Traveling alone??

[LittleDarlings]

Has anyone ever gone on vacation alone? In the country or out? I want to go on a trip, I haven't ever been to a beach or anything like that and it would be cool to do if I can get the time off of work. The thing is I would maybe consider going alone. I don't think my parents would approve (I'm 23 but what my parents think is important to me) I just don't want to be put in a super dangerous position. I mean I know the rules about not drinking a ton, or leaving your drinks alone, and stuff like that but is it possible to go on a trip alone and actually have fun?

[TheGirlWhoLived]

I've traveled alone. I definitely enjoyed myself, but it's always fun to have someone with you. You can look into travel forums such as Thorn Tree if you are interested in meeting other people who would like to travel. I did this for going to Europe. You can find someone to travel with, or you can meet up with people who are traveling at the same time as you. As with all things online, stay safe and know who you are talking to

[LittleDarlings]

I've traveled alone. I definitely enjoyed myself, but it's always fun to have someone with you. You can look into travel forums such as Thorn Tree if you are interested in meeting other people who would like to travel. I did this for going to Europe. You can find someone to travel with, or you can meet up with people who are traveling at the same time as you. As with all things online, stay safe and know who you are talking to

That sounds really cool I didn't even know you could do that, thanks.

[themmases]

I have-- I went to a conference in SF for work and then extended my stay after the conference was over. I wasn't presenting, so I also was on my own doing what I wanted most of the time during the conference, too.

 

I have to say, I loved it and would totally do it again if it wouldn't be kind of mean to my partner. I picked three museums and went to them all in one day at my own pace, and went out to the Sutro Baths and climbed around them by myself (and ended up walking halfway back myself when I misunderstood the route!). In between I just kind of wandered around, picking cafes to read in and pretending I lived there. It felt like a longer vacation than it actually was, it was so good. I highly recommend traveling alone. (Also I am a 5'3" lady and I was probably 23 or 24 when I did this.)

[the_sheath]

I went to Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Osaka on my own. Thanks to yelp-like search sites, figuring where to go and what to do was pretty simple.

It's fairly easy for me to travel on my own. Then again, I'm a cis male, so I have less to worry about.

[rising_star]

I've traveled both within and outside the USA alone, including three cross-country road trips. It can be a lot of fun! Just make sure you have some stuff planned where you interact with other people so you don't get lonely or bored.

[seeingeyeduck]

I traveled alone for the first time at 22 and have been on two week roadtrips in the US, foreign countries where I barely speak the language, cross country train and Greyhound rides. Been through the west, southeast, Midwest, China, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico (and this was driving around, not staying in resorts) without incident. I am a small female and have never really felt in danger. I'm pretty risk averse so if I can do it, you can do it. If you do your research beforehand and know where the shady areas of big cities are, then you will likely be fine. Greyhound is pretty shady now, but even them nothing I couldn't handle by changing seats.

For the most part, you just have to have common sense and remember that most people are not criminals. I mean, when you think about it, wherever you're going, tons of locals navigate it safely every day. Have maps and guides, know where the consulate is in foreign counties, don't store all your money in one place, and it should be fine. Just as long as you don't look lost and flash expensive things, you will likely not attract any attention. Big cities are more shady than the middle of nowhere though people seem to usually be more freaked out by the middle of nowhere.

Stay in hostels if you don't have too much luggage and if they are in safe areas - you can be solo or meet new people to hang with that way. It depends on if you can usually have fun alone - if you can, then traveling will be no different. If you prefer to have a buddy, then maybe you will want someone there with you.

[VirginianFeminist]

Almost five years ago, I traveled to Cusco and Machu Picchu on my own. I was in Peru already because I was doing volunteer work in Lima, but the trip at the end of my stay was just for me. If you have a thirst for adventure, traveling alone can be a fantastic experience. Moreover, if you're the kind of person who enjoys being alone with your thoughts, it can be even more fun than traveling with a group.

 

Just do your research beforehand. Guidebooks are particularly useful in this regard. For example, I read about the feral dogs that inhabit the area between Cusco and the Incan baths of Tampumach'ay. Many of them are friendly, but some are aggressive. I took the bus to Tampumach'ay, but I decided to walk back. When I saw a couple dogs running in my direction, I hightailed it in the opposite direction. If you do your research, you'll know how to avoid most (avoidable) dangerous situations.

