There’s something wonderfully liberating about booking a city break just for yourself.
You can wake up when you want, spend three hours in a museum if you’re enjoying it, sit in a cafe with a book, wander down a pretty street because you like the look of it and eat dinner at whatever restaurant takes your fancy. There’s nobody asking what you want to do next because, well, you’re the one deciding.
I’ve never been someone who particularly loves travelling alone. I’d much rather have someone beside me to share the excitement, the funny moments and the inevitable “where on earth are we going?” moments. But I’ve also learnt that waiting for someone else to be available can mean waiting a very long time.
I travel by the motto, ‘I’d rather go with someone, but I’d rather go alone than never go at all!’
Some cities are much better suited to solo travel than others. If it’s your first time travelling solo then a city is a great place to begin because there are so many people out and about on their own anyway. It isn’t unusual to visit a museum, a restaurant, a bar or a market on your own when you’re in a city. You can also be busy (if you choose) so there’s no chance to get bored!
For a solo city break, I want somewhere that’s easy to explore, has plenty to do during the day, feels comfortable when you’re eating alone and has enough atmosphere that you never feel like you’re just killing time until your flight home.
Another big factor for me is that it needs to feel easy and safe travelling from the airport to my hotel alone.
These are 10 of my favourite solo city breaks for women, from easy first-time destinations to adventurous trips that feel like a proper escape.
Lisbon, Portugal
Best for: Your first solo city break
If you’re nervous about travelling alone for the first time, I’d put Lisbon very high on your list.
It has that perfect combination of being exciting enough to feel like a proper adventure while still being relatively easy to navigate. You can spend your days wandering through the old neighbourhoods, stopping at viewpoints, eating pastéis de nata and sitting in sunny squares without needing a military-style itinerary.
Lisbon is also a great city for those moments when you want some company. There are food tours, walking tours, day trips and plenty of organised experiences, so you can spend a few hours meeting people and then happily disappear back into your own little world afterwards.
I did a day tour to Sintra and Cascais and it gave me the perfect mix of time in a group and time alone.
It’s also worth noting that Ubers in Lisbon are extremely affordable, meaning that quick Uber from the airport to your accommodation makes your arrival and departure even easier.
My ideal Lisbon solo weekend: pastel de nata and coffee in the morning, a walking tour through the old town, an afternoon browsing the shops, sunset from a miradouro and dinner somewhere atmospheric.
Read more: A weekend itinerary for Lisbon
Porto, Portugal
Best for: a relaxed and beautiful solo escape
We’ve got another vote for a solo city break in Portugal! Porto is one of those gorgeous cities where you can arrive with very little planned and still have a brilliant time.
The historic centre is compact enough to explore on foot, with colourful buildings tumbling towards the Douro, beautiful tiled churches, independent shops and plenty of little restaurants and bars.
It’s also a brilliant destination if you like food and wine. You can cross the river to Vila Nova de Gaia for a port tasting, take a cruise along the Douro or join a food tour if you fancy some company.
One of my favourite things about Porto for solo travel is that it doesn’t feel like a city you need to conquer. You can simply wander and wandering is one of my favourite things to do when I’m travelling.
My ideal Porto solo weekend: explore the historic centre, climb the Clérigos Tower, cross the Dom Luís I Bridge, have a long lunch, book a port tasting session and watch the sunset over the Douro.
Read more: Porto for 3 days, the perfect itinerary
Nice, France
Best for: sunshine, glamour and a little bit of Riviera life
Nice is a brilliant choice if you want your solo city break to have a mix of city, beach and style. It’s also an easy city with plenty of short, cheap flights and an easy tram system to use when you arrive.
You have the Mediterranean right there, the beautiful Promenade des Anglais, colourful streets in Vieux Nice, markets, restaurants and those lovely long afternoons where you can sit outside with a glass of something cold and watch the world go by.
It also works particularly well for a two or three-night break because you don’t need to spend your entire trip sightseeing. In fact, I think Nice is better when you leave a little space in your itinerary.
Have a slow breakfast. Wander around the old town. Go for a swim. Read your book on the beach or at a stylish beach bar. Find a little restaurant for dinner.
And then, if you’re feeling adventurous, use Nice as a base for exploring the French Riviera. You can take a train along the coast to places such as Antibes or Menton, or head to Monaco for a very different kind of day out. Join a group tour if you’re looking for company but it’s equally easy and fun to do alone.
