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Have you ever traveled solo?

As an avid traveler, I've found it difficult to locate a travel buddy. I'd love to try to "go it alone" either via a tour or on my own. Has anyone successfully travelled solo w/a tour or on their own? Have any recommendations?

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Permalink Reply by Laura Labriola on May 10, 2010 at 10:45am

I'm actually heading to the Seychelles solo a week from today! I have done lots of solo travel over the years although I'm planning for this to be my last solo trip. As I've gotten older, being alone has lost its appeal and my boyfriend doesn't really appreciate me traveling without him ;-) The only drawbacks to solo travel are that sometimes you don't do everything you would do if you were with other people (go out alone at night, drink a few too many, etc.) and that you have nobody to split the cost with. But as most other people have mentioned, it's nice to be able to see and do whatever YOU want and not be tied to anyone else's schedules, budgets or interests. My only real advice is don't overthink it ... it's really not a big deal ... and just enjoy it! People miss too many opportunities and waste too much time in their lives waiting around for other people ... if you want to go somewhere and you have nobody to go with, just go!

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Permalink Reply by Jill on May 10, 2010 at 10:59am

This is so true! Thanks to all the support of everyone on here...I'm thinking of planning my 2nd solo adventure to Charleston (started small & headed to Boston) this October. All your words have been so awesome!!

Laura Labriola said:

I'm actually heading to the Seychelles solo a week from today! I have done lots of solo travel over the years although I'm planning for this to be my last solo trip. As I've gotten older, being alone has lost its appeal and my boyfriend doesn't really appreciate me traveling without him ;-) The only drawbacks to solo travel are that sometimes you don't do everything you would do if you were with other people (go out alone at night, drink a few too many, etc.) and that you have nobody to split the cost with. But as most other people have mentioned, it's nice to be able to see and do whatever YOU want and not be tied to anyone else's schedules, budgets or interests. My only real advice is don't overthink it ... it's really not a big deal ... and just enjoy it! People miss too many opportunities and waste too much time in their lives waiting around for other people ... if you want to go somewhere and you have nobody to go with, just go!

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on May 19, 2010 at 6:17pm

Hey, how did your first solo trip turn out? Any advice?, i.e. what worked well and what didn't? I am planning a solo overseas trip as well, and I'm a little apprehensive because it's my first real vacation in years, and my first major solo trip ever. I am leaving June 12. My itinerary is still tentative, but I am planning on spending 2-3 days in Cork, Ireland, and then 2-3 days in Warsaw, Poland. Cork hotels are pretty cheap, and I was planning on staying in hostels in Poland.

I am brand new to the group, but everyone here seems sharp and extremely helpful. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Cheapest roundtrip airfare I have found thus far was roughly $1700 on Expedia. Anyone think this reasonable? I have little basis for comparison, and travel sites give me a headache :(

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Permalink Reply by Jill on May 20, 2010 at 10:24pm

Hey Andrew, congrats on taking your 1st solo trip. It'll be great I'm sure! Some tips I like: bring a camcorder. I began to "shoot" short 2 min clips of each destination. I also journaled a lot so I could "share" my traveling experiences. If travelling to a location where you aren't familiar w/the language, pick up a "Language Map" at Barnes and Noble. The "Map" is a reinforced leaflet that contains common traveling phrases...easer to pack and more useful.

If staying in hostels, invest in a personal money carrier so you have valuables with you.

A co-worker spent a summer back-packing through Europe. She overcame the language barrier by bringing a sketch pad and colored pencils. Fellow travelers would "draw" in her book to communicate. 10 years later she still has it as a keepsake.

Tell us how it goes!

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca on May 20, 2010 at 11:42pm

Great idea with the sketch book Jill!

When I was backpacking Italy I found it really necessary to also bring a good lock with you to hostels. They usually have lockers that you can use if you have one. I agree about the money holder. I have one that slips comfortably under the waist of a pair of pants so no one knows it's there.

Also, figure out how public transportation works before you go. Every country is different. In Peru, there were almost no trains so long bus rides were a must, and in Italy the trains were regularly running 30+ minutes late. There are also strange rules, like validating tickets, that you'll want to know beforehand.

