Barcelona is the Most Popular Destination for Solo Travellers

European cities are most popular for prospective British solo travellers, according to a new top 10 list of destinations. Seven different European destinations were featured on the list. Barcelona came top, followed by Venice and New York. Sydney is the most far flung destination while, closer to home, holidaymakers picked Dublin.

The list was compiled from the results of a survey conducted in October of 10,000 Brits over the age of 50 by Staysure. It revealed that Barcelona was favoured because it combined a city and beach break. Travellers also enjoyed its rich culture and heritage.

The Venetian waterways and the Empire State Building in New York also made them top attractions for solo travellers.

The survey showed that solo travel is on the up. Of those who responded, around a third had taken a trip on their own in the past year and 23% were planning to do it again. For those who have never travelled alone, 17 % were happy to give it a go. The survey also revealed the benefits and fears of travelling alone. 29 % of people said that they were prompted to travel alone because they enjoyed their own accompany. However, a significant number of people also chose solo travel because they didn't have a partner or were widowed. 16 % of people felt that going to a destination by themselves could be a great opportunity to make new friends. But there are worries about solo travel.

Cost was the biggest concern as travellers were worried about paying a singles supplement, despite the fact that money-saving was also one of the reason why people chose to go away on their own. However, holidaymakers also didn't want to eat alone and worry about their belongings on the beach or by the pool.