Best Solo Travel Destinations in Europe for Fall 2025
Dreaming of a chic solo escape this autumn? Europe is buzzing with festivals, foodie retreats, and cultural gems that are perfect for traveling on your own. From design fairs on Lake Como to moonlit gatherings in Ibiza and wine festivals in Portugal, these are the solo travel experiences worth adding to your list.
Consider this your cheat sheet to brag-worthy weekends. Pack the chunky knits, the stretchy pants (for obvious reasons), and a willingness to dance barefoot under the moon or stomp grapes until your toes turn purple.
Discover our Conciergerie’s Recommendations
Full Moon Gathering in Ibiza – 7 September
Where: Beachouse Ibiza
Forget your average moonlit dinner—this is LUNAR, a Harvest Moon gathering under Ibiza’s starry skies. Picture barefoot luxury, a Mediterranean feast, and beats that make you want to howl (in the chicest way possible). It’s Ibiza with a twist: rituals, rhythm, and just enough Balearic woo-woo to make your crystals hum. The summer crowds have drifted home, leaving behind the island’s raw, magnetic beauty—perfect for discovering Ibiza at its most authentic with your besties.
Alma do Vinho Wine Festival in Portugal – 11–14 September
Where: Alenquer, Portugal
Just 45 minutes from Lisbon—and roughly 40,000 wine glasses later—you’ll land at Alma do Vinho, one of Portugal’s biggest and boldest wine festivals. Think unlimited tastings, grape stomping straight out of I Love Lucy, Michelin-level chefs, and live music that keeps the party rolling into the wee hours. Your ticket even includes a wine glass (souvenir + enabler). Dangerous. Delicious. Worth it.
Oh, and did we mention the very real possibility of meeting a handsome Portuguese stranger between pours?
Alaïa Exhibition in Paris – 11 September–16 November
Where: Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, Paris
Paris in the fall? Start with a velvety hot chocolate at Carette, wander through the Jardin du Palais-Royal with the leaves crunching underfoot, then slip into Cravan for an apéro at their jewel-box zinc bar before settling into a decadent dinner at L’Ami Louis. Add a dash of Fashion Week theatrics and under the Verrerie canopy—an Alaïa exhibition that will make you want to swish around in couture (or at least pretend your Zara dress has the same effect).
Lake Como Design Festival – 14–21 September
Where: Lake Como, Italy
Como is already peak daydream material, but throw in a design festival and suddenly you’re sipping an Aperol while drifting through Frammenti—that’s “fragments” in Italian, but really it translates to: very chic, very Instagrammable exhibitions tucked inside lakeside villas. Between shows, hop on a boat and glide past storybook towns like Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio. Wave casually toward George Clooney’s villa (he might wave back, who knows?) and tuck into plates of authentic Lombard fare that make you forget every sad desk lunch you’ve ever had. Pro tip: pack your most architectural outfit—this is Como, darling.
Chefs on Fire Festival in Portugal – 20–21 September
Where: Cascais, Portugal
Chefs on Fire isn’t just a festival—it’s Portugal’s hottest food fantasy, quite literally. Picture Michelin-starred chefs cooking everything over open flames beneath towering pine trees, while live bands set the soundtrack and the air smells gloriously of woodsmoke and happiness. Each day the line-up shifts—new chefs, new dishes, new reasons to loosen your belt—and every seat feels like the front row. It’s primal, it’s luxe, and it’s absolutely unmissable.
And since you’re in Cascais, why not balance all that feasting with a little adventure? Catch a wave at Guincho Beach, stroll the marina, or wander the cobbled streets with a pastel de nata in hand. Fire, food, surf—consider your weekend sorted.
The Tomato Retreat in Sicily – 13–17 October
Where: Casa Lawa, Sicily
Tomatoes: but make them irresistible. Alessandro Giannatempo (yes, the culinary wizard behind that viral tomato cake) returns to Casa Lawa for a late-summer ode to the fruit-slash-vegetable that basically binds humanity together. Expect hands-on workshops, sun-drenched feasts, and plenty of new ways to fall in love with this iconic ingredient—gazpacho included.
And Casa Lawa? Oh, she’s a stunner. Hidden behind an industrial metal door on a bumpy little lane, this guesthouse rises from black lava stone in the shadow of Mount Etna—who likes to rumble now and then just to remind you who runs Sicily. Your days here drift between poolside lounging with Ionian Sea views and quick escapes to Taormina (less than an hour away). Evenings are for pulling on a cozy jumper, wandering into the hills to pick figs, and checking in on the beehives where tomorrow’s breakfast honey is being spun under Etna’s watchful eye. Rustic, romantic, and just the right amount of fiery—exactly like Sicily herself.
So there you have it—autumn in Europe served on a silver platter: moonlit dinners in Ibiza, design dreams on Lake Como, fashion flair in Paris, fire-fueled feasts in Cascais, wine-soaked nights in Portugal, and tomato-drenched days in Sicily.
The only question left is… which one will you choose for your solo escape?
At The Solo Travel Concierge, we turn inspiration into itineraries—tailor-made, detail-perfect, and stress-free. Whether you’re craving a weekend of wine and dancing under the Harvest Moon or a slow retreat at the foot of Mount Etna, let us craft your perfect autumn getaway. After all, traveling solo doesn’t mean going it alone.