Traveling Solo?

[Alicia]

Hi! I'm seriously contemplating taking a vacation by myself and looking for ideas. So if you've traveled alone and have some suggestions of where to go, what to do, etc. I'd love to hear your experiences. good and bad!

a few rules:
**traveling for work doesn't count (unless you took a side-trip after and no longer knew locals to give you advice)
**trying to avoid cruises, tours and beach resorts.
**International travel is fine- but I'm not good with foreign languages
**trying to avoid Southern California - it's where I grew up so it would mean visiting all my friends which is how i spend most of my vacations - avoiding Northern California out of guilt of being out on the west coast already and running down to So.Cal -- ALTHOUGH, Napa is very tempting- can you do that on your own or is that better with someone?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[bookworm]

It has been awhile, but I did the backpack-through-Europe thing solo. It was great. I actually did meet up with a friend for the second part of the trip, but I was alone in Amsterdam, Paris, Nice...and somewhere else I'm forgetting. Ireland, maybe.

Anyway, it was at a time in my life when I stayed in hostels, so I met people there to have dinner with. During the days, I liked being alone--I could see what I wanted, when I wanted, and skip the things I didn't like. I wouldn't worry about not speaking the language--pick up a guidebook for a few phrases and make the effort, but you can usually manage with English and local words for please and thank you.

I don't know what kind of vacations you enjoy, but I think most major cities are easy and fun to visit alone. London is my favorite (but I lived there for awhile, so it's easy and familiar).

[boilermaker]

I'm not sure if I qualify due to your first rule, but I'll give it a shot anyhow. In my previous job, I traveled every week..all over the US and Canada. Because I love to see new places and experience new things, I usually added in an extra day to play tourist.

A few tips I have found for traveling alone:
Bring along a good book. It's nice to have with you if you just want to sit in a cafe and enjoy the weather...or pretend you're reading when you are really people watching.
It is easy to score good theater tickets if you are alone. There are always those individual seats they can't sell otherwise. I've seen some great plays this way.
More restaurants are starting to have "singles bar" areas where you sit looking into the kitchen. I have met some great people and learned how to do some really cool cooking things this way.
Be smart and use common sense. I never felt scared walking around Times Square by myself at midnight, but I wouldn't walk around LA by myself at that time.

In regards to places to go...I"ve been to all the big cities (NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston, San Fran, Denver, Montreal, Toronto...the list goes on). I actually love going to cities by myself because I can go at my own pace. If I want to spend hours in a museum, I spend hours in a museum. If I want ice cream for dinner, then I eat ice cream for dinner. I've also done some beachy places by myself. I personally have no problem spending a day at the beach with my ipod and a good book.

Where would you go on vacation if not by yourself?

[flygirl]

I've been contemplating taking a short trip by myself, but I'm thinking more of a resort in Mexico, just to get away. I can't do CA either, neither NorCal or SoCal, since I'm basically from both. :)

I also used to travel a lot for work and often stayed a few extra days to play. DC is a great place to explore no matter how many times you've done it in the past. I was there ever-other-week for almost a year & never tired of the museums & history. As Bookworm said, it was fantastic to go at my own pace & change my mind on a whim.

I'm not sure I'd want to do wine country alone, since much of the fun is in discussing & comparing the wines. However, there are some great B&B spas in Calistoga, where you can make relaxation the focus & visit a few wineries as you feel like it.

[Katy]

One year while I was teaching, I decided to visit Charleston during one of our breaks. I drove out (love long drives with the stereo blasting) and spent three days in Charleston. Like other's have said, I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and that was very cool.

We were just talking about traveling alone in our book club meeting the other day. You should look up Rosebud03 (http://www.constantchatter.com/member.php?u=813) and get her opinions as she's done the solo through Europe thing and recommended that I might want to give it a go (since the hubby really has no desire to go to Europe, but I'll keep working on him).

Another friend of mine (she's registered on CC, but never posts) teaches overseas (Turkey, Peru and now Spain) and would pretty regularly travel alone. She's met some great people (even been invited into stranger's homes for dinner with the family) :eek: She seems to love it as well.

I think there are whole books devoted to traveling solo, so as long as your careful, it should be fun!

[HeatherFL]

I travel by myself quite often. Europe and South America included. I am actually here in South America right now visiting family and taking a side trip on my own to Peru (I am in Colombia right now).

I will write more later, but I love traveling alone. I always meeting wonderful and interesting people. Belgium, Amsterdam and France were among my favorite places going alone and I speak no French or Dutch! :)

I think it is a great idea. :)

H.

