Toronto among top ten best cities for women to go solo backpacking

There’s nothing like a nice solo backpacking adventure, and Toronto is the best Canadian city for one — especially if you’re a woman.

Research and comparison company US Switch has released a report about the best places in the world for solo backpackers, and they’ve given them a travel index score out of 100 based on many factors.

Their determinants include internet download speeds, available tours, cost of transport, places to stay, sightseeing activities, bars and pubs, average temperature, LGBTQ+ friendliness, and crime ratings, among other things that make a city worth exploring comfortably.

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But when it came to solo backpacking for women, in particular, US Switch consulted other reports to consider factors such as gender equality, women’s safety (especially if they’re women of colour), and the general attitude towards women in the regions.

Toronto — the only Canadian city that made it in any of the report’s rankings— came in at number four for women to explore on their own. Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Trondheim, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark, made the top three respectively.

With a travel index score of 37, Toronto was just three points short of being the best place in the world for women to backpack. It was followed by European cities Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, and Florence.