A solo trip has pretty much become a rite of passage for many Aussies – we love travel and adventure, so we're not afraid to jet off alone to explore far off places. But it can be a daunting experience, particularly for women who may have worries around safety, but still yearn to live out their Eat, Pray, Love dreams. The good news is that research by Airbnb shows that the number of women travelling solo appears to be on the up, so there's never been a better time to have a hot girl summer overseas.
There's no denying that safety is a super important consideration for solo female travellers when choosing a destination. To help with the decision-making, Airbnb teamed up with female-founded personal safety app WalkSafe+ to determine which destinations were most popular for self-proclaimed solo women travellers. The research uncovered which places across the globe had the highest percentage of nights booked by solo females.
Turns out the French capital of Paris isn’t just an attractive city for love birds. Its abundance of museums, whimsical gardens and love for all things bread, cheese and wine saw Paris crowned as the top solo travel destination for women.
Dubai made the podium in second place, followed by Barcelona in third, Lisbon in fourth and Cape Town in fifth spot.
Two Australian cities made the global list, with Melbourne claiming ninth place. It’s no mystery why women worldwide want a slice of Melbourne’s charm, which is mostly thanks to our amazing restaurants, top-notch arts and culture scene and exciting nightlife. Sydney ranked sixth on the list, so Down Under had great representation in the top ten. You can read the full study here.
Here is the full ranked list of the top solo travel destinations for women, according to Airbnb:
- Paris
- Dubai
- Barcelona
- Lisbon
- Cape Town
- Sydney
- Madrid
- Athens
- Melbourne
- Toronto
If you yourself are a traveller coming to Melbourne – or if you're a Melburnian wanting to be a tourist in your own town – these are the 100 things to do in Melbourne at least once in your life.