[emmjay]

I have traveled by myself - a couple of times I have flown somewhere and spent time alone (a few days up to 10 days) until my traveling partner joined me later. I have also taken side trips by myself for up to a week while on a longer vacation with someone else. Now that I'm thinking about it, I've only done this outside of the US! (In Costa Rica and Ecuador I flew down first and met up with friends/DH later; in Peru, New Zealand, Thailand and Morocco DH and I were already there and we split up for 5 - 7 days to do our own thing).

To be completely honest, I am totally introverted and generally don't like meeting people. Sometimes I have met people and have had a great time but I'm more of a loner. I will go to museums, shopping, sightseeing, etc., or I will find a nice place to read a book. I have really enjoyed the times I've traveled by myself. If you have a guidebook you can always find out stuff to do wherever you are. I do prefer larger cities so there is always somewhere to explore - I've been in the middle of nowhere by myself and it isn't as interesting! ;)

[SweetRed]

I've done several trips alone. Some were actual vacations by myself (I was the young working professional with all of my friends in grad school and too broke to travel.) Some were extensions of work trips. I've done Rome, Paris, London, Puerto Rico, NYC, and DC by myself and loved every one.

I only speak a tiny bit of Spanish, so language was a "barrier" for me. It wasn't insurmountable and certainly didn't hamper my trips, but it did shape my experiences in Paris and Rome. I often found myself planning my routes on foot or public transportation pretty thoroughly because I knew I wouldn't be able to read all the signs. But then again, I'm pretty anal like that anyway ;)

I will say that in both Paris and Rome, I occasionally had issue with young men randomly approaching me for small talk and whatever. (My theory was I stuck out like a sore thumb with my red hair...) I am pretty reserved, so it wasn't really welcome, but I quickly learned how to get rid of them. Never once did I feel unsafe, and instead I have some great stories for the grandkids.

I'll also second (or third) being able to do things when and where you want to do them. You get to do things when you feel like doing them, not when you're supposed to do them because that's what you agreed on with someone else.

My advice: do it. :)

[Alicia]

thank you everyone for your tips and responses!!! I feel better knowing so many of you have done this- multiple times, too! I definitely think this will be a real option for me -- especially after our boss sent out an e-mail encouraging us to schedule our vacations!

bookworm: i'll definitely pick-up a guidebook! and i agree with you on the city thing, but i think i'm past the back-packing stage of my life - it's actually an opportunity i regret missing out on -- but if my budget will allow it, i think i'd be miserable if I wasn't in a nice hotel somewhere ;) thanks for your thoughts!

boilermaker: thanks for responding- the first rule was more to weed out those stuck at a conference for a week with only one or two nights to get out, rather than having some real-time to spend in a city without the fall-back and comfort of having someone to hang-out with. i like the book idea! and i thought about the theater- i'm thinking maybe of doing NYC for a couple days as a "test" to see if i can do something longer, so i'll definitely drop by the box offices! Was there one particular city you really enjoyed over the others?

flygirl: yah, that was my fear about wine-country that it's one of those places that's much more fun with someone else, also i'm trying to avoid "romantic getaways" and that seems to be a popular place. ::sigh:: i'll get there eventually. for now, i'll have to deal with tastings through my local wine bar ;) You're DC suggestion would have been great if I didn't already live there! i agree with you about all the museums and places to see- but i'm hoping to get away for a bit :)

Katy: I love Charleston! I have a friend there and spent New Year's there a year ago. I'm eager to go back and I've considered it (i'd have a free place to stay), but as much as I love my friend I'm afraid of being on his time schedule for things (he's one of those very organized scheduled people - but then again you have to be when your former job was as an advance-man for a u.s. president :eek: ). I'll look out for Rosebud, too! Thanks!

HeatherFL: I'd love to hear about some of your experiences and tips!! especially in the countries where you didn't speak the language. How did you make your travel plans and find out about places to stay? eat? etc. guide books? travel agents? the internet?... all of the above? - -and i'll throw these questions out to anyone else reading, too!

emmjay: I'm definitely leaning toward the big city thing. I know you said you're introverted, but were there any times you felt lonely? and if so, how did you get past that?

SweetRed: funny story about your red hair! i'm very average looking so hopefully wherever I go, I'll blend appropriately :) If I do Europe, Paris and Rome are at the top of my list so it's comforting to know that those cities are welcome to solo travelers.... i'm assuming, despite the attention, you enjoyed it, right?

