Europe’s rail network takes the freedom of solo travel to another level. High-speed trains bring cities in neighboring countries closer. Combined with regional services, it’s a breeze to visit the best places in Europe for solo travel.
For travelers who like to write their own script, solo travel in Europe by train puts you firmly in charge of your itinerary. An itinerary where every moment matters, traveling like a local and taking in the views as you enjoy a vacation that moves to your beat.
The Allure of Solo Travel in Europe by Train
You might have your own unique ideas about what constitutes the best places for solo travel in Europe. Certainly, there’s a train that’ll get you there.
That’s why Rail Escape crafts tour packages exclusively for you. Ask our travel team for a tour package that eases you between the best places in Europe for solo travel, with all the right connections and carefully selected hotels for an itinerary that puts you in control.
Aside from the freedom to roam between a medley of destinations, train travel allows you to savor the joy of slow travel. The practical advantages are equally compelling.
Visiting the Best Places in Europe for Solo Travel by Train: Practical Benefits
With plenty of fantastic destinations for independent travel just a few hours apart, flying can’t compete with high-speed trains.
Trains dock in city center stations, freeing more time to explore. No hanging around in airports or looking for city transfers. And no waiting for luggage to appear; that travels with you.
Choose hotels near the station, like on all Rail Escape tours, and you can drop your bags and enjoy an immediate local immersion.
Traveling across borders is a cakewalk in Europe. With 29 countries in the borderless Schengen Area, a short nap might see you wake up in a new country. Loose change even remains useful when traveling around the 21 countries sharing the Euro currency.
First-class seats, the priority when booking with Rail Escape, are found on most high-speed and intercity trains, adding another layer of comfort for solo travel in Europe by train. A cozy space to unwind with a window on the world outside.
Moreover, rail travel is the most sustainable way to visit a collection of the best places in Europe for solo travel. A win-win, with fewer emissions than flying and more time for yourself.
A Pick of the Best Places in Europe for Solo Travel
Certain European destinations particularly suit solo travelers. Our destinations guide is packed with ideas for those who like to forge their own path.
We’ve picked out four that rank among the best places in Europe for solo travel that fit neatly into a relaxed rail adventure.
Ireland: Outdoor Escapes on the Emerald Isle
For solo adventures fusing stunning scenery with easygoing destinations, Ireland is a winner.
Our Best of Ireland tour gives you an idea of why the Emerald Isle captures the imagination of solo travelers.
From the rich literary heritage and music-filled pubs of Dublin to the windswept beauty of the Ring of Kerry, Ireland is a delight for independent travel. Safe and friendly, but with plenty of surprises for first-time visitors.
Endlessly photogenic, always welcoming, Ireland has quietly established itself as one of the best countries for solo rail travel in Europe.
Prague: Fairytale Setting for Independent Explorers
Known as the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’, Prague is an architectural showpiece with a compact Old Town that encourages wandering without purpose. Except for one purpose: soaking up the atmosphere of one of Europe’s prettiest cities.
What raises Prague to one of the best places in Europe for solo travel is an effervescent social scene. The cafe and bar culture has something for everyone, whether you want to meet people or enjoy quiet moments of contemplation.
Brimming with landmarks to visit to fill free time, including Europe’s largest castle, Prague is a highlight for solo travel around Central Europe.
Excellent rail connections position Prague ideally for exploring Central Europe, with comfortable trains reaching Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, and Munich in just hours.
Tours of Central Europe with all the key logistics taken care of can be booked with Rail Escape, like our Historic Heartland: Berlin to Budapest Tour or a Danube Tour from Budapest to Prague via Vienna.
Vienna: Imperial Elegance and Coffeehouse Charm
Vienna is a sophisticated and fantastically layered destination for solo travel in Europe by train. The Austrian capital boasts excellent rail connections with eight neighboring countries; it’s a headline act on a multi-stop tour of Central Europe.
Vienna’s coffeehouse culture is legendary, as are the irresistible pastries. Slow is the way to go when exploring this highly walkable city, bursting with imperial palaces and world-class museums.
Solo travelers with a taste for classical music are particularly rewarded, with the City of Dreams once home to countless great composers whose music lights up concert halls.
Vienna’s central location facilitates easy onward rail travel to Budapest, Prague, Munich, and beyond, making it an ideal stop on multi-city solo adventures.
Rail Escape tailors solo tour itineraries across Europe alongside our pre-crafted tours, like our electrifying Central Europe Tour that threads together four cities of incredible contrasts in Austria and Germany: Berlin, Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna.
Malaga: Andalusian History on the Mediterranean
Malaga is the final stop on our exhilarating Mediterranean Tour of Sunny Spain, beginning at Barcelona in the north, stopping in Valencia and Madrid for a comprehensive voyage through Spanish culture and history.
With 16 beaches, a bubbling restaurant culture, and heritage attractions galore, Malaga is a highlight for independent travelers exploring the Iberian Peninsula.
A major city during the Al-Andalus era, vestiges of Moorish rule are preserved in the hilltop forts Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro. Art enthusiasts will want to visit the Picasso Museum in his hometown. And foodies and beach lovers are in for a treat.
Malaga is a staging point for exploring the richly layered heritage of Andalusia, not least the incredible Alhambra Palace in Granada, 90 minutes by train from Malaga.
Let our travel team know about your plans to explore Spain or Andalusia, and we will customize your perfect itinerary that leaves no stone unturned.
