Best Countries to Travel Alone

The Best Countries to Travel Alone

Vacations are often associated with families packed into cars and college friends
moving from hostel to hostel. But increasingly, more people are ditching group
adventures to travel the globe solo. The number of people traveling alone doubled
between 2013 and 2015, according to a Visa Travel Intentions Study.

The 2020 Best Countries to Travel Alone ranking draws from a global perceptions-
based survey and ranks countries based on scores from a compilation of seven country
attributes: culturally accessible, fun, friendly, pleasant climate, safe, scenic and
unapproachable.

These are the top five countries.

Solo Travel Rankings

Spain

#1 in Solo Travel Rankings

No Change in Rank from 2019

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A number of independent kingdoms united in 1492 to form the Kingdom

of Spain, a cultural patchwork that continues to shape the modern
nation’s dynamic identity. Spain comprises much of the Iberian
Peninsula, which it shares with Portugal on the southwestern edge of
 Europe. It also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea,
the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and two enclaves in North
Africa.
GDP

$1.4 trillion

POPULATION

46.7 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$40,172

Italy

#2 in Solo Travel Rankings

No Change in Rank from 2019

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Italy is a south-central European country, whose boot-shaped borders

extend into the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s historical cities, world-
renowned cuisine and geographic beauty make it a popular destination
for more than 40 million tourists each year. The nation is home to Mount
Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, and houses two
countries within its borders – the Vatican and San Marino.
 GDP

$2.1 trillion

POPULATION

60.4 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$39,676

Greece

#3 in Solo Travel Rankings

#4 out of 80 in 2019

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Located in southeastern Europe, Greece as an independent nation is

young, existing since the 19th century. Its civilization, however, is one of
history’s oldest and most influential, credited with creating the concept
of democracy as well as the ancient Olympic Games, and laying
Western foundations in science, the arts and philosophy.

GDP

$218.0 billion
 POPULATION

10.7 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$29,072

New Zealand

#4 in Solo Travel Rankings

#3 out of 80 in 2019

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British and Polynesian influences course through picturesque New

Zealand, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean southeast of Australia.
Early Maori settlers ceded sovereignty to British invaders with the
Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, and European settlers flooded in. Today, 70
percent of Kiwis, a common term for the people of New Zealand after a
native flightless bird, are of European descent. A sense of pride has
surged among the Maori, the country’s first settlers who now account for
about 14 percent, as homeland grievances become more openly
addressed.
GDP

$205.0 billion
 POPULATION

4.9 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$40,096

Australia

#5 in Solo Travel Rankings

No Change in Rank from 2019

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The Commonwealth of Australia occupies the Australian continent. The

country also includes some islands, most notably Tasmania. Indigenous
people occupied the land for at least 40,000 years before the first British
settlements of the 18th century.

GDP

$1.4 trillion

POPULATION

25.0 million
 GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$52,379

Portugal

#6 in Solo Travel Rankings

No Change in Rank from 2019

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Jutting into the Atlantic Ocean on the edge of the Iberian Peninsula and
flanked by Spain to the east, Portugal is a nation with its gaze turned
outward. Its history is steeped in discovery and exploration, beginning
with early leaders that, after ousting Celtic and Moorish settlers in the
12th century, focused on building their kingdom beyond continental
borders.
GDP

$238.0 billion

POPULATION

10.3 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$32,412


Brazil

#7 in Solo Travel Rankings

No Change in Rank from 2019

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Occupying half of South America’s land mass, Brazil is the giant of the
continent – both in size and in population. Brazil’s history is filled with
economic turmoil, veering from boom to bust, and its culture is a melting
pot that has traditionally welcomed the world. Brazil is one of the world’s
top tourist destinations. However, the country in the 21st century
confronts serious questions touching on poverty, inequality, governance
and the environment.

GDP

$1.9 trillion

POPULATION

209.5 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$16,146


Netherlands

#8 in Solo Travel Rankings

#10 out of 80 in 2019

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Situated along the fringes of Western Europe, the Netherlands is a

coastal lowland freckled with windmills characteristic of its development
around the water. Three major European rivers - the Rhine, Meuse and
Schelde - run through neighbors Germany and Belgium into the nation’s
busy ports.
GDP

$913.7 billion

POPULATION

17.2 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$56,489


Switzerland

#9 in Solo Travel Rankings

#11 out of 80 in 2019

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Switzerland, officially called the Swiss Federation, is a small country in

Central Europe made up of 16,000 square miles of glacier-carved Alps,
lakes and valleys. It’s one of the world’s wealthiest countries, and has
been well-known for centuries for its neutrality.

GDP

$705.5 billion

POPULATION

8.5 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$65,010


Thailand

#10 in Solo Travel Rankings

#9 out of 80 in 2019

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Thailand, which translates to “land of the free,” is the only Southeast

Asian nation that did not encounter European colonization. Located just
above the equator, the nation is wedged into the Indochina peninsula
with neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and has an arm that
extends out to Malaysia.
GDP

$505.0 billion

POPULATION

69.4 million

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$19,484