[emmjay]

Alicia - I haven't gotten too lonely! If I ever want to meet someone, it's not too tough. You can usually find someone to talk to in a bar (that might sound bad, but I find it's the easiest way to meet people since everyone is socializing already!), or a cafe.

Another thing I forgot to mention in my other post is that you can take a day tour or a class. I'm not an "all-inclusive" or tour bus type of person, but I have done tours for an afternoon of a museum or a particular sight, and that way I'm not by myself. I've also taken cooking classes for the day, and I LOVE those, especially in other countries. You can meet people in those as well, and they can be organized through the internet ahead of time. Another option is to stay in a B&B or guesthouse (depending on the location, of course) because you can meet the other people staying there.

I'll comment on the language barrier: I speak OK Spanish and my French is even worse, but it really isn't a problem. For one thing, you can almost always find someone who speaks some English even in the most unlikely places. Also it's easy to gesture/pantomime to get your point across. The internet, especially travel message boards like Fodors or Lonely Planet, are a good resource for finding hotels/restaurants/activities, and I love guidebooks! I try to read as many as I can beforehand and rarely travel without one.

[bookworm]

Yeah, there is no chance I'd stay at a hostel at this stage of my life either. I think hotels without room service count as camping :).

[flygirl]

flygirl: You're DC suggestion would have been great if I didn't already live there! i agree with you about all the museums and places to see- but i'm hoping to get away for a bit :)
Hee! That does sort of put a damper on it ;). I was going to suggest that pretty much every major city can provide for a week of solo exploration. I also traveled throughout the midwest for work; I was always by myself and used the opportunity to explore even the not-so-large cities. In fact, I have quite a story to tell about Peoria ;).

Anyway, since I've been researching my own solo vacation, I've looked on all the major travel sites. My goal is to stay relaxed & comfortable, so I definitely want to stay in one place. I've been to enough foreign cities to know there'll be much less of a language barrier in the larger cities, and obviously a lot more to do. It may mean missing out on some exotic side-adventure, but I'll save that for another time.

I've been tracking hotel/flight packages through hotwire, travelocity, priceline & the airlines themselves, rather than deciding on a destination and trying to make it work. There are many sites with destination info (including the travel & airline sites), so I'll get an idea of what I might want to do while I'm "there." Obviously if there is a show I want to see, or something specific I want to do, I'll probably have to buy tickets ahead of time, but otherwise I plan to go with ideas & let my mind do the walking ;).

My first big solo trip was to Vienna when I was 23, spending a week there before meeting up with my parents. I was nervous, but everything went perfectly and most people spoke at least some English. I had much more fun during that week, just walking around the city and doing my own thing, than I did doing all the planned activities with my parents throughout Eastern Europe. I'm more of an extrovert, but I never felt lonely. In fact, I relished that time to myself. I always carried a book (still do, only now they're on my Treo!) and my journal, and would spend hours at cafes people-watching, writing & reading.

[HeatherFL]

HeatherFL: I'd love to hear about some of your experiences and tips!! especially in the countries where you didn't speak the language. How did you make your travel plans and find out about places to stay? eat? etc. guide books? travel agents? the internet?... all of the above? - -and i'll throw these questions out to anyone else reading, too!

Well, not that it is necessarily a good thing (because I do not want to rely on this in my travels) but everywhere I have been (except in South America and Mexico which is okay since I speak Spanish LOL) people speak English. I mean in Belgium pretty much if you want a job, you have to speak English. Amsterdam, everywhere people spoke English. In France I kept more to myself, but again most people spoke English and I did pick up a small cheat sheet guide for French and learned local things.

How I chose my trip Christmas 2004 was sort of cheesy, but I had a dream I went to Belgium and loved it. So I booked a ticket and decided on some side trips. And yep, I loved Belgium. I bought some guidebooks and joined Rick Steve´s travel website which has some great message boards. There is also another website I was a member of for awhile and darn I cannot remember the name of it. I will see if I can´t look it up for you, though.

I used to travel 15 to 18 days a month for my old job too (about 7 months out of the year) and took several side trips on my own.

Never used travel agents for personal travel. Just usually expedia.com. Love that website. You can book side stuff and touristy stuff through it too. I do a lot of internet research too.

