Solo travel
Solo city breaks in Europe: 10 cities for a weekend on your own
Ten European cities where a weekend alone simply works. Short distances, bars where sitting solo is normal, and one hotel in each with a bar or lounge.
Picolo Editorial
It is six o'clock on a Friday in Bologna, and the bars under the arcades are starting to fill. You order a spritz at the counter and a plate of mortadella and olives arrives without you asking. Beside you stand a student with a book and a man in a suit fresh from the office.
A solo city break is easier than most people think. You set the pace, eat when you are hungry, and in most European cities sitting alone at a bar is entirely ordinary. We have chosen ten cities where a weekend on your own works beautifully, each with a hotel whose bar or lounge makes company easy to find. For long-haul ideas, see our guide to the best places to travel solo.
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In short
The best cities for a solo city break have short distances and bars where sitting alone is normal. We recommend ten cities in Europe. Our first choice is Amsterdam: barely an hour's flight from London, and a canalside hotel with a lobby that buzzes from breakfast to midnight.
First choice: See rooms at The Hoxton on the Herengracht in Amsterdam (Paid link)
How we chose the cities
Every city has a walkable centre, public transport that is easy to work out, and bars and restaurants where eating at the counter is normal. None of the hotels falls below 8.8 on Hotels.com, all with more than 50 reviews. Each has a bar, lounge or roof terrace where guests mingle.
Amsterdam: brown cafés after work
Amsterdam is made for walking and cycling, and the ring of canals means you rarely get lost. In the late afternoon the brown cafés, the city's old neighbourhood pubs, fill with people having a beer on their own after work.
The Hoxton Amsterdam
The lobby is open to all, and locals use it too.
The Hoxton Amsterdam
The Hoxton occupies old canal houses on the Herengracht, a short stroll from Dam Square. The lobby is open to everyone, with people on laptops by day and cocktails by night. Great if you want life downstairs and peace in your room.
Book your stay: See rooms at The Hoxton Amsterdam (Paid link)
Berlin: trains that run all night
Berlin is big and sprawling, but at weekends the U-Bahn and S-Bahn run through the night, so getting home safely is simple. The city is used to people going out alone, whether to Museum Island by day or a jazz club late on.
Orania.Berlin
Kreuzberg stays up late, and this bar is a fine place to start.
Orania.Berlin
Orania.Berlin stands on Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg, one of the city's liveliest districts. The ground-floor bar and restaurant are where evenings begin, and taking a seat at the counter alone feels natural. Great if you want Kreuzberg's bars and restaurants on the doorstep.
Book your stay: See rooms at Orania.Berlin (Paid link)
Madrid: dinner at ten
Madrid eats late, which suits a solo traveller well: dinner at ten is normal. In the tapas bars along Cava Baja in La Latina, people stand at the counter and order one dish at a time.
Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid
A 19th-century palace dressed by Lázaro Rosa-Violán.
Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid
Only YOU fills a 19th-century palace in Chueca, with interiors by the designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán. The lobby bar is the kind of place you settle into without meaning to. Great if you want a lively neighbourhood and a pre-dinner drink without leaving the building.
Book your stay: See rooms at Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid (Paid link)
Valencia: cycle from the old town to the sea
Valencia has an old town, a beach and a nine-kilometre park laid out where the Turia river once flowed. Cycling along the park takes you from the old town to the sea in about half an hour. The city is relaxed and easy to navigate alone.
Caro Hotel
Parts of the Roman city wall survive inside the hotel.
Caro Hotel
Caro Hotel occupies a 19th-century palace in the old town, and the restoration uncovered remains of both the Roman and the Arab city walls. Parts of them are preserved inside the hotel. Great for history lovers who want to sleep in the thick of the old town.
Book your stay: See rooms at Caro Hotel (Paid link)
Bologna: dry feet under the porticoes
Bologna has around 40 kilometres of porticoes in the centre, so you stay dry even when it rains. It is Italy's oldest university city, and students keep the streets busy all year. Aperitivo, a drink served with small bites before dinner, is part of every evening.
Hotel Touring
The roof terrace sits above the city's red rooftops.
