This Is the Best International Destination for Solo Travelers

Traveling alone comes with added questions: Is it safe to arrive at night? What is the crime rate? Are the single-occupancy room rates affordable? Is the tour worth the cost? The truth is that every destination is different, as is every experience. Backpacking through New Zealand is different than traveling around Columbia via bus. However, there are a few destinations that have a reputation for being both safe and affordable to solo travelers.

Taipei, Taiwan, was recently named the best city for solo travel by Ubuy, a U.S.-based retailer. They evaluated over 300 cities on several key metrics, including their safety index, meal costs, walkability score, and the number of things to do on Tripadvisor.

Taipei stood out for its high safety score (84.5 out of 100) and budget-friendly dining choices. According to Ubuy, a meal at an inexpensive restaurant in Taipei costs $6.17 on average and a bottle of water costs $0.71 on average. Solo travelers looking for a single-occupancy hotel room with a view can expect to pay $86 on average, which is a deal in comparison to the $221 average rate solo travelers in Abu Dhabi might pay for similar accommodations.

Taipei also ranked high with walkability, earning a score of 86 out of 100. The city’s composite score was 95.7 out of 100.

Following Taipei was the neighboring city of Hong Kong, which received a perfect score of 100 for its walkability but was more expensive. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant hovered around $8.83, while a hotel room with a view cost, on average, around $142 a night.

Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Doha, Qatar, ranked No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. After four destinations in the continent of Asia, which dominated the list, Munich, Germany, made the list, coming in at No. 5.

The team at Ubuy notes that solo travelers looking for an affordable vacation should look into Muscat, Oman, which “offers the most affordable options for both meals and hotel stays, making it ideal for budget-friendly solo getaways.” (In Muscat, a meal at an expensive restaurant averages $5.20, and a hotel with a view averages $51 a night.)

The full list is below:

1. Taipei, Taiwan 
   Composite Score: 95.7 
2. Hong Kong
   Composite Score: 92.0 
3. Abu Dhabi, UAE
   Composite Score: 90.8 
4. Doha, Qatar 
   Composite Score: 89.5 
5. Munich, Germany 
   Composite Score: 88.1 
6. Luxembourg, Luxembourg 
   Composite Score: 87.0 
7. Helsinki, Finland 
   Composite Score: 82.7 
8. Muscat, Oman 
   Composite Score: 79.8