Diane Rice

From Costa Rica's social surf towns to Norway's remote Arctic landscapes, new data and traveller insights reveal where solo female travellers feel most secure.

All signs point to solo women driving today's travel trends. Multiple tour operators report that the demographic is among their fastest growing segments, especially women over 50 who aren't waiting on companions to get up and go. Searches for "solo travel for women" have surged 30% worldwide over the past five years.

Sardinia, Italy
For couples who love Italy but want space.

Italy remains a favourite for destination weddings, but Sardinia offers an alternative to the crowds of Florence, Venice or the Amalfi Coast. The island's wild interior, cerulean seas and rustic villages appeal to couples seeking privacy.

Zermatt, Switzerland
For couples seeking an opulent adventure.

Eloping couples love remote landscapes, but not all want to rough it. Couples can treat themselves in the dramatic Swiss Alps, studded with distant mountaintop towns like the enchanting, car-free village of Zermatt.

"[Being in Greece] feels like you're in your own romance movie!" says Mae, who recommends eloping on Greece's spectacular Cyclades for their surreal volcanic vistas and iconic blue-and white buildings. But not overrun Santorini or Mykonos: "There's ones that are less touristy," she says.

Mallorca, Spain
For couples who want an all-night party they don't have to organise

"If you want stunning elopement photographs, Mallorca is it," declares Breiter. "You get both mountains and sea."

Home to Gretna Green, the UK's original elopement destination, Scotland and its vast wilderness are a no-brainer for private nuptials. It's also one of the easiest places in the world to tie the knot. "In Scotland, you can legally get married literally anywhere; mountain, beach, loch," says Katy Caryl of The Caryls, a Scottish elopement photography and planning team. "As long as your ceremony is conducted by registered celebrants."

Once furtive affairs, elopements now happen in spectacular destinations and have become an increasingly popular way for couples to embark on the adventure of marriage.

When Zanthe and Mark Howell got engaged in 2024, they already knew who would be at their wedding in the Scottish Highlands: just themselves.

Evans says filming is also vital for reaching a younger generation as it puts "Ashridge House on the map a little bit".

"It adds another angle and opens up a new audience for us that perhaps wouldn't have come to us before," he explains.

Ashridge House near Tring in Hertfordshire has a long history. Once a home of King Henry VIII, in the 19th Century it was transformed into a neo-gothic house by the Bridgewater family.

Harry Potter production designer Stuart Craig took physical moulds of the weathered limestone to create the brickwork of Hogwarts.

Susy Pullen, who looks after the commercial side of Stowe House, says: "Working in these historic and old spaces; nothing's very cheap.

"To do anything costs quite a lot of money, so we're always looking at how we can get income in."

During one production, crew members noticed "scruffy" doorways and paid to restore them so they would look best on film.

Meanwhile, Stowe House custodian Anna Makavoy makes sure crew members are not leaning against anything, or causing harm to the house.