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Already making plans for your first solo trip of 2024? Hold your horses!
Before you book any flights or hotels, you may be interested to learn which cities around the world have recently been rated as the best for solo female travelers.
Travel insurance expert InsureMyTrip has analyzed a heap of data to do just that – producing its latest annual list of destinations rated on important aspects such as safety, gender equality, and number of things to do.
There are some classics among the top 7, as well as one or two lesser-known places that may pique your interest.
Munich, Germany
The top-rated city in this list may come as a surprise. However, if you dig a little deeper, it’s easy to see why the Bavarian city of Munich has all the perfect ingredients for solo travel.
Munich is an incredibly safe city with a fascinating history and captivating culture.
Some of the top sights include the Frauenkirche and the Marienplatz – and let’s not forget the world-famous Oktoberfest.
Munich is also very easy to get to thanks to its well-serviced airport and also Germany’s affordable rail pass.
Madrid, Spain
There’s no doubt that Spain had quite a year in 2023 in terms of the country’s popularity among American travelers.
The capital city of Madrid is one of the best places to sample Spanish culture at its finest, with excellent nightlife, an almost limitless number of tapas bars, and a thriving gin bar scene.
London, United Kingdom
One of the destinations that has climbed the highest in this ranking when compared to 2023, London is an iconic place to spend time as a solo traveler.
It was recently rated as the second top international destination for Americans, and with more internationally renowned attractions than you can shake a stick at, it’s easy to see why.
The city is generally safe, has an almost limitless number of neighborhoods to explore, and is rated very highly for gender equality in this survey.
Lisbon, Portugal
With solid scores when it comes to safety and affordability, Portugal’s capital is an easy place to lose yourself for a week or so as a solo traveler.
It is regarded as one of the places where travelers feel the happiest, and thinking of kicking back on the riverfront with a pastel de nata (custard tart) in hand under warm, sunny skies, it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona will always have appeal for solo travelers; it’s a vibrant city with many distinct districts that mean you can explore it for days and still not see everything.
The bustling streets around the city center are packed with bars perfect for sampling authentic tapas, while the hilly region of Montjuic is ideal for getting incredible views of the city and breathing in some of its best green spaces.
However, be aware that Barcelona is predicted to be one of the most overcrowded tourist destinations in Europe in 2024.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Recently ranked as the fourth most visited city in the world, Dubai is a modern, clean, and exciting place for solo travelers to explore.
In this study, it came out as one of the places where travelers feel safest when walking alone at night and was also rated as the third safest city overall.
Dubai offers incredible weather, iconic landmarks such as the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa, and the chance to explore unique desert environments surrounding the city on guided camel tours.
Dubai is incredibly easy to reach, thanks to its airport being one of the busiest and biggest hubs in the world, and January and February are widely regarded as the cheapest months to fly there.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Technically, Chiang Mai was tied for seventh place in this study with Berlin in Germany, but it’s one of my favorite places for solo travel, so I decided it deserved the column inches!
Located in a mountainous region of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is a city of tranquil temples, enthralling entertainment, and fantastic food – and it is rated as the second safest city overall in this study.
It has a much slower pace of life than Bangkok and is a fantastic place to explore some of Thailand’s most beautiful countryside and national parks.
The city was also recently named as one of the best digital nomad destinations for 2024 in our very own travel awards.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Anna
Friday 12th of January 2024
Barcelona is definitely not safe!!!! I got groped on the street in the busiest central plaza,I'm not sure what would have happened if a passer by didn't help. A man just lurched up to me and grabbed my chest, saying 'baby' and then tried to make me walk with him. I was asked if I was married by a taxi driver and all sorts of creepy questions, cat called in the street and harassed on the train, all in two days! I'm not even attractive.
Plus, the phone theft is so rife you can't look up where you're going if you get lost if it's dark in the evening.
I also know many people who have had similar experiences. Please don't publicise this a safe space for women. If it was just one incident I wouldn't sat anything, but it was lots.