Packing your bags and hitting the road on your own is one of the most liberating ways to explore the world, but picking the right destination can make or break the experience.
While solo travel brings unmatched freedom, feeling secure, confident, and well-supported while navigating a new country is naturally top of mind, especially if it’s your first time going it alone. Fortunately, certain countries stand out for their low crime rates, welcoming locals, reliable public transport, and effortless travel infrastructure.
One company compared over a hundred countries to work out which ones offer the safest experience for solo travellers, and Europe has come out on top in a big way. Here’s what the research found, and which destinations made the final list.
No destination is ever completely risk-free.
It’s worth remembering that nowhere in the world can claim to be entirely without risk, in exactly the same way your own home city isn’t either. What helps is choosing somewhere known for things like feeling safe walking around at night, and somewhere that’s politically stable rather than caught up in ongoing conflict or unrest.
With that in mind, a US-based travel insurance comparison site called Squaremouth set out to properly compare destinations against each other, using a mix of measurable factors rather than just guesswork or reputation alone.
Several different factors went into the rankings.
The comparison only looked at destinations rated as having very high or high human development according to an internationally recognised development index. From there, researchers examined each destination’s peace and stability score, along with how safe people generally feel there based on public safety perception data.
Beyond just safety perception, the research also factored in practical things travellers care about, including how fast mobile internet tends to be and how easy it is to access proper medical care if something goes wrong during a trip.
Europe dominated the final results.
Once everything was compared, seven out of the ten safest destinations for solo travellers turned out to be in Europe. That’s a striking result, showing just how strongly the continent performed once every factor was weighed up together. That doesn’t mean destinations outside Europe missed out entirely, though, since a handful of non-European countries still managed to secure a spot within the overall top ten as well.
San Marino topped the entire ranking.
This tiny European microstate came out with the lowest risk score of any destination studied, landing comfortably in first place overall. Locals there reported a high sense of personal safety, with the vast majority saying they feel comfortable walking alone, even at night.
San Marino also benefits from a strong healthcare system, alongside notably low environmental risk compared to many other destinations included in the comparison. Together, these factors helped push it clearly ahead of everywhere else on the list.
Andorra and Singapore rounded out the top three.
Another small European country, Andorra, landed in second place overall, following closely behind San Marino’s impressively low risk score. Third place went to Singapore, a result that likely won’t surprise anyone who’s actually visited, given its longstanding reputation for cleanliness, order, and safety.
Both destinations scored strongly across the same combination of factors used throughout the comparison, reinforcing just how consistently they perform when it comes to keeping solo travellers feeling secure.
Austria and Czechia completed the top five.
Rounding out the top five, both Austria and Czechia secured strong positions in the overall rankings, further cementing Europe’s dominance throughout this particular list. Both destinations are already well established among travellers more broadly, and this research adds measurable backing to that reputation.
Their consistently strong scores across safety, healthcare access and general stability helped keep them firmly ahead of many other destinations included in the wider comparison.
The remaining top ten spots went to a mix of countries.
Estonia, Denmark, and Slovenia all secured spots within the top ten too, continuing Europe’s overwhelming presence throughout the entire list. Alongside them, Qatar and Brunei also made the cut, showing that strong safety credentials extend well beyond Europe’s borders as well.
Taken together, the full top ten offers a useful starting point for anyone nervous about planning their very first solo trip, blending well-known European favourites with a few destinations that might not have been on your radar before.
What this actually means for planning your next solo trip
For anyone feeling uncertain about travelling alone for the first time, starting with a destination that scores well across safety, healthcare and general stability can take some of the pressure off. It won’t remove every risk entirely, but it puts the odds firmly in your favour.
Whether that means booking a trip to San Marino, Andorra, or somewhere else entirely on this list, having research like this to lean on makes choosing that first solo destination feel considerably less overwhelming than starting from scratch.
