Top 10 Countries for Solo Travelers

After solo traveling 55 countries, these are my top picks for the best countries for solo travelers, based on the ease of access to transportation, the welcoming culture of the host country, and the amount of other solo travelers.

If it’s your first time traveling alone, it may be a bit overwhelming when choosing where to go first! Check this guide for my picks on the best countries for solo travelers, whether you’re a beginner to traveling alone or not!

Counting down the best countries for solo travelers

10. Taiwan

Taiwan is industrialized with very welcoming people. The metro is easy to access and understand, as well as being very clean! The Taiwanese aren’t accustomed to seeing many foreigners so they may look at you with surprise, but are also very friendly and interested in why you want to come visit their country.

9. Croatia

Croatia is beautiful and fairly cheap, while still being very accessible. Plus there are many backpackers and it’s easy to make friends in hostels! Visit national parks, explore the cities, or party on the islands in Croatia. If you would like to go south to the other Balkan countries, you can easily solo travel the Balkans.

8. Costa Rica

Aside from the capital city of San José, Costa Rica is a backpacker’s paradise. There are buses and companies to take you all over the country, and the beach towns, as well as Monteverde, are full of other young people. The only reason why Costa Rica isn’t higher on the list, is that sometimes it’s difficult to get by without speaking Spanish. However, Costa Rica has been growing in popularity since my last visit so that may have changed!

7. Japan

Japan is more expensive than other countries on this list, but still totally worth it in my opinion. Japan is extremely technological (seriously, you feel like you’re living in the future), and the Japanese are more accustomed to foreigners so it’s easy to find restaurants with an English menu. Even during the low season, I made many friends in my hostel that I spent the entire week with.

6. Italy

Normally I wouldn’t choose Western European countries as a top choice for solo travelers, simply because they tend to cater to families or groups of friends on holidays. However, I believe Italy still deserves to be on this list because there are so many places to see and it is easy to travel around by train or plane. The culture is very welcoming, so if you sit by yourself at a restaurant, it’s very likely that the staff will start a conversation with you.

5. Vietnam

Vietnam is beautiful, cheap, and great for backpackers. It’s easy to get around, and there are many places to see. Most of the time the locals are very friendly, although you can sometimes meet very assertive people in the big cities. However, I never felt unsafe when I was traveling Vietnam.

4. Hungary

As a major party city, Budapest has several different hostels to choose from with events to meet other people. Prices are insanely cheap, so you can experience a lot more at a reasonable price! The city is also walkable (even though they have a great metro system), so you can do some solo exploring if need be. The bus station has a plethora of options to get around the rest of Hungary or visit other countries if you so desire. Plus, there’s the famous thermal spas, which are a great way to enjoy some alone time in Budapest.

3. Czechia

Otherwise known as the Czech Republic. I still haven’t fully gotten used to Czechia. Prague is an amazing city by itself, full of other solo travelers like yourself and a lot of pub crawls for you to make friends. It’s also easy to travel to other cities while still being insanely cheap. Sometimes it’s a bit difficult not speaking Czech but in my experience the locals have always been friendly and willing to help.

2. Mexico

Many of you are probably thinking, “Mexico?! But, isn’t it really dangerous there?” Well, yes and no. You do need to be very careful with your belongings in the capital and there are certain SMALL regions of Mexico that are very dangerous. That being said, if you’re smart and stick to certain areas, Mexico can be great, even for solo female travelers like me!

Mexican people are extremely welcoming. Mexico City is colorful and cultural, with plenty to do. If you stay in tourist regions such as Yucatán Peninsula (region for Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, etc.), you’ll almost always find someone who speaks English, and while some places are more touristy, there are also a ton of backpackers! You can easily spend an entire month backpacking the Yucatan. Outside of the Yucatan and Mexico City, you’ll still find many young travelers going a bit more off the beaten path. Solo travel in Mexico is AMAZING.

1. Thailand

Coming to number one on the list is Thailand. Thailand is the easiest South East Asian country to visit because it’s the most accessible! It is also full of backpackers so you will never feel truly alone. I absolutely love Thailand and one of the best countries for solo travelers.

What do you think are the best countries for solo travelers? Did I miss any of your favorites?