[EngineerGrad]

I travaled on my own numerous times. First time I was 16 and went to France and UK. Last time was last year: Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy. It is great, the down side is that all of your pictures will consist of selfies and landscapes hehe

[glm]

I think the best thing you can do as a lone traveler is thoroughly research your destination, accommodations, activities, etc. Also consult maps beforehand to get the lay of the land in your head. You won't feel as lost once you are there, and consequently you won't look as vulnerable. I agree with thegirlwholived about perusing the thorn tree forums as you plan a trip - it's a great travel resource! It's also really useful in obtaining up-to-date information as you are traveling from place to place. Footprint and Moon guides are great too.

 

I travel alone, am 5'1" with no defenses or intimidation factor, and have never had a bad experience in terms of sketchy/dangerous people. Getting sick is another story! Beware of this… it REALLY sucks being sick in another country. I was sick in the Amazon and had a very long float down a river to the closest town's clinic. And the clinic was not so great, to say the least. This was just one of many times I got sick during a 5 month trip, so I would go out on a limb and say food and cleanliness is more of a concern than anything else (in developing countries).

 

As an aside: If you are flying, I would check out CheapoAir for tickets. The site is comparable to Kayak, but I've had really positive experiences using it to book flights. They upgraded my crappy coach ticket to first class from Miami to Quito, Ecuador at no cost and no apparent reason. A lovely flight, and a lovely time at Miami airport's first class lounge. 

 

Edit: It is definitely possible to have fun traveling alone.. maybe even more fun than if you were traveling with someone. You can do what you want, see what you want, and learn a lot about yourself in the process. It's exciting.

Edited March 5, 2014 by jenzy

[nugget]

I think it's important to determine what you want to get out of your trip, do some research and pick something that will match your expectations. Do you want to see tourist attractions? Hang out at the beach every day? Volunteer? Learn another language? There is a such a wide range of options available. Do you want to stay at a posh hotel, hostel for backpackers, or get a homestay with a family to learn about a new language and culture? If you're traveling alone, I find it's much easier to meet people in hostels because there are lots of common areas and hangouts in hostels and generally more opportunities to meet people your age.

 

I took two solo trips in my life. The first one was the best experience of my lifetime. It far surpassed my expectations. I put a lot of research into it and chose something that would give me the sort of experience I wanted. Because of this awesome experience I was a bit hastier when planning my second trip. There's no such thing as a bad vacation, right? Wrong. It didn't take long for me to realize that my second vacation destination was not going to give me the experience I was seeking. I didn't have the option of changing my plane ticket otherwise I would have returned home 2 weeks earlier.

 

I encourage you to give it a try. It sounds like something you want to do. Vacations can be tons of fun, and sometimes even eye-opening or life changing. Just do your research first and plan a trip that's suitable for you. Browse the travel section of your local bookstore, if you get the chance, and check out travel guides like Lonely Planet, Let's Go, Fodors, Rough Guides, etc and pick the destination you like best. Have a great trip! 

Edited March 5, 2014 by jenste

[St Andrews Lynx]

I'd start with a more local USA-based trip before heading abroad. If you can prove to your parents (and yourself!) that you can manage a solo 1-week roadtrip to the beach then they will be more approving of any foreign trip abroad. 

 

I've travelled alone a lot, and I think it's fantastic. If you decide you want to go to the museum and eat lunch at a famous ice cream shop then you don't have to argue about your preference with your travelling companion who wanted to go on the segway tour instead. Hostels are cheap and pretty fun places, if you are intimidated by the thought of striking up conversations with strangers then they organise food/movie nights, city tours and other activities to help introduce you to the other travellers. 

[spectastic]

This wouldn't be a problem if you had Liam Neeson in your family.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm thinking about doing the same thing this year. I think it's definitely a must to do your research ahead of time.

Edited March 5, 2014 by spectastic

[spectastic]

I travaled on my own numerous times. First time I was 16 and went to France and UK. Last time was last year: Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy. It is great, the down side is that all of your pictures will consist of selfies and landscapes hehe

I have so many questions

 

How long did it take you to visit all those countries? Do they all speak English? Did you have to get a new credit card, or how did currency work? Did you mostly visit, or did you do stuff too? How much did it end up costing?

[FestivusMiracle]

This thread clearly will suffer from selection bias. All the people who were stabbed to death while traveling alone aren't here to post. Just something to consider. Have fun!

