Solo travel
Solo holidays over 50: 10 calm destinations and where to stay
Ten destinations for travelling alone with a good bed, good food and a gentler pace. Each has one hotel where dinner for one feels entirely natural.
Picolo Editorial
The ferry from Varenna ties up at Bellagio after a quarter of an hour, and you step ashore with a jacket over your arm. The hotel is a few minutes along the shore, right at the tip of the headland where the lake splits in two. That evening you get a table by the window, and the waiter does not ask whether you are expecting anyone.
This guide is for anyone who wants to travel alone in a little more comfort. Think a proper bed, a restaurant where dining solo is a pleasure, and places with a slower rhythm than the busiest capitals. We have chosen ten destinations with one hotel in each. None of them appear in our main guide to the best places to travel solo.
If you book through the links in this article, Picolo earns a commission based on a percentage of the price. The views in this article are nonetheless entirely our own.
In short
The best solo holidays over 50 combine short distances, good food and hotels with a proper restaurant. We recommend ten destinations, from Lake Como to Kyoto. Our first choice is Lucerne: a direct train from Zurich airport in just over an hour, and a grand hotel on the lake.
First choice: See rooms at Hotel Schweizerhof on the lake in Lucerne (Paid link)
What makes a hotel good for one?
We looked for four things. A restaurant or bar with table service, so there is always somewhere good to eat without searching. Pricing per room rather than per person. A location where you can walk to most things. And guests must rate it 8.8 or higher on Hotels.com, across at least 50 reviews.
The destinations were chosen for their pace. There is room on the pavement, time for a long lunch and train connections that make a car unnecessary.
Lake Como: dinner by the water
Lake Como is shaped like an upside-down Y, and Bellagio sits where the arms meet. The train from Milan to Varenna takes about an hour, and the ferry crosses from there. Boats link the villages all day, so you can leave the car at home.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni stands at the very tip of the Bellagio headland, its gardens running down to the water's edge. There are two restaurants, and Mistral holds a Michelin star. For something simpler, the poolside terrace is a peaceful spot for lunch on your own. Ideal for a few days when everything is taken care of.
Book your stay: See rooms at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni (Paid link)
Bath: hot springs and Georgian crescents
Bath is a small city of Roman baths and long terraces of honey-coloured Georgian stone. The whole city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you can walk from one end to the other in a quarter of an hour. The train from London Paddington takes around an hour and a half.
No.15 by GuestHouse
Thermae Bath Spa is a fifteen-minute stroll away.
No.15 by GuestHouse
No.15 is on Great Pulteney Street, one of the widest streets in Bath, in a row of joined-up Georgian townhouses. There is a spa downstairs and a bar full of armchairs where it feels natural to settle in with a book before dinner. Ideal if you want to spend the day at Thermae Bath Spa and eat out in town at night.
Book your stay: See rooms at No.15 by GuestHouse (Paid link)
Seville: orange blossom and late evenings
Seville is scorching in summer, so come in spring or autumn. In March and April the orange trees along the streets blossom, and the scent hangs over the old town at night. The cathedral and the Alcázar are a few minutes apart, and the centre is flat and easy on the feet.
Hotel Alfonso XIII
Built for the 1929 exposition, a couple of minutes from the Alcázar.
Hotel Alfonso XIII
Hotel Alfonso XIII was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and stands a couple of minutes from the Alcázar. The courtyard is all Moorish tiles and fountains, and the bar offers table service. Ideal if you want to stay in a palace with the tapas bars of Santa Cruz close by.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Alfonso XIII (Paid link)
Kyoto: up early, ahead of the coaches
Kyoto has around 1,600 temples, and the best moments come early in the morning before the tour coaches arrive. The city is calm and safe. Many restaurants have a counter where the chef cooks in front of you, and that is a fine place to sit alone.
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto
The garden lies beside Nijo Castle, with the onsen waiting after dinner.
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto
Hotel The Mitsui sits beside Nijo Castle, on the site of the Mitsui family's former Kyoto residence. It has its own onsen, a Japanese bath fed by natural hot spring water. Ideal if you want calm in the middle of the city and to end each day in warm water.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto (Paid link)
Madeira: mild all year round
Madeira is green, steep and mild all year. The levadas, old irrigation channels, have become footpaths along the mountainsides, and many are level enough for a gentle day's walk. Direct flights run from several UK airports.
Reid's Palace
Afternoon tea here has been a ritual for well over a century.
Reid's Palace
Reid's Palace opened in 1891 on a clifftop above Funchal, and afternoon tea on the terrace has been a ritual for well over a century. The gardens tumble down towards the sea. Tea and scones for one feel just as right here as tea for two. Ideal for winter sun with long, unhurried meals.
Book your stay: See rooms at Reid's Palace (Paid link)
Lucerne: trains, boats and mountains
Lucerne sits on Lake Lucerne ringed by mountains. The Kapellbrücke, a wooden bridge from the 14th century, crosses the Reuss in the middle of town. Steamers and cog railways carry you up Rigi and Pilatus, and none of it needs a car.
Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern
Boats to Rigi and Pilatus leave just outside.
Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern
Hotel Schweizerhof has stood on the lakeside promenade since 1845, a couple of minutes' walk from the station. From the lake-facing rooms you can watch the boats head out towards the peaks. With several restaurants and a bar, you can choose between a light supper and a long dinner. Ideal if you like to travel by rail with the lake on your doorstep.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern (Paid link)
Bordeaux: the wine city on the river
Bordeaux is the capital of wine, but it is also a lovely city to walk. The riverbank along the Garonne is one long promenade, and the Miroir d'eau, the shallow reflecting pool in front of Place de la Bourse, fills with people every evening. The vineyards of Saint-Émilion are a short trip by train and bus.
InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel
The Grand Théâtre opera house is just across the square.
InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel
InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel is on Place de la Comédie, directly opposite the Grand Théâtre opera house. Its restaurant Le Pressoir d'Argent holds Michelin stars, while the brasserie downstairs suits a simpler dinner alone. Ideal if you want the wine bars outside and day trips to the châteaux.
Book your stay: See rooms at InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel (Paid link)
The Norwegian fjords: silence at the end of Norangsfjord
Hjørundfjord and the Norangsdalen valley are far less known than Geiranger, and crowds are rare. The village of Øye sits at the head of Norangsfjord, with mountains rising straight from the water. From Ålesund it takes about two hours by car and ferry.
Hotel Union Øye
The hotel has welcomed guests on the fjord since 1891.
Hotel Union Øye
Hotel Union Øye opened in 1891 and is built in the Swiss chalet style, with salons and a dining room from that era. Dinner is the highlight, and in the evening the tiny village has a stillness you rarely find on the bigger fjords. Ideal for mountain walks by day and a fine dinner by night.
Hotel Union Øye is a member of De Historiske, which Picolo has a commercial partnership with.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Union Øye (Paid link)
Florence: out early, then a long lunch
Florence is small but busy, so choose spring or late autumn and get up early. The Duomo and the Uffizi are a few minutes apart, and tickets are best booked online. The afternoon is for a long lunch and a siesta.
Hotel Brunelleschi
The tower at its heart is among the oldest buildings in Florence.
Hotel Brunelleschi
Hotel Brunelleschi is built around the Torre della Pagliazza, a Byzantine tower that ranks among the oldest buildings in Florence. It stands on a quiet piazza a few minutes from the Duomo, and the basement holds a small museum of finds from the excavations. Ideal if you want to walk everywhere and sleep inside a piece of history.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Brunelleschi (Paid link)
Salzburg: music and Sachertorte
Salzburg is Mozart's birthplace, and there is music all year, from the summer festival to concerts in the churches in winter. The old town lies on one bank of the Salzach, and you can walk to nearly everything.
Hotel Sacher Salzburg
From the riverbank you look up to the Hohensalzburg fortress.
Hotel Sacher Salzburg
Hotel Sacher sits on the Salzach with views of the old town and the Hohensalzburg fortress. Café Sacher serves the original Sachertorte, and sitting there alone with a newspaper is entirely the done thing. Ideal if you have come for the music and want the concert halls within walking distance.
Book your stay: See rooms at Hotel Sacher Salzburg (Paid link)
How to eat well on your own
Ask for a window table or a seat at the bar when you book. It gives you something to watch, and the bartender often turns into good company.
Make lunch the main meal of the day. Set menus are cheaper, restaurants are full of people dining alone, and the evening feels lighter. At hotels offering half board, you never have to hunt for somewhere to eat.
Frequently asked questions about solo holidays over 50
What are the best solo holidays for over 50s?
The best solo holidays for over 50s are places with short distances, good food and a slower pace, such as Lucerne, Bath and Madeira. Choose a hotel with its own restaurant and bar, so you always have somewhere good to eat. Trains and boats make it easy to travel without a car.
How do I avoid the single supplement?
Book your hotel directly or through a site that prices per room, and you pay the same as a couple would. For tours and cruises, look for departures with dedicated single cabins or operators that specialise in solo travellers. It is also worth asking whether the supplement is waived outside peak season.
Are cruises good for solo travellers over 50?
Cruises can suit solo travellers well, because you unpack once and have company at dinner every night. The catch is that many lines charge a single supplement that can be steep. Look for ships with dedicated solo cabins, or try a shorter river cruise where it is easier to get to know fellow passengers.
Which hotels are best for dining alone?
Hotels with their own restaurant and bar, where you can sit at the counter or get a window table, work best. Classic grand hotels such as Reid's Palace on Madeira and Hotel Sacher in Salzburg have cafés and bars where sitting alone has always been part of the scene. Half board makes it easy to eat well every night.
When is the best time to travel to avoid crowds?
April, May, September and October are the best months to avoid crowds in Europe. Skip the summer holidays in Florence and Salzburg, and the cherry blossom and autumn leaf seasons in Kyoto. Madeira is mild all year, so January or February is a fine time to go.