Inspiring Routes for Solo Travel in Europe by Train
With an incredible wealth of welcoming destinations where independent travelers blend in, picking the best places in Europe for solo travel is no easy feat. It gets a little easier if you weave together multiple cities into one intoxicating solo adventure.
A few regions are perfect for solo travel in Europe by train:
Portugal: Coastal Charisma and Solo-Friendly Vibes
Portugal is a solo travel delight. Elegant Lisbon and bohemian Porto are among the best places in Europe for solo travel. Trains are ideal for exploring this other slice of the Iberian Peninsula.
Our Highlights of Portugal: Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto tour does precisely that, revealing Portugal with stops in three cities of intriguing contrasts.
The Douro River city, Porto, is a dream start. A jumble of old-time streets, riverside bars, port houses, and a bohemian character that has made it a fashionable solo travel destination.
Atmospheric Coimbra, Portugal’s first capital, is a colorful and welcoming city dripping in history. A highlight is the university that opened in 1290, one of Europe’s oldest. Another is its riverside park and walks, where sipping Portuguese wine on shaded terraces is a summertime essential.
The current capital, Lisbon, is another highlight for travelers going it alone. From the iconic trams trundling up the seven hills to the hole-in-the-wall bars handing out shots of cherry liquor, a local specialty called Ginjinha.
Collectively, these three cities combine delightfully for solo adventures.
Rail Escape offers several tours around Portugal and neighboring Spain, which can be tailored to match your own special itinerary.
The Benelux-Paris Circuit: Northern Europe Unwrapped
Spend more time exploring and less time traveling without sacrificing variety on a tour linking Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. All three rank among the best places in Europe for solo travel and are just a few hours apart on sleek high-speed trains. Best of all, they are very different.
Paris is a melting pot of grand history and iconic landmarks, river cruises, and gastronomic wizardry. The ‘City of Light’ is an endless delight for solo travelers who can’t sit still, and a city for all seasons that everyone should visit at least once.
Less than two high-speed hours away is Brussels. The Belgian capital and home to the European Union’s Parliament might not be as star-studded as Paris. But it’s a great city for solo travelers to catch their breath.
Home to one of Europe’s grandest public squares and endless delectable treats in the form of waffles, chocolates, and beer that monks have brewed for centuries. Add in a trip to the inimitable Atomium and the essential “is that it” moment at the symbolic Manneken Pis statue, and you’ll wonder where the time went.
Luckily, you won’t lose much time heading to Amsterdam. The capital of the Netherlands is a jumble of first-class museums, canal-lined streets, and green spaces for al fresco exploits. Rent a bike and join the local flow, cruise on the canals, or wander around streets frozen in time.
All three cities star on our Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris Tour that makes the perfect introduction to solo travel in Europe by train.
Central Europe’s Cultural Crossroads: Munich to Warsaw
Several cities that would make any list of the best places in Europe for solo travel feature on our Eastern Europe Tour that heads from Munich to Warsaw via Prague and Krakow.
It’s a real tour of contrasts that begins amid the bierkellers and museums of Munich. The charismatic Bavarian capital is the home of Oktoberfest and a gateway to the world’s most recognizable castle, Neuschwanstein Castle. It is also stacked with modern museums and an Old Town that is among the most walkable in Europe.
Prague has already appeared in our pick of the best places in Europe for solo travel. It fits in beautifully as a link city as you move from west to east and into Poland.
First stop, Krakow. The former royal capital of Poland remains the country’s cultural heartbeat.
Another highly walkable old city, Krakow is famed for its medieval square, the largest in Europe. Peering over Krakow is the iconic Wawel Castle, where Poland’s kings first settled. While the old Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz, thrums with bohemian energy.
More somber moments are found at the Auschwitz Memorial. An essential place to remember one of history’s saddest events, just outside Krakow.
Closing out this voyage through Central Europe’s heritage is Warsaw. An absorbing endpoint for solo travel in Europe by train, Poland’s capital offers another peek into European history. The impeccably restored Old Town and spacious parks are part of the appeal, while its contemporary energy and museums balance the experience.
Tours of Central and Eastern Europe can be planned to match your pace of travel and unique interests with Rail Escape’s travel team. For a flavor of what is possible, Rail Escape’s popular tours include itineraries that sweep across the region, knitting together a medley of cities primed for solo exploration.
Scandinavia Revealed: Nordic Capitals Circuit
Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo are all connected by rail routes that reveal breathtaking Scandinavian scenery and ease travel between three of the best places in Europe for solo travel.
Safe and highly developed, the Nordic capitals are easy to explore and offer a series of contrasting cultural experiences.
It’s a trip that features Copenhagen’s hygge cafes and fine dining restaurants, outdoor escapades on Stockholm’s islands, and a dive into Viking heritage in Oslo, where you can also dive into fjords, weather permitting.
Our Highlights of Scandinavia tour visits all three, with an extra stop in Sweden’s Gothenburg. Four cities that come together brilliantly for solo travel in Europe by train.
Planning a Tour of the Best Places in Europe for Solo Travel
Creating unforgettable solo rail adventures is all about doing what matters to you. Rail travel is the golden ticket for visiting multiple cities, so you can scratch every travel itch.
Rail Escape understands that solo travelers do things differently. We customize itineraries to match your specific interests and preferred pace.
Our travel planners coordinate first-class train travel along scenic routes with the fastest connections. Premium and boutique hotels are selected for their locations and for easy onward travel.
The best places in Europe for solo travel await your discovery. Ask for a rail itinerary customized exclusively for you. Our travel planners will craft a dream tour made for independent travel.
