6 reasons Montréal tops the list for women travelling solo

Montréal nabbed second place in the 2024 list of world’s safest cities to visit produced annually by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, and in 2022 Holidu voted Montréal the safest city in the world for solo women to travel. These ratings, based on information including the most recent safe-cities index from The Economist, attest to the city’s low crime rate and reassuring police presence. 

To strengthen its commitment to ensuring the safety of women and girls, Montréal has participated in the UN Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global FPI since 2019. 

Out Traveler also decreed Canada one of the world’s 7 best countries for LGBTQ+ visitors to explore; tourist areas like the picturesque Old Montréal and Plateau Mont-Royal are particularly safe, so you can feel free to explore any time of day at your leisure.

Compact, walkable and convenient: Montréal is a city on a human scale with welcoming, accessible neighbourhoods than are a joy to stroll through. Its public transportation system is super safe, and both easy to understand and to use, with an ultra-modern metro that links right into the famed Underground City, a weather-proof network of 30-plus km of walkways, shops, restaurants and services, all with direct access to the 16,000 hotel rooms that are within our vibrant downtown core.

Seekers of fresh air will find nearly 900 km of bike paths at their disposal and an easy-to-use public bike rental system, BIXI, boasting 9,600 bikes dispersed at stands throughout the city. But if you run out of steam, no problem: taxis and ride-sharing services, perfectly suited to solo travellers, are available 24/7.

If you’re a lover of outdoorsy activities like hiking, biking and picnicking, Montréal’s stunning array of parks and green spaces — including the glorious Mount Royal Park in the heart of the city — will be your bliss. They’re all adored by locals and used to their full capacity all year round, so you’ll feel safe both on and off the trails. 

Winter activities like ice skating at the twinkly Old Port, downtown snow festivals like LUMINO and open-air Christmas markets around the holidays, or summer festivals like the Montréal jazz fest, all bring fun and memorable experiences right to the street, so you can stroll and soak up the atmosphere alone and be completely at ease.  

To explore and learn all at once, hop onto one of the city’s great guided tours — there’s one for everything, from food to architecture to street art, and they’re ideal for solo travellers looking for a little social time. 

Montréal is a mix of North American effervescence and European flair that’s so famous for the diversity of its street performances, cultural effervescence and creativity that it’s dubbed Festival City. Its cultural diversity offers activities and events for all tastes.

Art fans will want to visit the world-class museums and art galleries, not to mention the theatre, circus, drag and standup comedy scenes that give the city its status as one of the world’s happiest cities.

Lively and welcoming neighbourhoods like Mile End and the Quartier des Spectacles, where so many of the festivals in town take place, are perfect for solo exploration — every street corner has the potential to amaze. 

Montréal’s thriving culinary scene draws international attention for a reason and will give your tastebuds somewhere different to explore at every meal. The wide variety of restaurants, stunning indie cafés and bustling food markets showcase cuisines from around the world. 

Try the friendly cooking classes or culinary experiences offered in places like Jean-Talon Market, or one of the many great food tours, to meet some people as you taste the city. They’re the perfect way to hobnob with other travellers and get tips on where to eat next. 

And when you prefer your own company, you’re in luck: you can comfortably eat alone in pretty much ALL Montréal restaurants, but some restaurants make solo dining particularly attractive.

Montréal is a uniquely accessible, safe and secure city that welcomes everyone with open arms and a resounding Bonjour! You’ll feel at home as soon as you land thanks to a culture of open-mindedness, friendliness and community spirit that makes it easy to meet people and socialize if you so desire — but it’s also totally normalized to hang out alone. Because sometimes, that’s just bliss.