February is the month when society gently suggests you should be in love by assaulting you with rose-gold packaging and aggressively upbeat adverts for “cosy nights in.” As a single person, you are expected to either (a) pretend you don’t care or (b) suddenly download three dating apps and lose the will to live by February 6th.
Instead, do the healthy thing: leave. Preferably very far away.
Below is an expanded, globally responsible guide to where single people should travel in February, specifically to avoid Valentine’s Day and the emotional admin that comes with it.
Paris, France – Romantic Capital, But You’re Just Passing Through
Why go: Nothing says “I’m fine being single” like deliberately choosing the most romantic city on Earth and not participating.
What you’ll do:
- Watch couples queue for photos while you keep walking, evolved
- Eat alone in tiny bistros where no one asks questions
- Feel smug knowing at least half of these couples will break up by Easter
Who you’ll meet: A waiter who calls you monsieur/madame with genuine respect.
Berlin, Germany – Valentine’s Day Has Been Cancelled
Why go: Berlin views romance as a personal weakness and Valentine’s Day as a capitalist scam.
What you’ll do:
- Go to a club that starts at midnight and ends when your sense of identity dissolves
- Drink something strong in a building that used to be something worse
- Forget what day it is, which is the real goal
Who you’ll meet: People who are technically single but philosophically unavailable.
Reykjavík, Iceland – Cold Enough to Kill Feelings
Why go: Yes, it’s beautiful. Yes, it’s romantic. But you are too cold, damp, and financially ruined to process any of that.
What you’ll do:
- Sit in a hot spring next to strangers in silence, thriving
- Look at the Northern Lights and think “this is better than a text back”
- Pay £19 for soup and feel character development
Who you’ll meet: Other solo travellers who also “just needed space.”
Tokyo, Japan – Solo Travel Without the Pity
Why go: Japan treats eating alone as normal behaviour, not a temporary condition.
What you’ll do:
- Eat ramen at a booth designed to eliminate eye contact
- Wander neon streets feeling mysterious instead of lonely
- Buy gadgets that serve no purpose other than joy
Who you’ll meet: Yourself, now with better taste.
New York City, USA – You’re Single, Not Small
Why go: Everyone in New York is too busy being important to care about your relationship status.
What you’ll do:
- Walk fast while looking angry, even if you’re happy
- Sit in cafés pretending to write a screenplay
- Decide you could live here despite knowing you absolutely couldn’t
Who you’ll meet: People who will tell you their life story unprompted, which counts as intimacy.
Lisbon, Portugal – Soft Healing, No Pressure
Why go: Warm sun, cheap wine, and hills that force you to focus on breathing instead of emotions.
What you’ll do:
- Drink wine at 3pm and call it cultural
- Watch sunsets and accidentally feel hopeful
- Eat pastel de nata alone and never share, like a king
Who you’ll meet: Other single travellers who have recently “quit everything.”
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Passion Observed From a Safe Distance
Why go: Tango is everywhere, but participation is optional and mildly dangerous.
What you’ll do:
- Watch couples dance intensely while you chew steak thoughtfully
- Drink red wine like it’s medicinal
- Feel dramatic without committing to anything
Who you’ll meet: Someone charming who vanishes before you have to define anything. Ideal.
Bangkok, Thailand – Sensory Overload as Therapy
Why go: Hard to feel lonely when everything is happening all at once.
What you’ll do:
- Eat street food that changes your personality
- Get a massage that fixes parts of you dating never did
- Forget Valentine’s Day entirely until Instagram reminds you
Who you’ll meet: Backpackers on a “journey” who overshare immediately.
Rome, Italy – Romance You Can Ignore
Why go: Rome is romantic, but also loud, chaotic, and deeply unconcerned with your love life.
What you’ll do:
- Eat pasta alone without anyone stealing bites
- Look at ancient ruins and think “at least this lasted”
- Walk for hours processing nothing in particular
Who you’ll meet: Locals who flirt harmlessly and then go home, respectful kings.
Places to Avoid at All Costs
- Venice on February 14th (you will witness at least one proposal)
- Maldives resorts (every hut is a threat)
- Anywhere offering ‘Valentine’s experiences’ (this includes heart-shaped breakfasts)
Final February Truth for Single Travellers
Valentine’s Day is one day. Being single is a lifestyle that comes with:
- Full control of the itinerary
- All the armrests
- Zero arguments about where to eat
Travel in February not to find love, but to remember:
You are not half of anything. You are a whole person with a passport and opinions.
Book the flight.
Buy yourself chocolate.
Post nothing on February 14th.