the best solo travel destinations.
One thing you do have to be careful of in India is the cleanliness of the food. Hygiene standards just aren’t that great in India. Delhi belly is a real thing. Try your best to make sure the food is fresh and hasn’t been sitting around for too long. Look for restaurants and food stands that are busy. Chances are the food is tasty and safe to eat.
Accommodation for Solo Travel in India
Hostels are available in the large cities and touristy areas. In smaller towns and places that are less frequented by tourists, you’ll have to stay in a hotel. This isn’t ideal for solo travelers because it makes meeting fellow travelers a bit more challenging. You also have to eat the cost of a whole hotel room by yourself if you don’t have anyone to split it with.
Expect to pay $10-$15 per night for a decent budget hotel room. Cheaper rooms are available if you’re willing to give up some comforts. Finding a decent place to sleep is never a problem.
Transportation for Solo Travelers in India
India has one of the best train systems in the world. It’s extensive, affordable, and reliable. The train system is what makes India such a perfect solo travel destination, in my opinion.
There is a bit of a learning curve when trying to figure out how the train system works. Mostly because there are just so many scammers trying to sell expensive tours. The train stations are unbelievably crowded as well. This adds additional stress.
My advice is to not talk to anyone you meet at or near the train station unless they are behind the counter selling tickets.
Safety in India
India is a fairly safe country for solo travel. Violent crime isn’t too big of a worry. What you have to look out for is pickpockets, thieves, and scammers. I couldn’t believe how often I was approached by con men and guys trying to sell me various touristy junk. It got to a point where I wouldn’t talk to anyone while out on the street. I’d just ignore anyone who approached me.
Unfortunately, female travelers have to be a bit more careful while solo traveling in India. By taking some basic precautions the trip is still perfectly doable.
For more info on scams, check out my guide: 19 Common Travel Scams and How to Avoid Them.
Local people
You’ll never feel lonely while solo traveling in India. As I said earlier, people approach you non-stop. Some are genuinely friendly and just want to chat. Unfortunately, most just want to try to sell you something or run a scam.
I found that I met the most friendly people while riding the train. Someone was always offering me food and chatting me up. You meet some really interesting and generous people in India. It’s just a shame that there are so many scammers and criminals. It makes trusting anyone impossible.
Fellow Travelers
Pretty much every traveler visits India at some point. It’s just such an iconic and diverse country. The age range for travelers tends to be a bit older. Mid 20s and up is the most common. Travelers tend to visit India after they’ve got a bit of travel experience under their belt. India is a slightly more difficult solo travel destination than Southeast Asia or Western Europe, for example.
One thing that surprised me was the fact that there weren’t very many tourists around. When I did meet some fellow travelers, we stuck together.
When to Solo Travel India
I visited India during the monsoon which is low season. I don’t recommend this. It’s either too hot or too rainy everywhere you go. I encountered 47°C (about 116°F) weather in Delhi. In Goa, I had to walk through a foot of water to cross the road on a few occasions. When I return, I’ll visit during a better season.
India is one of the few countries that I have visited that I really want to revisit at some point in my life. I highly recommend visiting India alone. It is a very rewarding and unique solo travel destination.
Western Europe Solo Travel
Western Europe is probably the second most popular solo travel destination after Southeast Asia. The region contains many of the world’s most beautiful, historic, and famous cities on earth including London, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Rome and more. These are major world cities that every traveler needs to visit at some point in their travels.
Western Europe is expensive but there are hostels everywhere and the transportation infrastructure is the best in the world. My first solo trip was in Europe.
Fellow travelers in Western Europe
Every solo traveler visits Western Europe at some point. You will meet fellow travelers of all ages here but in general, they tend to be younger. Meeting students and people on a gap year in the 18-24 age range is common.
You’ll also meet groups of friends traveling together. Many backpackers chose Western Europe as their first solo travel destination due to the ease of travel. Of course, Western Europe attracts older tourists as well. It’s just too cool to miss.
Accommodation in Western Europe
Part of the reason that Western Europe is such a perfect destination for solo travelers is the abundance of hostels. After all, this is where the idea of the hostel was invented over 100 years ago in 1909. Every decent-sized city or tourist town has at least a couple.
Unfortunately, hostel prices these days are high and continue to increase. Expect to pay $20-$40 per night for a dorm bed in Western Europe. Remember, this isn’t a cheap place to travel.
During busy season in the summer, beds get booked up well in advance. In some particularly popular tourist cities like Paris and Amsterdam, you’ll have to make a booking at least a week or so in advance to get a bed in a decent hostel. While traveling offseason, this isn’t a problem.
For more info, check out my guide: How to Choose the Best Hostel.
Transportation
The train system in Western Europe is world-class. European trains are comfortable, reliable, and easy for solo travelers to navigate. Unfortunately, they are also pretty expensive. Consider purchasing a Eurail Pass to save some money on train tickets. You pay for this pass by the day and it allows unlimited travel on most European trains through 31 countries.
As a cheaper alternative to trains, coach services are also available on most routes.
Transportation within Western European cities is great as well. Most cities have some kind of metro or tram system which is integrated with an extensive bus system. This makes getting anywhere you need to go in the city incredibly convenient.
One challenge is you’ll face is learning how to use a new public transportation system every time you move on to a new city. Every system works a bit different. Some use special transport cards. Some use tokens. Many use cash.
As an American, I’m always impressed with the convenience of European public transportation. It’s probably the easiest region in the world to get around as a solo traveler.
Food in Western Europe
Some of the world’s greatest cuisines can be found in Western Europe. French and Italian food are probably the most well known. Unfortunately, street food options are limited and restaurants are expensive.
While traveling in Western Europe as a solo traveler, you’re probably better off buying food in grocery stores and cooking for yourself in your hostel. You can eat healthily and cheaply with a few basic cooking skills.
When to Solo Travel Western Europe
Because Western Europe is such a popular tourist destination, it gets incredibly packed with tourists during high season in the summer. Overtourism is becoming a real problem in many cities. Winters are cold. If possible, try to visit during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall. You’ll have a much easier time booking accommodation and train tickets. Prices are significantly lower as well.
Eastern Europe Solo Travel
Eastern Europe is a great budget solo travel destination due to the high value that you get for your money. The region offers excellent tourism infrastructure at an incredibly affordable price.
Personally, Eastern Europe is one of my favorite travel destinations. Something about the culture and aesthetic really appeals to me. I can’t explain it.
The Language Barrier
This is really the only difficulty with traveling in Eastern Europe. Many people don’t speak any English. The most useful language in the region is Russian. Consider taking a bit of t