Top 5 European Destinations For Solo Travelers

I almost wanted to title this top 5 happiest destinations I've been to as this list is the top 5 places I've gone to that were accepting, welcoming and the nicest. As a solo traveler it can be hard to find somewhere that is welcoming to you being alone, I've had so many occasions where it's be 'oh you alone' statements that I tend to look out for welcoming and friendly destinations.

Top 3 Favorite UK Cities

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is probably the easiest city I've had to get around before, the streets are easy to locate and the people are easy to talk to when needing directions. There is so many cute little places to explore and things to see, it's a really laid back place to go and visit but it's also really fun to. I found it easy to book a place and it wasn't to expensive either which is great.

The attractions are throughout the city and there all affordable as well, there is also a great range of cafes and restaurants to eat at. You will also find some amazing shops here and the main shopping street is jam pack full of places to shop at.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh is a great place to visit if you fancy going shopping and to have a relax, it's very laid back and everyone likes the take there time. There's plenty to see and do here but you do need to look for it as it's an amazing place to really explore. I found it's a nice place to just sit in and have a cup of tea while watching everyone go buy.

It's nice an affordable with great central hotels at great prices, there's plenty to see and do for family's as well as solo travelers. 

Birmingham, England

Normally people will say for UK travel London is a must visit however I feel it's overrated and there are much more fun cities to explore such as Birmingham. It's one for shoppers as there are so many shopping areas and also plenty of sights to see. There is some great chain hotels to stay in and all are affordable which makes it easy to stay in the centre and explore. 

The people are friendly and love to chat but there's also always something happening from a gig to a family fun event!

Top Tips For Dublin

Here are my top tips for travelling to Dublin!

• Book a Hotel out of the centre - I booked my hotel just a short 5 minute walk out of the town centre which knocked off around £100 from my bill. You don't need to stay in the centre as Dublin is flat so walking is not an issue.

• Give yourself plenty of time to wonder - Walking around the city there is so much to take in and so many pretty sights, I always had my camera out and took so many pictures I had to trim them down once home. I found so many pretty things to take in while I was walking around so don't rush around give yourself time to just walk and take it all in.

• Book a private taxi to/from airport - This saved me so much money and hassle, I pay a grand total of £30 to get to and from the airport. They picked me up using a hand held sign at the airport gates, carried my bags and also gave me tones of tips and tricks.

• Take a pac-a-mac - The weather was so unpredictable when I went so I would suggest a pac-a-mac jacket that is light and can be thrown on when needed, it was rather warm but there was a lot a small showers throughout the day.

• Talk to the locals - I found Dublin to be one of the nicest and friendliest places I had been to and some of the best advice I got was talking to the locals and asking them what they would do for a fun day out. I got some great responses and they seemed to want to talk for ages which really made me feel safe.

So those are my tips, what are your top tips for Dublin?

Dublin - Dublinia

I was worried Dublinia was going to be quite a childish attraction for me to visit from the large boat that welcome me into to museum but once I started my free tour around I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. Located just off of Christ Church, it is sign posted.

Dublin - Dublin Castle

One of my most requested places to visit when I mentioned I was off to Dublin was the castle, I love to go to castles as they always impress me on how big they are and how grand they always appear. So in the centre of Dublin on Dame Street is the castle that can't be missed!

Dublin - Christ Church

The most unexpected thing I thought I would enjoy was going to Christchurch, it was hard to miss this church as it's so stunningly beautiful and grand. I was walking past to go to another attraction when I had to stop and visit as it was just so lovely to look at.

Dublin - St Stephens Green

I don't get blown away by many parks but the one that feel caught my eye and impressed me was St Stephens Green. I had to walk through it every day on my trip to Dublin and found something new each day, there was plenty to see and take it and there was so many cute little photo moments.

Dublin - Shopping

Of course I did a spot of shopping in Dublin, it was hard not to as everything I seem to do was off the main shopping streets! Dublin has some amazing stores and great streets to go down from tacky gift shops, to large Penneys stores and of course some high street favorites here is my guide to shopping in Dublin.

Brown Thomas
This large apartment store is off one of the main shopping streets Grafton Street, this store is a luxury store and has plenty of high end brands to choice from. I loved looking through all the expensive items and trying to find things I could purchase for a fraction of the price in high street stores. This place it great to browse and to have a look around.

Grafton Street
This is the main shopping street in Dublin which has all the stores you could possibly want, from High Street favorites like H&M, Disney and Topshop to all the gift shops you could possibly want! This street is easy to locate from St Stephens green or another popular shopping street which runs just off Grafton Street which is Henry Street.

Stephens Green Shopping Centre
If it happens to be raining or you don't fancy going to Grafton Street a popular choice is Stephens Green Shopping Centre which has some great high street stores to pick from. Located of St Stephens Green it's in the perfect location and has some amazing stores.

Penneys
For anyone who is a fan of Primark I can not stress enough to please go check out Penneys, this store is HUGE! There is loads to buy and check out included a hair and beauty salon, I was really impressed with how large this store was and how much there was to purchase.

I was only able to check out the above retail stores and I'm sure there a loads more I could visit, let me know if I missed out any favorites!

Dublin - Lower Leeson Downtown Hotel

For my Dublin trip I stayed a short walk out of the centre on a street called Lower Leeson, which is just off of St Stephens Green park. My hotel was noticeable from the bright yellow door which was very cute and gave the hotel entrance a lovely happy feel. I was welcomed and made to feel very much like a was a valued guest on arrival.

My room was a standard double with private bathroom, it was on the top floor which was three floors of stairs as they had no lift but I didn't find it a problem at all due to the interior and lovely pictures to keep my mind of walking up all the stairs!

My room was clean and spacious and the bathroom was clean as well, it had tea and coffee making facilities, a television, a hairdryer and ironing facilities. My room looked out onto the main street but thanks to the double glazing and noise reducer I didn't hear much traffic at all.

The interior design of this hotel is amazing and I loved looking at all the features and taking it all in, the staff were friendly and had plenty of suppliers of leaflets to give you any information you needed. My room was cleaned daily and the cleaners were polite and friendly. I felt safe in this hotel and loved staying here.

The price was great for three nights it was around £150 which is a great price to pay for such an amazing hotel.