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Party of one:
guide to solo travelling and dining.

When was the last time you had a little ‘me’ time? Now imagine taking an entire ‘me’ trip. That means having the freedom to decide where to explore and dine – no compromising, no sharing. In fact, 42% of Brits plan to travel solo over the next 12 months, while 7 in 10 will dine as a party of one. See what else travellers are loving about travelling solo, and the best destinations to do it.

Methodology

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42% of Brits plan to travel solo over the next 12 months.

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7 in 10 Brits will dine as a party of one.

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Dining solo is increasingly popular.

 

The majority of Brits (85%) have dined by themselves – and most seem to enjoy it. In fact, OpenTable has seen solo diners in the UK increase 14% compared to last year. The biggest plus? Getting more “me” time. Other major benefits were pointed out too, like being able to choose where and when to dine.

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A couple things could get in the way of complete and utter solo dining bliss, though: feeling judged by other diners, and the occasional challenge of booking a table for one. But not to worry, OpenTable has some tips on how to make dining solo feel as comfortable and natural as possible.

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The solo experience means you get to make the decisions.

More than three in four Brits have travelled by themselves – and KAYAK data also shows an increase of 5% share in solo travel over the past five years. But what is it that makes solo travel so appealing for Brits? The majority find that travelling by yourself gives the opportunity to explore new destinations and try new restaurants – without obligation to anyone else.

Travelling alone for work or leisure, and simply needing a break from socialising were in fact cited as the two biggest circumstances for dining alone.

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Travelling solo, with connections along the way.

 

 

Booking a single plane ticket is one thing – spending days with only yourself to keep you company is another. It turns out that despite booking a trip for one, more than a quarter of Brits still want to be able to connect with others while away. They cite places like restaurants, cafés and bars as hot spots for meeting other like-minded travellers.

In fact, over half of Brits have experienced more than a casual relationship while travelling on their own, and 44% are also open to the idea of a romantic fling while travelling solo in the future. This could explain why almost every fifth Brit books a room with a double or twin bed – and not a single – when travelling solo.

The best destinations for a solo trip? Most say cities are the most appealing, but outdoorsy places and resorts are also popular.

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The top cities for all-by-yourself adventures.

These destinations check all the boxes. We looked at rankings for perceptions of safety, cultural attractions, affordability and more to round up the top places you need to visit. See who made our list – and what to do once you’re there.

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#1

Berlin, Germany

The buzzing and diverse capital of Germany leads the pack as the best destination for a solo trip. Remnants of its unique history are still present everywhere today – but it’s the swimmable lakes, green areas like Tiergarten, and quality walking tours that will surprise you. Of course, a sampling of currywurst is also a must. Check out our Berlin guide for more.

100%

Solo score

Go if you’re into

Markets History Street art

And crave

Currywurst Döner kebab Schnitzel

Getting to and staying in Berlin.

Here’s what you can expect to pay for flights, hotels and dining.

flights

£156

Average round-trip

flight price

stays

£109

Average hotel price

per night

medal

7.6

Average hotel rating

from solo travellers

restaurant

£20

Average cost of a

meal per person

Start planning

Eat here.

OpenTable’s top picks for Berlin.

893

893

Japanese

4.7/5

££££

irma-la

Irma la Douce

Contemporary French

4.7/5

££££

ottenthal-restaurant-weinhandlung

Ottenthal Restaurant & Weinhandlung

Austrian

4.8/5

£££

funkyfisch

Funky Fisch

Fish

4.8/5

£££

Find your table

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#2

Paris, France

There’s so much to do in Paris that it would be wise to skip the Eiffel Tower and get immersed elsewhere instead. Catch a fountain show at Versailles, make new friends at one of its countless music festivals, fill your soul up with thoughtful art and museum exhibits, or go on a quest to find your new favourite bakery. Check out our Paris guide for more.

95%

Solo score

Go if you’re into

Cafés Museums Gardens

And crave

Croissants Coq au vin Escargot

Getting to and staying in Paris.

Here’s what you can expect to pay for flights, hotels and dining.

flights

£110

Average round-trip

flight price

stays

£173

Average hotel price

per night

medal

7.7

Average hotel rating

from solo travelers

restaurant

£27

Average cost of a

meal per person

Start planning

Eat here.

OpenTable’s top picks for Paris.

cafe-de-lhomme

Café de l’Homme

French

4.5/5

££££

pamelapopo

Pamela Popo

French

4.8/5

££££

sacre-frenchy

Sacré Frenchy !

Traditional French

4.5/5

£££

trace

Tracé

Contemporary French

4.8/5

££££

Find your table

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#3

Dublin, Ireland

A short plane ride across the water, the Emerald Isle is a true gem for those visiting alone. Dublin enjoys a reputation of being an extremely friendly city; don’t be surprised to find yourself engrossed in a deep conversation with a stranger in a pub, or dancing to live trad music in a cosy inn. Check out our Dublin guide for more.

90%

Solo score

Go if you’re into

Music Seafood Literature

And crave

Irish stew Soda bread Guinness pie

Getting to and staying in Dublin.

