Vacationing Alone. Experiences?
12Has anybody went on a long vacation alone? What was your experience like? Was it still super fun? Better or worse than with a group?
I was planning on going on a three-week vacation to Europe with a friend of mine but, due to dramatic reasons I would rather not bore you all with, that fell through. I still want to go though!
My mother did not take it well. She thinks I'm going to die or something.
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I find that I’m good company if you need a fill in…. I traveled alone before starting a family and really enjoyed. Now that I have them I haven’t enjoyed solo trips as much because my thoughts go to what they would’ve enjoyed. Alone I just went from place to place at my own pace and desire. I found that I had more fun alone in places that I didn’t speak the language because it forced me to more sociable.
Go and have fun! I’ve done many trips alone – including a one-year trip around the world. Except for an attempted purse-snatching in Lima, I’ve had no trouble, and found that people went out of their way to be helpful. The best part of solo travel is being able to do what you want, when you want. If you get lonely, just find an Irish pub! Where are you going in Europe?
@Trillian Well before the plan was to, in order, hit Iceland (Reykjavik), the UK (London, mainly), Paris, Nice, Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. But now that it would be just me I can make the vacation a little longer and eliminate places I felt kinda meh about going (like Nice). I would love to visit Dublin, as well as some beer capitals in Germany and Belgium.
Also Bruges, but only because of the movie, In Bruges.
@grum You should try to get this tour in Bruges:
I try to do an alone-trip once a year. 2/2.5 weeks of me alone and somewhere new or favorite. North America, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East. It's absolutely wonderful and I've never had a problem yet.
Single female-ing my travels makes it so that I get up and am out of the hotel/apartment (fuck yeah, airbnb!!!//ugh, hostels are for crustpunks and teens doing their Summer Abroad) super early and am back in before nightfall.
I very strongly feel that one of the main factors that has helped keep me safe all these years of travel is that I am back in my place by sunset. (And also that I research the hell out of any place I'm going before I get there.) As much as I'd love to go out dancing, drinking, and dining in the evenings, I have never felt it prudent to take that risk as a stranger in strange lands. I have so much more control over my self and my safety in daylight. So I do all my fine luxury dining and drinking at breakfast and lunchtime and teatime and then retire with a bottle of something nice and some local deli/resto/grocery stuffs for a simple dinner in and a long hot-water-wasting-bath and sprawled indolent sleep. It's relaxing and self-indulgent and awesome.
No matter where I've gone, I've found that people are spectacularly kind and helpful so long as one is respectful, self-aware, self-deprecating, and makes an effort to learn and use at least a few phrases and conjugations in the local language.
I deeply relish my solitary travels. They give me a unique space to discover new things, indulge in existential self-discovery and challenge myself (I crave the development of that horrible fear of "why the fuck did I think this was a good idea" turning into the tentatively discovered confidence of "oh, yeah, I recognize that now, I get it, I understand it and it has become rather familiar and comfortable now, fuck yeah!").
Mmmm, I'm currently in a vague feeling-out search for next year's trip location and sooooo looking forward to finding out where I want to go and the process of research, planning, regret, fear, discovery, and final joy in experience. I'm currently thinking somewhere in South America as I've never been, but we'll see what actually happens with life and opportunity.
I can't recommend strongly enough the joys of travelling alone... so long as one prepares oneself for it properly.
/wordvomit
:-)
@goldenthorn This is pretty much the opposite of South America, but have you been to Norway? My wife and I lived there for a year. Right before we came home we took a two-week trip across the country with her parents. It was beyond spectacular. There were places that put Yosemite Valley to shame. It was twenty years ago so there may or may not still be glaciers. The Vigeland sculpture park in Oslo is not to be missed. I can give you lots more info if you're interested.
@SSteve Sad commentary on global warming . . .
@SSteve I have not been but would loooove to go to Norway! I was seriously considering Norway or Sweden for last year's trip, but ended up choosing a revisit to my favorite place, Scotland. I also get the feeling that Norway is a country that I would better appreciate with companionship? I dunno--I'm eager to learn more, though.
And I would be super grateful for your info on Norway, actually and thank you very much!! Even if not next year, it's a region I plan to finally visit within the next few years, so any and all info and recommendations at your leisure, anytime, will infinitely help my choices. My email is turbunguin at the gmails, thank you!!
@goldenthorn Thank you for sharing! TIL what a crustpunk is.
I'm hoping that if I end up getting lonely at all during the trip, I can pull out my charismatic, theatrical side and make friends without too much effort. I'm a little too extroverted to keep to myself for three weeks. XD
Solo travel is much, much, much better than group travel.
A travel companion can be even better than going solo, if you're extremely simpatico, but that's rare in my experience. More often than not, I prefer meeting the locals to travel with a friend or family member.
YMMV
I think it would be EPIC if you went with a fellow Mehrican and then posted pics and details in the forum here so the rest of us could vacation vicariously through you.