I feel so comfortable traveling alone, maybe because my dad was in the military and literally I´ve been traveling since I was in the womb. I love it. I love doing my own thing on my own schedule. And when I feel like being alone, I stick to myself. When I feel like being around people, I go out and about and chat with people. I have had people bring me to the front of taxi lines in the bitter cold (bitter cold for a Floridian that is LOL), buy me meals, invite me to galas, insist on sampling their chocolates, foods, wines, etc. just from being friendly and smiling. I remember one man insisting I was in Belgium and it was his country and he would in no way allow me to pay at his restaurant because he wanted to welcome me there. LOL and A LOT of people wherever I am outside of the U.S. want to talk about George Bush! Including here in Colombia (where my mother is from).

You just have to be a little careful and a little wise as is the case anywhere you go. Do not let your bags and money out of your sight and do not give trust easily. If you talk with people, make sure that your stuff is still in your possession. 99% of the time people are wonderful with good intentions. Unfortunately, that 1% can ruin it for the rest of them.

This year I HOPE HOPE HOPE to do my Great White Shark dive off the coast of CA. None of my friends really want to do it so it will be me with whatever other divers for a week in the middle of the Pacific! Crossing my fingers. :)

Hope this helped.

Oh! Rick Steve´s website is: www.ricksteves.com

Heather

P.S. Do you have any places in mind?? Let us know what you decide! :D

[HeatherFL]

Oh -- I love Napa/Sonoma and have gone twice by myself on business and taken trips on my own throughout the areas. I would have much preferred having someone with me, but it was still wonderful on my own.

H.

[ukbabe]

Wow! I have been planning to take a solo trip and just recently booked my ticket home (UK) and I am in the process of booking my solo side trip to Italy and/or Spain. I never did the year of travelling after graduation, and so, I kind of feel the need to do this before the next stage of my life.

Any tips will be greatly appreciated. My itinerary so far is Rome, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, and then Barcelona and Madrid.

[Alicia]

i hate to make this a quick post, but i'm exhausted (long day at work) and i wanted to let you all know i'm reading and eating up all your thougthts and advice!

working backwards ....

ukbabe: your itinerary sounds fantastic. i wish i had the time and energy to do all that!!

HeatherFL: thanks for the expedia and ricksteve Web site tips! and i'm happy to know that people abroad respond to friendliness and being nice.... being nice is one of my specialities ;) Good luck witht he Dive- you're much more adventuresome than i'll ever be!! :) No real concrete ideas although Italy seems to be piquing my interest the most.

Flygirl: i like the idea of watching out for good packages rather than picking a place first!! thanks!

bookworm: my idea of camp is camp hyatt, camp hilton, and especially camp ritz! ;)

emmjay: i definitely like the idea of a quick half-day tour or something like that.. i'm too fearful of being on someone else's schedule for the entire vacation, but one or two small tours probably would be a good idea. and i've always dreamed of taking one of those cooking classes in italy - only problem is i don't cook very well... still could be fun! and i started checking out fodor's Web site after reading your post - looks like a ton of good info there! thanks.

[PG-rated]

I spent a semester in college in Padova, Italy, and I often took weekend trips on my own. The rail line that goes across Northern Italy from Venice to Milan is terrific for this; you don't have to be a backpacker, but if you travel light, you could switch towns every couple of nights with no problem. I also explored Rome and Florence on my own and had fun. But I should note that I speak Italian pretty well, so there was never a language barrier for me.

I'm a reluctant solo traveler, since I'm an introvert by nature, but I never minded walking around by myself, taking pictures, etc. I think if you go with the expectation that you'll meet fun people but you don't really have the personality for it, then you'll be disappointed. But if you match your expectations to the person you are, then it should be fine. :)

[Alicia]

But if you match your expectations to the person you are, then it should be fine. :)

that is wonderful advice! something i should apply to everything i do, not just trying to plan this trip! thank you for your thougths! i'm going to have to remember that!

[boilermaker]

Everyone has given you great advice. I'll chime back in to...since like Heather, travel seems to be in my blood.

NYC is a great city to see by yourself and a wonderful starting point. I also highly recommend Boston, the history tours can keep you busy for days :)

As for Napa, I have been by myself and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have also been there with DH and while those trips were different, I wouldn't necessarily say they were better. The one thing I found about doing wine country solo was that I was more likely to engage in conversation with the people running the winery. I would spend an hour at the tasting bar vs 20 min.

I also very much agree with pg-rated. Your expectations of traveling alone need to match your personality. I am usually a very outgoing person, but for some reason when I travel alone, I actually prefer to be introverted. I'll strike up many a conversation with other travelers but I'm not looking for a dinner partner or someone to party with. I travel alone as my escape from reality...but that is what I enjoy.

[boilermaker]

bump