You may want to check out this site too. It has a really active community of solo travelers: http://www.travbuddy.com

PS - While I'm posting here, has anyone been to Egypt? I want to go this summer and my family is convinced it's unsafe. I just want to give them (and myself) some peace of mind.

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Permalink Reply by Nita on June 4, 2010 at 10:32am

I actually plan to go with GAP adventures to India later this year. My friends have gone with GAP on their own and have met a lot of different people.

Rebecca said:

Last summer, I traveled to Peru without any of my family / friends. I wasn't completely alone, though. I signed up for a tour through GAP Adventures. It was amazing! All the activities were optional, so you decided what you wanted to do. If you had other ideas, the guides (who were extremely knowledgeable and friendly) would set something up. I ended up going horseback riding, paragliding, hiking in the Andes, etc. I would absolutely travel with them again.

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Permalink Reply by Nita on June 4, 2010 at 10:36am

Rebecca, I went to Egypt last year with Gate 1 Travel. The group was well organized and we all felt very safe. The sites are amazing. I think that there is a lot of security in Cairo and other cities that are well traveled by tourists. I traveled in late April and it is advised not to travel to Egypt when it is very hot in June, July, and August. Temps reach over 110 degrees there.

Rebecca said:

Great idea with the sketch book Jill!

When I was backpacking Italy I found it really necessary to also bring a good lock with you to hostels. They usually have lockers that you can use if you have one. I agree about the money holder. I have one that slips comfortably under the waist of a pair of pants so no one knows it's there.

Also, figure out how public transportation works before you go. Every country is different. In Peru, there were almost no trains so long bus rides were a must, and in Italy the trains were regularly running 30+ minutes late. There are also strange rules, like validating tickets, that you'll want to know beforehand.

You may want to check out this site too. It has a really active community of solo travelers: http://www.travbuddy.com

PS - While I'm posting here, has anyone been to Egypt? I want to go this summer and my family is convinced it's unsafe. I just want to give them (and myself) some peace of mind.

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Permalink Reply by Corry on June 4, 2010 at 7:09pm

Rebecca, did you do the Machu Picchu tour? I just got back 2 weeks ago from a GAPAdventures trip to southeast Asia, and my sister and I want to book Machu Picchu next.

I would highly recommend GapAdventures to anyone. Although I ended up traveling with my sister, the reason I originally booked with GAP is because it was recommended by National Geographic for single travelers. Jill, if you want more info about my experience with GAP let me know!

Rebecca said:

Last summer, I traveled to Peru without any of my family / friends. I wasn't completely alone, though. I signed up for a tour through GAP Adventures. It was amazing! All the activities were optional, so you decided what you wanted to do. If you had other ideas, the guides (who were extremely knowledgeable and friendly) would set something up. I ended up going horseback riding, paragliding, hiking in the Andes, etc. I would absolutely travel with them again.

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca on June 5, 2010 at 12:44am

Yep :). I think it was called Peru on a Shoestring, but I'm not 100% sure. It started in Lima and we went to Nazca, Arequipa, Ollataytambo, Cusco, and then hiked to Machu Picchu. Our guides were great! Let me know if you have any questions.

Corry DeMarco said:

Rebecca, did you do the Machu Picchu tour? I just got back 2 weeks ago from a GAPAdventures trip to southeast Asia, and my sister and I want to book Machu Picchu next.

I would highly recommend GapAdventures to anyone. Although I ended up traveling with my sister, the reason I originally booked with GAP is because it was recommended by National Geographic for single travelers. Jill, if you want more info about my experience with GAP let me know!

Rebecca said:
Last summer, I traveled to Peru without any of my family / friends. I wasn't completely alone, though. I signed up for a tour through GAP Adventures. It was amazing! All the activities were optional, so you decided what you wanted to do. If you had other ideas, the guides (who were extremely knowledgeable and friendly) would set something up. I ended up going horseback riding, paragliding, hiking in the Andes, etc. I would absolutely travel with them again.