Every Nomadtable user can add upcoming trips so they can see who else will be in that city on the same dates. That gives us an unusually direct view of where solo travelers are actually going — not where travel magazines say they should go. Here's the snapshot.
methodology
Counts are the number of Nomadtable users with an upcoming trip to each city, for trips starting between October 24, 2026 and mid-January 2027, measured on October 23, 2026. Nomadtable has more than 2 million users worldwide. Numbers are rounded; feel free to cite them with a link to this page.
top 15 cities for solo travelers this season
| # | City | Travelers with upcoming trips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 12,600+ |
| 2 | Mexico City, Mexico | 9,400+ |
| 3 | São Paulo, Brazil | 9,300+ |
| 4 | Paris, France | 8,000+ |
| 5 | Madrid, Spain | 6,600+ |
| 6 | Bangkok, Thailand | 6,600+ |
| 7 | London, United Kingdom | 6,200+ |
| 8 | Barcelona, Spain | 5,700+ |
| 9 | Bali, Indonesia | 4,700+ |
| 10 | Tokyo, Japan | 4,300+ |
| 11 | Dubai, UAE | 4,100+ |
| 12 | Seoul, South Korea | 4,100+ |
| 13 | Fortaleza, Brazil | 3,600+ |
| 14 | Sydney, Australia | 3,600+ |
| 15 | Lisbon, Portugal | 3,400+ |
what stands out
- Brazil is having a moment. Three of the top 15 cities — Rio, São Paulo, and Fortaleza — are Brazilian, with Rio comfortably in first. Southern-hemisphere summer, Réveillon (New Year's Eve on Copacabana), and Carnival planning all pull trips forward.
- Latin America leads overall. Mexico City at #2 continues its run as one of the world's great solo travel and digital nomad cities.
- Europe stays strong into winter. Paris, Madrid, London, Barcelona, and Lisbon all make the top 15 — Christmas markets and off-season prices are a solo traveler's friend.
- Asia's big three. Bangkok, Bali, Tokyo, and Seoul round out the list, with Bangkok tied with Madrid for fifth.
why this matters if you're traveling solo
The single biggest factor in whether you'll meet people on a trip is how many other travelers are there at the same time. In every city on this list, there are thousands of people on overlapping dates — which means activities to join most days. If you're heading to one of them, add your trip on Nomadtable and you'll see who else is going before you land. And if you're nervous about the meeting-people part, start with how to make friends while traveling solo.
Journalists and researchers: we're happy to share more detailed or updated data. Email support@nomadtable.app.