In short
For a first solo trip in Europe, choose compact, well-connected cities where English is widely spoken: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna, Ljubljana, Edinburgh, Tallinn, Porto, Valencia, Malta or Iceland. Pick well-located, well-reviewed accommodation, share your itinerary with someone close and always keep an internet connection.
Contents
- How to choose a destination for your first solo trip
- 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark
- 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria
- 🇸🇮 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 🏴 Edinburgh, Scotland
- 🇪🇪 Tallinn, Estonia
- 🇵🇹 Porto, Portugal
- 🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain
- 🇲🇹 Malta
- 🇮🇸 Iceland
- Our tips for travelling alone with peace of mind
- A guide in your pocket, at your own pace
- FAQ
Travelling alone means choosing every stop, every museum, every café terrace, without having to negotiate. It’s also often the trip that changes you the most. But for a first solo trip, it’s best to pick a destination where you’ll feel at ease quickly.
After our solo weekend ideas for women, here are 10 European destinations that are perfect for a solo trip of a few days to a week.
How to choose a destination for your first solo trip
A few simple criteria:
- A compact city you can explore on foot or by public transport, without a car.
- An accessible language: in the Nordic countries, the Netherlands or Austria, English is very widely spoken.
- Direct connections from home, to keep transfers to a minimum.
- A neighbourhood feel, with cafés and places where you feel comfortable eating alone.
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Copenhagen ticks every box: a human-scale city you can cycle around on bike lanes everywhere, where almost everyone speaks English. Between the colourful harbour of Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens, the alternative Christiania district and saunas on the harbour, you won’t get bored.
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Amsterdam is best discovered on foot along its canals. World-class museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum), markets, the Jordaan district: it’s an ideal destination for a first solo trip. Our itinerary for Amsterdam in 1 day will help you plan.
🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vienna regularly ranks among the most liveable cities in the world. Its historic cafés are perfect for settling in alone with a book, and its museums and palaces easily fill several days. See Vienna in 3 days.
🇸🇮 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Slovenia’s capital is small, green, largely pedestrianised and very relaxed. Stroll along the Ljubljanica river, climb up to the castle, and take an easy bus ride to Lake Bled.
🏴 Edinburgh, Scotland
Photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A castle perched on an extinct volcano, a medieval old town, the Royal Mile and Arthur’s Seat for the view: Edinburgh is full of charm. In August, the festival turns the city into one giant street-theatre stage.
🇪🇪 Tallinn, Estonia
Photo: Ivar Leidus (Iifar), CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, via Wikimedia Commons
Tallinn’s UNESCO-listed medieval old town is one of the best preserved in Europe. Estonia is also one of the most digital countries in the world: you can pay by card everywhere, and Wi-Fi is everywhere too. An original and easy destination.
🇵🇹 Porto, Portugal
Smaller and calmer than Lisbon, Porto is welcoming and affordable. You can easily spend three or four days between the Ribeira, the port wine cellars and the beaches of Foz do Douro. It’s one of our most beautiful cities in Europe.
🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Valencia combines everything you want in a solo trip: an old town, the huge Turia park laid out in the old riverbed (perfect by bike), the City of Arts and Sciences, and a beach you can reach by tram. And it’s the birthplace of paella.
🇲🇹 Malta
Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
A small, sunny archipelago where English is an official language, Malta is well suited to a first solo trip: Valletta and its ramparts, the old capital Mdina, the coves of Gozo. Buses serve the whole main island.
🇮🇸 Iceland
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Iceland has topped the Global Peace Index, the ranking of the world’s most peaceful countries, since 2008. Reykjavik is a small capital that’s easy to explore, and organised tours (Golden Circle, south coast, northern lights in winter) let you see the landscapes without having to drive alone.
Our tips for travelling alone with peace of mind
- Pick well-located, well-reviewed accommodation in a central area, to avoid long journeys at night.
- Share your itinerary and your accommodation address with someone close.
- Keep an internet connection: a roaming plan or an eSIM, so you always have a map and can reach someone.
- Keep copies of your documents (on your phone and in the cloud) and note the European emergency number: 112.
- Trust your instincts: if a place or situation doesn’t feel right, leave.
- To meet people, walking tours, cooking classes or hostels with private rooms are great options.
More tips in our article on solo weekend trips for women.
A guide in your pocket, at your own pace
When you travel alone, you don’t need to follow a group to understand what you’re looking at. With Guidly, your phone tells you the story of the places around you, in your language and based on your interests, and you can ask it anything, just like a private guide. All our tips are in our guide on how to explore a city without a guide.
Cover photo: NPS Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
FAQ
Where should I travel alone in Europe for the first time?
For a first solo trip, choose a compact, well-connected city where English is widely spoken: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna, Ljubljana or Edinburgh are excellent choices.
What is the safest country in Europe to travel alone?
Iceland has topped the Global Peace Index since 2008. In the 2026 edition, Switzerland, Slovenia, Ireland, Austria, Portugal and Finland are also in the global top 10.
Where can I travel alone in Europe on a budget?
Porto, Valencia, Ljubljana and Tallinn are more affordable than the big Western European capitals. See also our cheap places to travel in Europe in 2027.
How many days should a first solo trip be?
Three to five days is ideal for a first solo trip: enough time to find your feet and enjoy it, without it feeling too long.
