Traveling is always a great idea and we are not going to say that it is “even if” it is alone. Of 'although' nothing, we love to travel alone –and traveling alone, remember, is not just for singles– and we know that you are too.
Either because you like to go it alone, because you enjoy meeting new people in the destination (as a friend says, if you go alone, things happen to you), because it reinforces your self-confidence, it amuses you and opens your mind or simply because you don't even think about it and, if it comes up that way, you do it and see where the journey takes you.
Well, what is true is that there are more or less likely destinations for a lonely getaway. For tastes (and risks that one wishes to run), the colors, but it is undeniable that in some places the experience will be more favorable with higher probability.
Travel alone, why not?
With this classifying desire, Bounce - a luggage storage company present in 1,000 cities around the world - has carried out a study to decide which are the ideal countries for it.
If only the crime rate had been taken into account, the ranking would be as follows: Swiss would be the winning country, given its low levels of crime and violence, and would be followed by Slovenia, Japan, Georgia, Iceland, Rwanda, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Denmark.
However, this research conducted over the past year also looked at interesting factors for the solo traveler, such as the cost of public transport, the temperature, the average price of accommodation, the quality of hostels, bars, restaurants, attractions, group activities and rainfall (it never rains to everyone's taste), to reveal which are the best countries, in general, to travel alone.
Walking in Switzerland.
Based on various articles and online lists as a starting point to create an initial list of ideal countries for solo travelers, Bounce has awarded each country a score on each of the above factors, before averaging.
In the methodology have taken into account the attractions, bars and restaurants listed on Tripadvisor, per 100,000 people, as well as the number of group activities and tour guides also listed on this portal.
For public transport, they have valued the average cost of a one-way ticket according to Numbeo, while for the price of a hotel stay they have used data from a Friday or Saturday night according to Kayak. The number of shelters corresponds to the total that appears in Hostelworld, quantified per 100,000 people, and its quality follows the score of those that also appear in this portal.
For the level of crime and security, have taken into account the responses to the Numbeo survey, adding the factors of temperature and rain, according to the World Bank Group Climate Knowledge Portal.
Iceland, the best country in the world to travel alone?
And so it has remained the top 3 from Bounce; These are the three best countries in the world to travel alone:
1/ Iceland (7.29 out of 10)
Increasingly popular for solo travelers, this destination It has obtained the highest classification in three of the 12 factors that have been analyzed. When it comes to things to do - many of which involve outdoor activities to explore the various glaciers, volcanoes, caves and caverns – Iceland takes the cake. Furthermore, it is an exceptionally safe country, with a security level of 76.2, which means that you can explore this beautiful country with great peace of mind.
Malt.
2/ Malta (6.34 out of 10)
The Mediterranean nation of Malta ranks second. Known for its historical ties to multiple dynasties and the many fortresses and temples left behind over the years, this destination is not just for culture lovers. Its location between Sicily and the North African coast and its good weather make it a tempting spot for travellers, who will find a good balance between safety, entertainment and optimal conditions for general exploration.
Algarves, Portugal.
3/ Portugal (6.21 out of 10)
Portugal is well known for its beautiful landscapes, beaches, architecture, gastronomy... but it is also a friendly and safe country (more than Spain, without going any further), thus it ranks third in this solo travel ranking. The Portuguese nation obtained in this ranking one of the highest safety scores and the lowest crime scores among the countries analyzed, and also a good mark in terms of the quality of accommodation.
Croatia has endless cultural and nature plans for solo travelers.
After this podium, the winners according to the Bounce study would be Croatia (fourth place), Spain (in a not insignificant fifth place, although we are surprised that Malta has surpassed us in number of bars per inhabitant) and Belize (sixth place, and stands out in group activities, no less than 132 per 100,000 people).
In seventh place would be Montenegro (with an outstanding in affordable price for accommodation), followed by Japan (eighth place and the best country in terms of gastronomic offer, with 636 restaurants per 100,000 inhabitants), Slovenia (in ninth place, and we are not surprised to find it in the ranking, since we have told you about the many benefits of this small country on many occasions) and Ireland (in a tenth place).
As a curiosity, it should be noted that The United States has the highest ratio of bars per person (it is not Spain, we insist), with 27.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, which Cuba has the most accessible price for a one-way ticket and that Sri Lanka was in 2021 the cheapest country in terms of the average cost of a hotel night ($23 per night).
Once all the factors are put on the table... where are we going?