Hotel Touring
Hotel Touring is a family-run hotel in central Bologna with a roof terrace above the red rooftops. The terrace is a peaceful place for a glass before heading out, and the city's famous food streets are within walking distance. Great if you want a small hotel with personal service.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Touring (Paid link)
Budapest: chess in hot water
Budapest is two cities in one: Buda on the hills and Pest on the flat, with the Danube between them. The baths are the city's living rooms, and at Széchenyi people sit alone in the hot water playing chess on floating boards.
Aria Hotel Budapest
Aria Hotel has a music theme, with each wing devoted to a genre, from classical and opera to jazz. The High Note SkyBar on the roof looks straight across to St Stephen's Basilica. Great if you want to start the evening high above the city, close to the ruin bars.
Book your stay: See rooms at Aria Hotel Budapest (Paid link)
Kraków: evenings in Kazimierz
Kraków has one of Europe's largest medieval squares, Rynek Główny, and you can loop the old town in half an hour along the Planty park. The city is compact and good value for eating out.
Puro Kraków Kazimierz
The courtyard bars of Kazimierz stay open late.
Puro Kraków Kazimierz
Puro is in Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, where bars tucked into old tenement courtyards stay open late. The rooms are modern and uncluttered, and the lobby doubles as a café and meeting point. Great if you want nightlife just around the corner.
Book your stay: See rooms at Puro Kraków Kazimierz (Paid link)
Tallinn: a medieval city in miniature
Tallinn's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its cobbled streets are compact enough to walk everywhere. The city feels safe late into the evening. The ferry from Helsinki takes about two hours.
Hotel Telegraaf
The hotel fills the city's former telegraph building.
Hotel Telegraaf
Hotel Telegraaf is in the former telegraph building in the middle of the old town, a couple of minutes from Town Hall Square. It has a spa with a pool and a restaurant where dining alone feels natural. Great if you want comfort after a day on the cobbles.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Telegraaf (Paid link)
Gothenburg: fika in Haga
Gothenburg is Sweden's relaxed second city, an easy hop from London. Fika, the Swedish coffee break with something sweet, in a café in Haga is a lovely way to start a day alone.
Hotel Pigalle
Velvet and dark wood bring a hint of interwar Paris.
Hotel Pigalle
Hotel Pigalle is on Södra Hamngatan, its interiors inspired by interwar Paris, with velvet, patterned wallpaper and dark wood. The bar and restaurant stay lively into the night. Great if you want a central address with a touch of theatre.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Pigalle (Paid link)
Antwerp: Rubens and fashion
Antwerp is smaller and calmer than Brussels, with fashion boutiques, a diamond district and a cathedral hung with altarpieces by Rubens. The Eurostar to Brussels and a short train onwards gets you there from London in an afternoon.
Hotel Julien
From the roof terrace you look straight at the cathedral spire.
Hotel Julien
Hotel Julien spans two joined townhouses a stone's throw from the cathedral, and the roof terrace looks straight at the cathedral spire. The hotel is small and quiet. Great if you want the city on the doorstep and somewhere peaceful to come back to.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Julien (Paid link)
Frequently asked questions about solo city breaks
Which European city is best for a weekend alone?
Amsterdam, Budapest and Gothenburg are among the best cities for a weekend alone, because distances are short and sitting solo in bars and cafés is normal. From the UK, Amsterdam is the quickest to reach. If you want the most culture for your money, choose Budapest.
Is it safe to travel alone to Kraków?
Yes, Kraków is considered a safe city for solo travellers, and the old town and Kazimierz stay busy until late. Watch for pickpockets around Rynek Główny and on the trams. Use an app to book taxis late at night, and be aware the city is popular with stag parties at weekends.
How long should a solo city break be?
Three nights is usually enough for a solo city break: two full days in the city and an evening to arrive. Smaller cities such as Tallinn, Antwerp and Bologna work well over two nights. For big cities like Berlin and Madrid, allow at least three.
How do I find a sociable hotel?
Look for hotels whose lobby is open to locals, with a bar, café or roof terrace, and something happening in the evening. Read reviews from other solo travellers and check whether the hotel has communal tables or events. The Hoxton in Amsterdam and Aria in Budapest are good examples.
Which city is the cheapest?
Of the cities in this guide, Kraków and Budapest are usually the best value for food and hotels, with Valencia and Tallinn somewhere in the middle. Amsterdam, Gothenburg and Antwerp cost the most. Wherever you go, travelling outside peak season and major events saves money.