I have done the Europe thing alone, three times (also had jobs there but the vacationing part was alone). If you stay at youth hostels some of the time you can join up with others for the day and do things together. I did that fairly often. Most of the time it was a blast.
My first time in Europe I was semi-alone for my first week. It was nice to be able to take things at my own pace and do exactly what I wanted to do; I didn't have to worry about falling behind the group if I decided I wanted to read the full write-ups in a museum. That was when I first discovered I really don't like eating alone, though. I do it all the time now, but I still don't like it. If you're somewhat outgoing you may be able to join a local or fellow tourist for a meal, but I'm pretty shy about engaging strangers in conversation in meat space. It's cool if maybe a friend has a friend at your destination and can put you in touch with them, though. That's a good way to meet a local and maybe go someplace not in the tourist guides.
All the same, I'd rather have a good travel partner to share the experience with. It can be hard to find a good travel partner, though, someone who can maintain a similar pace, will be interested in seeing many of the same sights and eating at the same types of restaurants, and is willing to spend at a similar level to yourself. Some places are also better to see with a romantic partner. I really wish I'd been at the top of the Eiffel Tower with my significant other instead of my mom, and while I was at the Isle of Capri with a beautiful girl in our group, she was not my girlfriend so it still wasn't the same.
@jqubed Thanks for sharing! I ate alone at a restaurant for the first time ever about a month ago. I didn't hate it. It was kind of boring. I should have bought that Kindle the other day!
I'm pretty shy about talking to random people unless I have had a beer and a half or more. Guess I should just maintain a buzz the entire trip!
I traveled alone a ton before the family came along. My first solo international trip was when I was a just a wee lass was to London. Met loads of people and had an absolute blast. Been lots of places since and still wouldn't hesitate to go alone. The key is to do your best to look local. Or at least, don't look like a tourist. When you obviously "aren't from around here", it's easy to attract pickpockets and such. I don't enjoy traveling in groups unless that group is my hubs and kids. I detest dealing with other people's timing. I want to go when I want to go and stay when I want to stay. And I can't stand group tours and the like. I always say that I'm a traveler - not a tourist.
@grum Side note: My mother was convinced Jack the Ripper was still at large and I would be walking through the foggy streets of London alone and most certainly be murdered by morning. Alas, I did not get to meet Mr. Ripper.
8 Things You Learn When You Travel By Yourself
I haven't traveled nearly as much as I'd like, but the best travel has been alone. A few years ago, I caught a $500 round trip weekend to Paris, my first trip there. I've had good experiences with a couple of partners, but all of my best experiences here and abroad have been solo. Be alert and aware and make others a better target for opportunists -- but live in the moment and have a great time.
This thread has made me curious; it appears there are more female lone travelers here, than male. Is this really the case? I know this is just a small number of people posting, but how many guys and how many gals?
I've never done it, but my wife traveled solo through Europe after college. She did a lot of tours, and ended up meeting people who she traveled with until their paths separated. I think if you're friendly you'll meet other travelers doing the same thing and you can hang out with them for a few days or weeks at a time.
On a side note, she's remained friends with a number of those people over the years, and now we get cool houseguests traveling from Australia, Ireland, England, etc. Loads of fun for me!
@DaveInSoCal That's the kind of stuff I like to hear! Makes me feel much better about the whole thing. =] Thanks!
After I graduated high school (at age 17) I packed up my car and spent 3 weeks driving across the country by myself. This was in the 90's so no cell phones or google maps.
But I had a great time. I went to places I wanted to go and did and saw what I wanted. I met all kinds of people in all kinds of places. I wish I could do it again, but I have more responsibilities now. I'd say go for it.
Oh and to answer the above question I am female.
I'll tell you this, before my wife and I met, I took several trips all by myself where I took an Amtrak train. Honestly, theres no better way to travel by yourself than by train. I'm a social creature and for some reason, I've always been able to meet the most interesting people on the train.
It's more about the journey than the destination and traveling by train is by far the most social way to travel. If you get a longer train ride with a dining car, you get seated with other passengers and I always invariably end up sharing travel stories and getting to know someone.
My advice, take a train trip to somewhere that has a METRO system where you wont even need to rent a car, like DC, New York, Boston, San Fran, and plan accordingly. You can also take your bike with you on the train so you'd have your own set of wheels when you get where you're going.
TAKE A TRAIN! YOU WONT REGRET IT! (i hope :P)
My friends and I are planning a 2 week long theme park trip to Europe's best parks including Walibi Belgium,Efteling,Toverland,Phantasialand,Movieland Park,Heide Park,Freizeitpark Plohn,Tripsdrill,Europa Park, Walygator Parc,Parc Asterix, and EuroDisney. We may have some open spots for people to join us. Let me know if anyone is interested. :)
If you want to research your train options, www.seat61.com has all the info you could ever need, no matter what country you’re visiting. Schedules, fares, maps, travel tips, as well as pictures of your seating and sleeping options. Highly recommend it.