The Amex 2025 Trends Survey has found that 33 per cent of millennials and gen Z, and 32 per cent of gen X travellers prefer to go it alone.

Whether you’re planning an epic cross-country journey or a spontaneous city escape, some destinations are simply better suited to solo travel.

With this in mind, Lonely Planet’s expert editors have compiled their list of the five best places for solo travellers in Europe. Here’s a sneak peek:

1. Iceland

Don’t let bubbling volcanoes put you off. In 2024, Iceland topped the Global Peace Index as the safest country in the world and ranked as the third happiest. With stunning landscapes and a warm local spirit, it’s a dream for the independent explorer.

Base yourself in Reykjavík, the country’s capital, to see why Iceland deserves both superlatives. The walkable old town mixes cosmopolitan and cozy with its hodgepodge of history museums, excellent restaurants, cozy cafes and corrugated-iron homes dipped in cheery pastels that brighten winter’s darkness.

Lisbon’s neighbourhoods are a major attraction. Photo: PXHere

2. Lisbon, Portugal

Walk, talk, and make amigos. With its vibrant neighbourhoods, friendly locals, and buzzing café culture, Lisbon is a solo traveller’s dream come true.

Knockout looks aside, Lisbon is a relaxed, good-natured, sociable city. Its hilly topography breaks it down into bite-sized, village-like chunks, giving it an intimacy most big cities lack.

While you’ll be drawn to big-hitter sights like the high-on-a-hill Moorish castle and UNESCO-listed, fairy-tale monastery in riverside Belém, you would be wise to stray into less touristy territory ⁠— Lisbon is all about the little details.

3. Alonissos, Greece

For a peaceful Greek island escape, look no further than pine-covered, turquoise-kissed Alonissos in the Northern Sporades. A short boat ride delivers you to serene beaches and a pace of life that makes solo travel feel effortless.

Go on foot, by boat, by bus or on a moped, and you’ll unravel the lovely layers of this island: The cat-prowled alleys, white-blue houses and ­pavement cafes of the old capital, Chora, trails weaving through vine, olive grove and orchard to time-forgotten villages and icon-filled chapels.

The Rock of Dunamase near Stradbally. Photo: AAP

4. Copper Coast, Ireland

This under-the-radar gem offers rugged coastal beauty, friendly locals, and compact charm.

A quieter, less-raved-about, equally lovely alternative to the increasingly busy west-coast Wild Atlantic Way, this 25-kilometre stretch of shore between Kilfarrasy and Stradbally in County Waterford is pure drama. It’s battered by booming waves, defined by the tides, shaped by 460-million-year-old rocks and dotted with historic copper mines (all the focus of a UNESCO Global Geopark).

You don’t even need a car – explore on foot or by bike. With fewer crowds and plenty of Irish hospitality, it’s the perfect place to embrace solitude.

Munich is much more than its bustling Oktoberfest. Photo: PXHere

5. Munich, Germany

It starts with slurred Schlager songs and steins at Oktoberfest, but Munich has much more to offer solo travellers – from art-filled museums to sprawling parks and Bavarian warmth year-round.

You could spend an entire trip bingeing the city’s 80-plus museums, scanning centuries of art at the Pinakothek trio, walking royal halls at the Residenz München or going full throttle at the BMW Museum.

You might also spend your time outside – biking along the Isar, crafting picnics from goods sold at the alfresco Viktualienmarkt, then dipping into Englischer Garten’s Eisbach on summer’s hottest days.

Read the full article “23 Best Places for Solo Travellers around the world”.