This is the solo trip for anyone who wants to come home feeling like they’ve had a proper reset rather than needing another holiday to recover from the first one.
My ideal Nice solo weekend: breakfast in Vieux Nice, a morning wandering the old town, lunch overlooking the Mediterranean, an afternoon on the beach and dinner followed by a sunset walk along the Promenade des Anglais.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Best for: an easy, stylish solo city break
Copenhagen is the city I’d choose if you want your solo trip to feel wonderfully uncomplicated. This is also where I’d go if I just wanted 1-night away because Denmark is a famously expensive country!
Copenhagen is compact, easy to explore and full of those little moments that make a city break feel special. You can cycle around the city, wander along the canals, explore colourful neighbourhoods, browse independent shops and stop for coffee whenever you fancy it.
The city centre is only around four kilometres across and many of the main attractions are within a 20-minute walk of each other, making it particularly good for a short break.
And there is plenty to do when you’re travelling alone. Museums, galleries, food markets, design shops, canal tours and Tivoli Gardens mean you can fill your days without needing to constantly organise yourself into groups.
Copenhagen also has a brilliant cafe culture, which is extremely important when you’re travelling solo because frequent coffee breaks are a must. It’s also less awkward sitting at a table for one when everyone else seems to be doing exactly the same thing.
My ideal Copenhagen solo weekend: cycle around the city, visit a couple of museums, eat pastries for breakfast, wander around Nyhavn, have lunch at a food market and finish with drinks somewhere cosy.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Best for: a solo adventure without leaving the UK
You absolutely do not need to fly abroad to have a brilliant solo city break. Edinburgh is one of my favourite choices for women who want to try travelling alone but aren’t quite ready to go too far from home or bother with the stress of airports.
It feels familiar enough to be comfortable while still giving you that lovely sense of being somewhere completely different. You have the castle, the atmospheric Old Town, Princes Street, museums, galleries, independent shops, cosy pubs and some brilliant walks.
And Edinburgh is particularly good if you like to be busy. You can book a ghost tour, whisky tasting, walking tour or food tour, or simply wander around and see where you end up.
It’s also a great destination for that first little taste of solo travel. Once you’ve managed Edinburgh on your own, you might find yourself thinking: Actually, where else could I go?
My ideal Edinburgh solo weekend: climb Arthur’s Seat, explore the Old Town, spend an afternoon in a museum, book an evening ghost tour and finish with dinner and a cosy pub.
Krakow, Poland
Best for: an affordable European adventure
If you’re looking for a solo city break that doesn’t need to cost a fortune, Krakow should be on your list.
It has a beautiful historic centre, a fascinating history, excellent food and a lively atmosphere, all packed into a city that is relatively easy to explore over a weekend.
The main square is a great starting point, but I’d recommend giving yourself time to wander beyond the obvious sights. Explore the old streets, discover the cafes and bars around Kazimierz and spend some time simply taking in the architecture.
Krakow is also a good choice if you’re keen to add an organised experience to your trip. You can book walking tours, food tours and day trips to the salt mines or to Auschwitz, which gives you an easy way to meet other travellers without committing to spending the entire weekend with them.
And then there’s the food.
Polish food is absolutely perfect for a cold-weather city break. Think pierogi, hearty soups, cakes and plenty of comforting meals that feel very welcome after a day of sightseeing.
My ideal Krakow solo weekend: explore the Old Town, eat pierogi for lunch, wander around Kazimierz, join a food tour and spend an evening discovering Krakow’s bars and cafes.
Read more: A Krakow weekend break itinerary
Budapest, Hungary
Best for: affordable luxury and thermal baths
Budapest is one of those cities where you can make a solo weekend feel far more luxurious than your bank account might suggest.
The thermal baths are the obvious place to start. There’s something wonderfully indulgent about spending a morning floating around in warm thermal water when nobody else is there asking whether you’re ready to leave yet! And if you’re thinking it might be weird to visit a thermal spa alone, don’t worry, it’s not. There are lots of locals who visit so plenty of people are there alone.
Then you’ve got the beautiful architecture, the Danube, Buda Castle, ruin bars, excellent food and plenty of rooftop bars and restaurants.
