Solo Travel: Your Trip, Your Rules
No compromises, no waiting around, no splitting the bill. Whether it's your first solo trip or your fifteenth, here's everything you need to plan it, enjoy it, and stay safe doing it.
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Thinking about travelling alone for the first time? It can feel daunting, but it doesn't have to be scary. Roughly one in two travellers now consider going solo at some point, and searches for single-traveller flights have climbed sharply in the last couple of years. You set the pace, choose the destinations, and design the itinerary with zero compromises. It's not about being lonely, it's about having the whole trip to yourself. Here are our best guides for making solo travel as easy, social, and safe as it can be.
Solo Travel, Your Way
Solo travel isn't one thing. Here's the full range, from first-timer nerves to long-term life on the road.
First-Time Solo Trip
The thinking-about-it-but-haven't-booked-it stage. Here's how to pick a destination, plan just enough, and actually go.
- Start with friendly, easy-to-navigate destinations
- A loose plan beats a rigid one
The nerves before you go are normal, and they fade fast
First-Timer GuidesSolo Female Travel
Practical, no-nonsense safety advice that doesn't talk down to you. Smart precautions, not paranoia.
- Research neighbourhoods before booking
- Trust your gut over politeness, always
Some destinations need more planning than others
Safety GuidesSolo Backpacking & Budget
Hostels, overland routes, and stretching every pound. Travelling alone is often the cheapest way to see the world.
- No splitting costs means full control of spend
- Hostels make meeting people effortless
Some bookings carry a single supplement
Budget Solo TipsDigital Nomad & Long-Term Solo
Weeks, not days. Coworking hubs, visa runs, and building a routine that actually sticks while you move around.
- Coworking spaces double as social hubs
- Slower travel costs less per day overall
Needs more admin: visas, insurance, banking
Long-Term GuidesCommunity-Friendly Solo
Solo doesn't mean isolated. Group hikes, food tours, and coworking meetups built for meeting people on your terms.
- Day tours are a low-pressure way to meet people
- Apps like Meetup make local events easy to find
Takes a bit of initiative to put yourself out there
Meet Fellow TravellersSolo Hiking & Outdoors
Trails, summits, and the kind of quiet you only get alone. Preparation matters more out here than anywhere else.
- Total freedom to go at your own pace
- Deeper connection with the landscape
Tell someone your route and expected return time
Solo Hiking TipsSolo Travel Guides
Every solo travel guide on the site, freshest first. New ones land here automatically.
Hostels
Meeting People
Solo Safety
Solo Destinations
Solo Mindset
What Do Walking Tours Actually Cost?
Anywhere from a tip to four figures. Here's the honest spread so nothing catches you out.
Budget / Free
Free to £15 / $20 / €17
- Free walking tour (tip only): £5-15 / $7-20 / €6-17
- Self-guided app route: free to £10 / $13 / €12
- City walking map: usually free
Guided
£12-40 / $16-54 / €14-46
- Group guided tour (2-3 hrs): £12-40 / $16-54 / €14-46
- Themed tour (food, ghost, art): £20-55 / $27-74 / €23-63
- Half-day walking tour: £30-60 / $40-80 / €35-69
Premium & Multi-Day
£80 to £1,500+ / $107-2,010 / €92-1,725
- Private guided tour (half day): £80-250+ / $107-335 / €92-288
- Multi-day self-guided walk: £400-900 / $536-1,206
- Guided walking holiday (a week): £900-1,500+ / $1,206-2,010+
Money-Saving Tips
Ten small moves that add up to real savings.
- Do a free tour on day one. It tells you where to go back to.
- Always carry small cash. Free-tour guides live on tips.
- Self-guided apps cover most big cities for nothing.
- Tourist info offices hand out free walking maps.
- Book themed tours direct for the same price, no markup.
- Go early. Morning tours dodge crowds and afternoon heat.
- Group tours beat private ones if you don't mind company.
- Combine a walk with free museums to fill a whole day.
- Off-season tours are cheaper and far less packed.
- Tip what you'd happily pay. Good guides earn it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ones we get asked most, answered honestly.
Are free walking tours actually free?
Sort of. There's no fixed fee, but they run on tips and your guide is relying on them, so they're free in the same way a busker is free. Bring some cash and tip what the tour was worth to you. Genuinely free, in the no-money-changes-hands sense, they are not.
How much should I tip on a free walking tour?
A fair rule of thumb is £5-15 / $7-20 / €6-17 per person for a good two to three hour tour. Adjust up for a brilliant guide or a small group, down if it was rushed or rammed. Cash in the local currency is always easiest, and have it ready at the end so you're not the one fumbling.
How long do walking tours usually last?
Most city walking tours run two to three hours. Free tours sit at the longer end. Themed and food tours can stretch to three or four. Self-guided routes are however long you make them. Multi-day walking holidays are a different beast entirely, often a full week.
Do I need to book walking tours in advance?
For free tours, often not, but popular ones in big cities fill up, so reserving a spot is smart. For guided, private and themed tours, yes, book ahead, especially in peak season. Self-guided app tours need nothing but a charged phone.
What should I wear and bring on a walking tour?
Comfortable shoes you've already broken in, water, and layers for changing weather. A power bank if you're following a self-guided route on your phone. Sun cream and a hat in summer. And cash for tips if it's a free tour. That's about it.
Are walking tours good for families with kids?
The right ones, yes. Shorter tours, themed walks (kids love a ghost tour or a treasure-hunt format) and private tours where you set the pace all work well. Long, dense history tours tend to lose younger kids fast. Check the listed duration and pick something punchy.
Guided or self-guided, which is better?
Depends what you want. Guided gives you stories, context and someone to ask, which is brilliant for a first visit or a complicated history. Self-guided gives you freedom, costs less, and lets you linger or bail whenever you like. A lot of people do a guided tour on day one, then go self-guided after.
Are walking tours accessible if I have limited mobility?
Increasingly, yes, but it varies a lot by city and tour. Many operators now offer step-free or slower-paced routes, and private tours can be built around your needs. Always message the operator before booking to check the terrain, distance and pace. Cobbles and hills are the usual sticking points.
Do walking tours run in bad weather?
Most run rain or shine, so pack a waterproof. Tours are usually only cancelled for genuinely dangerous conditions like storms or ice. If a tour is cancelled, paid ones normally refund or reschedule. Check the operator's policy when you book.
What's the best walking tour for my first day in a new city?
A free or general orientation walking tour, every time. It hands you the lay of the land, points out the spots worth coming back to, and your guide usually drops local tips you'd never find online. Do it on day one and the rest of your trip plans itself.
Travel Hubs Worth A Look
Ready to Hit the Pavement?
Grab the free starter kit for planning checklists and packing tips, or jump straight into a route and start walking.