If you’ve been romanticising your first solo adventure but don’t know where to start or just need another excuse to go away again, our next cheat code is all yours 📣 Enter your solo travel era with a full-on backpacker situation or single stay at a five-star hotel. You thought there was only one way to do it, right? Race Across the World vibes or nothing. But no… A holiday for one means you pick the budget, you pick the place, and (guess what?) YOU pick what you want to do. Permission to be completely selfish, granted 🤝 Take it from our very own seasoned solo traveller and Insider, @baileyturvey – we asked him about his solo story and top tips below!
Plus, it’s officially a money-saving hack because we’ve only gone and got a Solo Traveller discount to tempt you 🤑 You can save £100 on holidays up to October 2025 and £150 on trips from November 2025 to October 2026. T&Cs apply.
Best destinations for solo travel
Spain
It’s tried and tested, trust us. Two of our Insiders, @baileyturvey and @owenwillis, have been on solo trips to Madrid and Seville – you can find their full itineraries on our Insiders Hub. Bailey stayed at The Social Hub Madrid 4*, which is an amazing pick for any digital nomads out there and the social spaces are perfect for meeting people. It’s giving fun hostel, but you can book your own private single room! Then, Owen stayed at abba Sevilla, which is more of a treat-yourself, self-care kinda solo vibe. Think rooftop pool with a sky bar and sweeping city views
Greece
A Mamma Mia! moment is the ultimate solo trip. Greek island-hopping is a go-to summer season for Australians and Americans that want to ‘do Europe’, so the circuit is full of fellow travellers in the peak months. You’ve got classic nightlife picks, like Zante, Santorini and Mykonos, as well as student hubs in Athens – the Exarcheia neighbourhood has some really cool vinyl bars and Monastiraki is the place to go for rooftop bars with Acropolis views.
Mexico
Okay, now we’re talking big bucket-list energy. Mexico’s a super-hot destination right now – how many people have you already seen there on your socials this year? It’s a prime pick for backpackers, so all you have to do is fly into Cancun and your route is practically all set. Everyone heads down the coast to Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Plus, if you’re there for Spring Break, the social scene will be at its peak. As well as the partying, you’ve got unreal snorkelling, beaches and ancient ruins to explore.
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Meet our solo travel Insider, Bailey…
Bailey – AKA @baileyturvey on socials – is an OG member of our Insiders programme and he’s already been a solo trip with us. He’s a content creator from Brighton, has been to over 60 countries and works remotely from all over the world. He’s giving digital nomad and budgeting legend 👏 So, who better to talk about this cheat code and tell you everything you need to know about solo travel?
How many solo trips have you been on?
I’ve been on a fair few solo trips – at least 20! They’ve been a mix of both longer backpacking trips around South America and Southeast Asia, as well as shorter trips, like city breaks in Europe and sailing weeks around the Med. I even went on one with First Choice last year to Madrid which was amazing.
(See what Bailey got up to on his solo adventure and read 4 days in Madrid with @baileyturvey)
Tell us about your first solo adventure. Why did you pick to go solo, how did you feel going it alone and how did it turn out?
My first solo adventure was when I was freshly 18 years old, and I went on a backpacking trip around Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Just a month after my 18th birthday, I took a one-way flight to Bali and that was literally the start of my love for solo travel. I decided to go solo because I always wanted to do a gap year as soon as I finished college and no one else was quite ready to go yet. I also followed some YouTubers who raved about solo travel and how great it was to meet people, and just how important it can be for your overall growth as a person, so I thought it would be a cool thing to do. Shout out to Christianne Risman, AKA @backpackingbananas, for this – I don’t think I would’ve taken the plunge without watching her solo travel YouTube videos.
I feel the whole build up to going on my own was so exciting. I’d had it planned since just after my 17th birthday, so I was pretty set to go. However, as soon as I got on my plane to Kuala Lumpur, I had a bit of a panic mid-air, like, what was I doing? A freshly 18-year-old attempting to travel the world solo with no travel experience? But going in at the deep end really helped my confidence in the future. Travelling solo for my first time was definitely the best thing I’ve ever done for my growth. Naturally, there were lots of ups and downs – I felt quite lonely nearly at times, despite meeting loads of people along the way, but spending that much time on your own in an unknown environment was always going to be challenging. Still, I made so many great memories and friends for life who I’m still in contact with today!
What’s a solo traveller-friendly destination you’d recommend?
Sounds cliché but I would definitely recommend Thailand or Australia for your first trips as a solo traveller. There are lots of other solo travellers dotting around there, and they’re both considered safe destinations. If you’re looking for somewhere more short haul, I’d pick an Eastern European city, like Budapest or Prague. They have lots of events going on, which is a good way to meet other people, and also lots of things to do and explore on your own, so you can keep yourself busy.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to go on their first solo trip?
Don’t be reliant on meeting people to have a good time and don’t make it a necessity of your trip. Be prepared to travel most the trip on your own and enjoy it! Don’t stress yourself out if the people you meet aren’t what you expected, as you can’t control whose there at what time. It’s true, a big part of travelling is meeting people and most the time you will (despite what I said about my first experience) but the less you expect, the more pleasantly surprised you’ll be. Of course, the best thing to do is put yourself in social environments, go to hotel and hostel events, group daytrips, do walking tours and you’re bound to meet someone you click with.
What’s the biggest myth about solo travel that people need to know isn’t true?
That solo travel is only for people who have no one to go with! I’ve had loads of opportunities to travel and go on holiday with friends, but I’ve just chosen to go on my own. Solo travel is a completely different experience and it’s not just for ‘loners’. I meet so many more people when I’m travelling solo than with a friend, and I also just love the fact that I can go where I want, eat what I want, whenever I want when I’m alone.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve got out of solo travel or learnt about yourself by going solo?
I’ve learnt that I am perfectly capable of getting myself from A to B in pretty much any destination in the world – now I don’t get stressed at all about arriving in a new place. I feel confident navigating new cultures and places. I’ve also learnt that most people in this world are nice people. The amount of kindness I’ve received while travelling the world solo from other travellers and locals is crazy. I feel the news makes people so wary, but I’ve learnt to try and see the best in people you meet – to a certain extent, of course. It goes without saying, don’t go wandering down dark alleys with people you’ve never met.
Ready to give going solo a go? You’ve got this 💪 Browse our best solo travel deals and gals, check out our guide on solo female travel.
Looking for more articles? You’ll find them on the Inspire homepage.
Author: Lily Owen (she/her)
Last updated: 07/05/2025
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