The woman sitting opposite me was trying to divide a pineapple cake into eight equalish chunks, but paused mid-slice when I told her I was in Copenhagen on my own. “Travelling by yourself?” She looked at me as if I were doing something brave and strange indeed. “Wow. Many people wouldn’t do that.”
Or maybe they would. According to Google data, in the first half of 2021, searches for solo travel were up by more than 760 per cent, and interest in exploring alone shows no sign of declining. There is a growing thirst for seeing the world, even if you don’t have anyone to see it with.
Personally, I think going solo is a liberation, particularly if you pick the right place. And Copenhagen is just that. Not only did the Danish capital top The Economist’s 2021 Safe Cities Index – peace of mind for those travelling alone – but it also has a number of diversions well-suited to solos… especially those of, er, a certain age who no longer fancy dossing in dorms and socialising over a six-pack of Tuborg.
Choosing the right accommodation
So, first, I had carefully selected my digs. Opened just before the pandemic in the hip Vesterbro neighbourhood, the Coco hotel has already garnered awards for its effortless Parisian-style cool and strong sustainability credentials. But what appealed most to me were the hotel’s daily happy hour, where guests are given free wine in the courtyard bar and encouraged to mingle, and the calibre of its single rooms.
Mine was a delight. Rather than a poky afterthought hidden by the bins, it was a large, bright space on the top floor, filled with city views and sunshine, thanks to a whole series of skylights. If Copenhagen hadn’t been waiting on the doorstep, I would have just stayed up there, writing a novel or two. But the city beckoned, and I had a dinner date I didn’t want to miss.