Budapest also works particularly well for solo travellers because there are so many experiences you can join. A walking tour, food tour or evening cruise gives you a little social interaction when you want it, while the rest of the time you can do your own thing.
My ideal Budapest solo weekend: thermal baths in the morning, explore Buda Castle, lunch overlooking the Danube, an afternoon wandering Pest and an evening river cruise.
Read more: 10 quick winter holiday ideas to book while flights are cheap!
Milan, Italy
Best for: Shopping, spas and treating yourself
Milan is the city I’d choose for a truly indulgent solo trip.
This is not necessarily the destination for ticking off 25 attractions before breakfast. It’s about the experience.
Dress up. Find a beautiful cafe. Browse the shops. Look around the Duomo. Visit an art gallery. Eat pasta. Have an aperitivo. Milan has plenty of major attractions, including the Duomo, Castello Sforzesco, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and the Pinacoteca di Brera.
Milan also has two incredible spas that are well worth visiting. You’ve got QC Termemilano Spa and Terme Milano to turn this city break into an indulgent spa break.
Milan is a great reminder that solo travel doesn’t have to be about being brave or adventurous. Sometimes it’s simply about having a lovely time.
My ideal Milan solo weekend: Duomo and rooftop first thing, wander through Brera, long Italian lunch, an afternoon in a spa and aperitivo before dinner.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Best for: a proper adventure
If you want your solo city break to feel like something much bigger than a weekend away, Reykjavik is the one.
The city itself is small enough to explore without feeling overwhelmed, but it gives you access to some absolutely incredible experiences beyond the city.
From Reykjavik you can book Northern Lights tours, whale watching, geothermal experiences, hikes and day trips into Iceland’s extraordinary landscapes. There are so many tours perfect for solo travellers, from walking and hiking to geothermal pools, museums, whale watching and Northern Lights tours.
And there’s something quite reassuring about joining an organised tour when you’re travelling alone. You’re technically on your own, but you’re surrounded by other people doing exactly the same thing.
Back in the city, you can explore Hallgrímskirkja, walk along the waterfront to the Sun Voyager, visit Harpa and spend some time soaking in the incredible Spa Lagoon.
Reykjavik is also particularly good for women who like the idea of solo travel but don’t necessarily want to spend the entire trip completely alone.
My ideal Reykjavik solo weekend: explore the city on day one, spend day two on an organised Iceland adventure and finish the evening in a geothermal pool.
Read more: My extreme day trip to Reykjavik
Seville, Spain
Best for: autumn or spring sunshine, tapas and a slower pace
Seville is one of those cities that makes you want to slow down. There are beautiful plazas, orange trees, tiled courtyards, grand buildings, tiny tapas bars and warm evenings where the best possible plan is to sit outside and watch the world go by.
And tapas are perfect for solo travel.
You don’t need to commit to one enormous meal. You can order something small, have a drink, wander somewhere else and repeat the process. It’s basically an itinerary designed for people who like to change their minds.
Spend your morning visiting the city’s major sights, your afternoon wandering through the streets and your evening eating tapas.
The official Seville tourism guide has a huge focus on monuments, museums, gastronomy, shopping, culture and nightlife, so there is plenty to fill a weekend without making it feel rushed.
Seville is also one of those cities where you can make the trip as active or as lazy as you like. And I think that’s exactly what a good solo city break should be.
My ideal Seville solo weekend: visit the Alcázar and cathedral, wander through Santa Cruz, stop for tapas, find a rooftop for sunset and spend the evening slowly making your way between tapas bars.
Why I think every woman should try a solo city break
I don’t think you need to become a dedicated solo traveller.
You don’t need to spend six weeks backpacking around Southeast Asia. You don’t even need to enjoy eating in restaurants alone.
Start small.
Book two nights somewhere a couple of hours away. Choose a city with plenty to do. Book one organised activity so you know you’ll have some company, and leave the rest of the weekend completely open.
Because the best thing about travelling alone isn’t necessarily the destination.
It’s the feeling of realising that you can make your own plans.
You can book the flight.
You can choose the hotel.
You can decide what time you get up.
You can change your mind.
You can have the afternoon you want to have without compromising with anyone else.
And once you realise how freeing that is, you might find that the biggest problem with solo travel isn’t being alone.
It’s wondering why you waited so long to go.