Solo city breaks - where to go

[Fandangofarago]

I’ve just unintentionally been on a solo city break (friend I was due to go with broke her leg the day before departure) and I loved it! I’ve never done it before but I absolutely loved having my own agenda & timetable. It’s made me want to do more. Where would people recommend for a solo break for a woman in her fifties who likes good food, museums, galleries, theatre, art etc? Not Barcelona, Madrid, Rome or Amsterdam (already been).

I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Lille. It’s very easy to get there, the first stop on Eurostar. It has a beautiful historic centre, some great restaurants and impressive museums. You can take a very short train journey to Roubaix, where you can visit the spectacular La Piscine museum.

I am going to go on my own too first time, I highly recommend Gdansk in Poland really safe and lots to see.

Marrakech is lovely.

food is amazing and cheap, the main square has lots of entertainers.

lots of old palaces.

not so much on the theatre but I was there during their storytelling festival and it was amazing. Some in Arabic, some French some English and one guy doing it in all three!

I did a cooking class aswell which honestly I loved and I still cook tagines regularly

I’m going to Zurich this summer - any other recommendations for it?

definitely going to swim the lake and do the art galleries.

I wouldn’t go to Marrakesh on my own as a female if you paid me.
Just visited in November with DH. It didn’t feel safe or comfortable to me, although having said that nothing happened to us but it just wasn’t relaxing and I would have felt very uneasy walking through the markets by myself. Whereas I would be perfect happy on my own in most other places I have been to - Gdansk, Budapest, Rome, Paris, Riga etc.

Krakow, Bruges, Milan (take a day trip to lake Como!)

I'm always recommending Valletta, it would be a fantastic city break. Masses to see in the (tiny) city itself and you can get buses all over Malta - eg to Mdina, the medieval city in the centre of the island. Boat trips to Gozo, also you can do day trip to Sicily

Another vote for Copenhagen we loved the city but not massive fans of london. It felt less busy / dirty / crowded

And I wouldn’t recommend Marrakesh as a lone female traveller. Even with my DH I was touched inappropriately a few times

Would also recommend Polish cities like Krakow and Wrocław, though food is hearty rather than fancy, also Stockholm, stunning and not as pricey as you'd think.

How long does it take to get to Sicily ?

1hr 45mins is the fastest, think it's a catamaran

I thought Gran Canaria was really good. Lovely weather and you have the choice of beach or land based activities. Lots more history than you’d think but equally the landscape is nuts .
It’s also popular with single travellers so you never feel weird eating on your own.

I would recommend going on one of the boat trips round the lake, go ashore at some of the smaller villages. Also, if you have time a day trip to Basel. Plenty of fancy shops on Bahnhofstrasse. Just wandering around the town centre, plenty of churches, bakeries and coffee shops to stop in. Years ago I also took a trip up to the Zugspitze via Interlaken which was lovely - lots of typical Alpine scenery.

Florence is amazing for an art lover.

Milan is quite boring and limited. Sorry!

I'm an older solo traveller by choice. I love travelling to cities solo as I can go at my own pace (quite fast!) and pack loads in. There's no bartering with a companion as to how much time you spend in a coffee shop vs a gallery, or when/where to eat etc - you just organise yourself and enjoy!

I always check out the areas surrounding possible lodgings on google streetview etc, if it looks at all dodgy I'll go elsewhere because I want to feel free and safe to walk out of the hotel/airbnb at any time on my own. My other top tip is to take reading material with you to restaurants; I've never been hassled when I've got my nose in a book.

I usually find a walking tour and book myself onto it as soon as possible after arriving. You get your bearings, can go back and see other things and sometimes meet other solo travellers doing the same thing. I also do research in advance about any exhibitions or concerts that sound interesting, and opening times (and days!) for museums etc.

Over the last years I've explored parts of France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania, Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, N Macedonia, Denmark and lots of places in the UK on my own. I'm hoping to go alone to some places in Belgium/Luxembourg this year; maybe Stockholm/Helsinki too. I'm happy to pass on recommendations and tips!

Similarly, Lanzarote. Far more interesting than the 'cheap winter sun' image.

I went on a day tour of the Cesar Manrique sites across the north of the island. There's also the vineyards and volcano park, interesting inland towns and villages, loads of hiking, sea swimming year round and lovely tapas and Canarian food. Could easily fill a few days.

I think Venice will always be one of my favourites. I can get lost along the canals for hours. I’ve been in April both times, not too hot and very quiet