Where shall I go as a solo woman?

[iloveeverykindofcat]

Give me some ideas please Mumsnet! I find myself in the position of being able to book my first ever adult solo holiday for this summer. I finally have the time, money and flexibility. Exciting! I travel a lot for work but not so much for leisure. There are some places I have been that I would like to go back to as a tourist, but equally, so many I haven't. Don't worry about the budget for now, I'm very practiced at making even longhaul trips fit the numbers, I do it for work a lot, so will decide on some location options first then figure it out. I did one of those 'where should I go' quizzes and it said Paris, Agra or Geneva. I've been to Paris and Agra (didn't love Paris, Agra beautiful and fascinating but not at all relaxing and I'd like a mixture of sightseeing and relaxation) and I'm probably going to Geneva for a conference this year anyway.

Some things about me

• I love the heat. 40 degrees in India was too much, but less than that, I'll love it.
• I love the beach, but also history and architecture
• My favourite city in the world is Cape Town, but I don't think I'd do SA alone
• I love the idea of Cairo, but would it be safe? I'm ethnically Arab and have a sirname that is most commonly found in Egypt, though I'm not Egyptian, so would definitely be assumed to be local. Not sure if that makes it more or less safe
• I also love the idea of Athens, but heard from people who've been it wasn't that great
• I went to Lisbon for work last summer - very pretty, but the traffic and pollution put me off a bit
• Places I've loved or liked but sufficiently seen already: Malta, Venice, Rome, most Spanish and German touristy spots, Canary Islands
• Places I was supposed to love but kind of didn't: Paris, Amsterdam

Where shall I goooo?

I disagree about Athens. It was absolutely fantastic. I am a history buff and it blew my mind! You could stay in a beach area / local island and go Into Athens as and when you like. I went with DP but I wouldn’t hesitate to go back alone. We stayed in central Athens but had a beautiful day trip to one of the islands and are desperate to go back.

I have visited every single eu capital city so I like to think I know my city breaks and Athens Is top 3.

Interesting! I won't rule Athens out then.

@BitOutOfPractice Have you been to Vaduz?

Nice? I was impressed and great train service along coast E and W to Monaco Cannes for exploring further.
Sicily ? not been but on our list for 2025 hopefully

I took my teenagers to Athens at half term and all of us absolutely loved it. We’re less comfortable with heat than you, so October was perfect for us, and also benefited from fewer tourists at the ancient monuments and museums. It also felt completely safe, even at night.

Athens is going back up my list. It would be July so high twenties/low thirties but that's grand with me, I'd enjoy it.

Malta and Madeira both fit your brief, both are a blend of city break with plenty of lounging by the pool options and very safe.

I'm also a big lover of Athens, a few days in the city then hop on the ferry from Athens for a few days on one of the more remote Islands (Paros?).

Have fun!

@BitOutOfPractice wow! Out of interest, what's your number 1 city?

Sicily - particularly Syracuse. Lots of history/archaeology, I swam in the sea most days, and it was easy to take day trips out to places like Catania if required.

Will definitely look into Sicily. Hadn't thought about that

@Berlinlover no but “European micro states capitals” is my challenge for this year: Lichtenstein, San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City (I’ve been there already). This summer I’m hoping to do a Balkan road trip to make a start on the final non-EU countries. I do like a project!

@iloveeverykindofcat hmm that’s tough. I think I’ll say Vienna, Rome, Tallinn.

Sicily
or
Seville…?

How about Naples. Then you could do Pompei, Capri (beach/island) plus there are loads of lovely other little islands a ferry away eg Ponza. Or Rome similar. There are beaches near Rome.

Morocco - just back from Marrakesh for a long weekend and no female hassle at all. It’s all gone.

Seville - lovely sightseeing and beaches nearby.

My top 3 places (I’ve travelled a lot) would be Guatemala, Japan and Nepal. I’d go to all three as a a solo traveller but in Nepal and Guatemala I’d go on organise group trips with guides.

Ah have also been to Sicily. Noto in the south east is amazing for culture. Also Syracusa. Loads of beaches. If you want more touristy then Taormina in the north east.

Budapest! With day trips to the Danube Bend, Bratislava and Pecs or Sopron and then a few days relaxation at Lake Balaton at the end.

How about a Greek island trip. Fly to Athens for a couple of days of city/culture, then ferry to an island for relaxation and beach?
Or Costa Brava in Spain? Lots of interesting cities and sights like Girona and Barcelona but also lots of hidden gems on the coast.

Dubrovnik and along that coast is beautiful
Or what about Thailand or Sri Lanka if you have more time? Both have beautiful beaches interesting history and are a lot more chilled out than the parts of India I've been to re being harassed as a single woman.

Penang and stay at the E&O Heritage wing. When you're by the pool it is quiet, relaxing and the service is great. Food is lovely and the rooms have just been refurbished. Outside the hotel however, the bustle and slight chaos of the town. Great street art, great shopping both local or one of the malls, and cafes where you can sit and just people watch. I never felt unsafe but when I went with my 85 yr old aunt, the hotel arranged a car and driver to take us around and it was about $60 for 4 hrs. The E&O is my go to place to relax. Have fun whatever you decide to do.

Following as I have two weeks to fill .

We are off to Marrakesh for a long weekend next week. I haven’t been in years. Any tips/places you liked?

(sorry to derail)

I spent a couple of months touring mainland China and Taiwan this summer and would definitely recommend Taiwan. It has everything; history in abundance, an incredible food scene and stunning architecture. It also has beautiful countryside and wonderful beaches. I didn't make it to these but others I was with did and their pictures have made me want to return! Although I travelled as part of a group I did all my excursions on my own and felt incredibly safe as a solo female (both in Taiwan and China), and felt no unease wandering around at night or travelling on the metro. The only downside was the weather - it was very hot and very wet in September!

I went on an AMAZING yoga retreat on the island of Kos this year and most of the women there were solo travellers (I went with two friends). They came from all over the world and we were in a group of about 12. The best thing about the holiday was that people could choose whether to spend time on their own on in small or big group. Some days, a group went to the beach while others stayed by the pool, other days people went into Kos town or on a boat trip. There were yoga sessions in the mornings and early evenings and we all ate dinner together every night. It was honestly life changing and perfect for a solo traveller. I’ll send you details if you like! (Don’t want to be told off for advertising the actual company!) Good luck finding your perfect hol.

I'm definitely thinking Greece or a Greek island now. I've never actually been to Greece

Crete? Lots of historical sites. Beautiful beaches of all different types. Amazing food. White mountains. Chania is a beautiful city and looked like it had some great boutique hotels in the old town. We did a couple of day tours and met some interesting people. The best thing was the Cretan people who were hospitable and interesting and really made the trip.
I’d love to go back and do a road trip to some of the more off the beaten track places, but actually the buses were modern, efficient and air conditioned so you could do that via public transport.