Of all the places you've been, which city/town/village would you say was the best place for a solo visit?

For me, I'd say Ottawa, Ontario. Perhaps because it was my first solo trip - but I found it very easy and enjoyable to visit. Lots of sightseeing, but I never felt like I was the only solo person in the crowd. Easy to navigate the streets, even downtown, in a car or on foot, so I didn't miss the "person with the map". The locals were very friendly and always willing to provide information or just chat. It also has a downtown that isn't based solely on nightclubs and dance clubs, so there were plenty of places to go after dark - Rasputins is a great little place with local music and great food. Plus lots of places to commune with nature or just get away for a while. Very walking friendly - stroll along the Rideau Canal, Ottawa River Parkway, Dows Lake, Mooney Bay, or along the trails at Vincent Massey Park and Hogs Back Falls.

So how about everyone else - that one place that just shouts for solo travelers to visit?

Australia & New Zealand (all of it). very safe and good transportation options. a lot of the natives travel on their own as well.

Quietplague - how about narrowing it down more? Which city/town/village in Australia/New Zealand would you say is the best for solo travelling and why? That one place that really stands out against the rest?

Hi Toedtoes, I also nominate New Zealand as the best place to travel solo. Any NZ city/town/village is great. I have been to different parts of NZ 6 times in the past 5 years and I love every stop. I particularly adore Nelson and Fox Glacier for its friendly people, fantastic location and outdoor activities. BTW, during my visit to Fox Glacier 2 years ago, houseowners there didn't even lock their doors at any time of the day or night. Incredible hospitality: I had been sent direct to hotels/B&Bs even though the bus was supposed to stop at town/visitor center. Endless list of things the Kiwis do to make my visit so enjoyable and memorable. I'm literally hooked on NZ.

The second place on my list is Quebec City. Beautiful place, laid-back and full of warm people waiting to befriend you.

I don't think I can name just one but some of my favorite places to be solo are London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome...

All of them are easy to be alone in.

Venice
Paris
Amsterdam

I found enjoyable solo and easy enough to figure out.

Nice answers so far. One could almost plan a worldwide tour of "solo friendly" towns.

Fox Glacier sounds nice and safe - I'll have to ask my co-worker about it (he's from NZ).

For London, Paris, etc., does anything specific come to mind when you think of soloing it? Maybe a favorite place or activity there?

I find large cities easier to be comfortable traveling solo (than out in the countryside). You can get around only on foot and public transportation and there are always lots of people on the streets.

I don't take solo trips to cities specifically. Since I live in a large urban area, if I take a vacation I want to get away from the traffic and concrete. But I have fairly recently enjoyed trips to San Diego and Santa Barbara. While I won't say either place "shouts for solo travelers to visit" (I can't say I'm aware of any such place), they're both pleasant places for anyone, particularly off-season.

However, if I were looking to list places that are NOT good cities for solo travelers, Los Angeles would be at or near the top. It's not that it's dodgy or boring-- there are actually enough things to explore to fill several lifetimes. But because Los Angeles isn't really a "place" with a center that can serve as a base, wherever you stay you can't avoid spending lots of time stuck on freeways, often going nowhere. That can get very frustrating and exhausting when you have to do drive and navigate all by yourself. And the emphasis on the automobile (along with the lack of public gathering places) can be quite frustrating if meeting lots of new friends is an important part of travel for you.

There are strategies for mitigating the difficulties. The main one is to carefully research your itinerary and break it into geographical clusters. Then select a base for each cluster, and spend as many days as you want before moving on to the next cluster on the list. But solo travelers may find visiting Los Angeles more of a challenge than many other cities.

I would agree with the JB. Los Angeles is very spread out. California isn't really big on public transportation and I think Los Angeles does less than most of the cities here. Makes me think of a song lyric about LA: "and your car is your purse".

I agree about Los Angeles and I live here! It would be best to pick an area that you want to hang out in and make that your base. A friend used to pick out an area to visit by herself every year, sometimes Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Melrose area.

But on the whole I think any city is better to visit solo in the warm months. If it gets dark early and it is cold and blustery people stay indoors, usually in their own homes so a solo traveler can become a cypher. I enjoyed Rome so much in the warm Spring when I could sit at cafes in the evening, etc. But this last trip when I went solo in the winter, it almost made me feel lonely.

Maybe if I had chosen a lively hotel with a party-like atmosphere it would have been different but as it was I was all bundled up and walking with my head bent against the cold wind and I wasn't exactly thrilled.

Toedtoes, I travel solo and have done both London and Paris alone.

In London, my advice is: Ask a question. The British are reserved, but, they are the most helpful people I have ever encountered. They will go out of their way to get you whatever info you want.

I also enjoyed London Walks. I don't normally take tours and didn't do their daytime walks, but at night their walks are also pub crawls. Great if you don't feel comfortable going in pubs/bars by yourself.

As for Paris...what is not to like in Paris? It is still my favorite of all cities.

Cchottel - that's a great suggestion about the Walks tours for folks who would like to experience a bit of night life without feeling awkward.

Toedtoes: Exactly! You get the history just like during the day, but experience the pub culture that is so British.

Met some really great people. Even went out to dinner with some after a couple of walks. Many solo travelers. Mostly on business. Said they always take a London Walk Pub Crawl when in London.

San Francisco !!!

Mango-eater, why? What is it about SF that sets it apart from other places for you?

London - have stayed there many, many times on my own. Besides London Walks (I dated a man for years who I met on a walk and before that one of the guides took me flying), there's theatre and just walking in interesting areas at night.

Luang Prabang in Laos - great place to chill out. Hanoi - the old town is a great place to meet fellow travellers. And London and Paris, of course - so much to do (and eat...) Actually, I have a hard time thinking of places that aren't good for solos, since I almost always travel that way.

Thursdaysd - those sound like some great places. Not the "usual lineup". How about some more info on them? (Just thinking that for folks looking for travel ideas, that it would be great to add info on the less common places. )

toedtoes - there's a fair amount of info on LP and Hanoi on the Asia board. You can read my trip reports on these (and others) at http://wilhelmswords.com/ My latest trip I fell for Lviv in Ukraine, and Levoca in Slovakia.

LP is ex-French-colonial with lots of nice old buildings and loads of flowers, but also 30+ active wats. Big monk round in the morning. Small tourist enclave with good restaurants - cheap to pricier. Boat trips on the river to Pak Ou caves. Pretty waterfalls within reach. Night market.

Hanoi is also ex-French. Large old town section (now somewhat overrun with motorbikes) with loads of cheap hotels, cafes, shops & travel agents. Two lakes. Base to organize trips to Halong Bay or Sapa. Great food. Hang out at the Tamarind Cafe to meet other travellers.