Here’s what you can expect to pay for flights, hotels and dining.

flights

£85

Average round-trip

flight price

stays

£168

Average hotel price

per night

medal

7.7

Average hotel rating

from solo travelers

restaurant

£23

Average cost of a

meal per person

Start planning

Eat here.

OpenTable’s top picks for Dublin.

chez-max-dublin

Chez Max

French

4.7/5

£££

glas-dublin

Glas

Vegetarian / Vegan

4.7/5

££££

winding-stair-dublin

The Winding Stair

Irish

4.6/5

£££

tomahawk-dublin

Tomahawk

Steakhouse

4.8/5

££££

Find your table

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#4

Dubai, UAE

Solo travellers will especially appreciate the sense of safety that Dubai offers. And who needs someone slowing you down on a shopping spree anyway? From souks to mega-malls, Dubai’s got the shop-till-you-drop mentality down pat. Otherwise, there are plenty of hotels and resorts you never have to leave to have a good time. Check out our Dubai guide for more.

84%

Solo score

Go if you’re into

Shopping Desert Architecture

And crave

Shawarma Machboos Knafeh

Getting to and staying in Dubai.

Here’s what you can expect to pay for flights, hotels and dining.

flights

£557

Average round-trip

flight price

stays

£83

Average hotel price

per night

medal

7.7

Average hotel rating

from solo travelers

restaurant

£54

Average cost of a

meal per person

Start planning

Eat here.

OpenTable’s top picks for Dubai.

akira

Akira Back – W Dubai The Palm

Creative Japanese

4.9/5

££££

amazon-dubai

Amazónico Dubai

Latin American

4.7/5

££££

level43

Level 43 Sky Lounge

Japanese

4.8/5

££££

tomahawk-dublin

Sea Fu – Four Seasons Dubai DJB

Seafood

4.6/5

££££

Find your table

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#5

Sydney, Australia

The Harbour City’s gorgeous location and favourable weather make outdoor dining very common. Pick a table with a great view and you won’t miss having someone to chat with. When you’re not soaking up the city, catch a nature day trip to visit with the country’s famous furry residents, or hang out with other visitors over a glass of wine at a winery. Check out our Sydney guide for more.

75%

Solo score

Go if you’re into

Beaches Nature Wine

And crave

Meat pies Pavlova Seafood

Getting to and staying in Sydney.

Here’s what you can expect to pay for flights, hotels and dining.

flights

£1046

Average round-trip

flight price

stays

£118

Average hotel price

per night

medal

7.5

Average hotel rating

from solo travelers

restaurant

£33

Average cost of a

meal per person

Start planning

Eat here.

OpenTable’s top picks for Sydney.

hemingways

Hemingway’s Manly

French

4.8/5

££££

ikaria

Ikaria

Mediterranean

4.8/5

££££

margaret

Margaret

Modern Australian

4.7/5

££££

pellegrino

Pellegrino 2000

Italian

4.8/5

££££

Find your table

Tips and tricks.

Now that you know why you should try solo travel and where to go,
get more tips and inspiration to have the best ‘me’ trip ever.

3-blog-making-friends

7 unique ways to meet people on a solo trip

calamari

OpenTable’s solo dining guide

1-blog-the-low-effort-guide-on-how-to-find-cheap-flights

The low-effort guide on how to find cheap flights

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You & the world: Travel experts share their tips for traveling alone

Curious about our ranking? Here’s the proof.

The top cities have been selected based on the largest share of solo travel searches made on KAYAK and the share of solo dining at OpenTable restaurants.

The solo travel share has been identified based on the hotel searches for one person conducted from the 1st January 2024 to 31st July 2024 for the travel period between 7th January 2024 and 30th November 2024.

To identify solo dining share, OpenTable looked at solo seated diners from phone, online and walk-in reservations from 1st August 2023 to 31st July 2024 in cities with over 10 restaurants containing POS data, as of 1st January 2024.

KAYAK considered hotel clicks to determine nightly prices for a standard double room in 3- and 4-star hotels with the search period between the 1st January 2024 to 31st July 2024 and the travel period between 7th January 2024 and 30th November 2024. Prices are on average in GBP. Hotels are awarded stars by independent official authorities in their respective countries.

KAYAK considered flight clicks to determine prices for the return flights in economy class departing from the UK for searches from the 1st January 2024 to 31st July 2024 for the travel period 7th January 2024 – 30th November 2024. Prices are on average in GBP.

The average rating of hotels in a given city given by solo travellers is collected over the period of 1st January 2020 – 30th April 2024 from all reviews provided in English. The reviews come from KAYAK and partner websites.

OpenTable looked at seated diners from online, phone, and walk-in reservations from 1st August 2023 to 31st July 2024 looking at restaurants on the platform during this period.

The number of tagged museums, theatres and concert halls in a city per 100,000 inhabitants.
Source: OpenStreetMap (Sourced on 19.08.2024)

Safety Index by City
Source: Numbeo (Sourced on 19.08.2024)
https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings.jsp

Values within each factor were firstly normalised using formulas: score = (x – min(X)) / (max(X) – min(X)) and score = 1 – (x – min(X)) / (max(X) – min(X)) for inverted values (e.g.average hotel price, where the lower price is better) and then the final score of the factors has been calculated for each city.