[skylarking]

I can't offer much more advice than what's been offered. I will say that if you're going abroad and it's possible, rent a cell phone. I've had a cell phone (or a portable wi-fi device) every time I've gone abroad in the past few years and it's been absolutely invaluable. I've been able to meet up with friends, use the internet to figure out where I should be going or what train I need to take. And knowing that I have it in case something does happen has added a great peace of mind. It was so nerve-wracking travelling alone at first, but getting over the initial feelings of judgment ("Oh god, everyone's gonna know I'm alone!") and worrying I wouldn't have as much fun if I wasn't with others, I found that it was actually way more enjoyable. I met so many more people by myself, and got to do everything at my own pace. Do your research, know the language, trust your instincts. That's really all you need for a successful trip.

[LittleDarlings]

I definitely want to stay in the US for this first trip. I will probably go to Virginia Beach or Myrtle Beach or something like that. I have thought about NY they have a lot of museums I would want to go to. I can't think of anything I would want to see on the beach besides... The beach lol and bars. I hate to sound like a total alcoholic but anywhere I go I want to try out the bars. Maybe I will start super small and go to a sporting event alone like an out of town sporting event, maybe an OSU game or something. Going to sporting events alone is a small start? People do that right? I feel like I would just he insanely paranoid (as I am when I go anywhere alone). You can tell I don't get out much lol

[EngineerGrad]

I have so many questions

How long did it take you to visit all those countries? Do they all speak English? Did you have to get a new credit card, or how did currency work? Did you mostly visit, or did you do stuff too? How much did it end up costing?

Well it depends... First time I did UK in 2 weeks.

Second time I did France and UK in 3 weeks: Paris, Versailles, London, Cambridge, and Oxford. I had a credit card for emergency, but since I didn't have much money, I budgeted 35 euros a day and would take 35€ every morning from my money.

UK yeah, they spoke english hehe. In France they did not... I know french, so I did not have any trouble getting around. French people don't really appreciate being asked questions in english... And I mostly visited at that time... Museums, parks, fairs etc.

Last time, I was in Europe for 8 weeks. I took a 6-week intensive intermediate german course at Freie Universität, in Berlin. I lived in a student dorm with 5 roommates and it was just amazing! The best experience I've ever had in Europe. In germany credit cards are a joke... No one accepts it. Legit no one. So I approached the same way I did a couple years back. I exchanged all my money in the US and would assess it in a daily basis. My budget this time was 40€/day and that gave me enough room to travel in the weekends to different countries and enjoy Berlin. My bf was studying in Madrid, so we met in Paris and it was super cool. He also visited me in Berlin.

Berlin is really cheap for food... 10€ a week was enough to buy groceries. The city is amazing, everyone is very young. And all of them spoke very good english, which I didn't really appreciate since I was there to polish my german.

My grandpa gave me the german course (he is german, so he wants us all to know proper german). The rest I paid on my own. Air ticket+spending money was around 3k usd. But hey, I was there for 2 months!

My tip is: don't go to germany (particularly Berlin) thinking that you will use credit card like you use in the US. In berlin, they use cash and a little bit of eurodebit....

Edited March 5, 2014 by EngineerGrad

[spectastic]

Well it depends... First time I did UK in 2 weeks.

Second time I did France and UK in 3 weeks: Paris, Versailles, London, Cambridge, and Oxford. I had a credit card for emergency, but since I didn't have much money, I budgeted 35 euros a day and would take 35€ every morning from my money.

UK yeah, they spoke english hehe. In France they did not... I know french, so I did not have any trouble getting around. French people don't really appreciate being asked questions in english... And I mostly visited at that time... Museums, parks, fairs etc.

Last time, I was in Europe for 8 weeks. I took a 6-week intensive intermediate german course at Freie Universität, in Berlin. I lived in a student dorm with 5 roommates and it was just amazing! The best experience I've ever had in Europe. In germany credit cards are a joke... No one accepts it. Legit no one. So I approached the same way I did a couple years back. I exchanged all my money in the US and would assess it in a daily basis. My budget this time was 40€/day and that gave me enough room to travel in the weekends to different countries and enjoy Berlin. My bf was studying in Madrid, so we met in Paris and it was super cool. He also visited me in Berlin.

Berlin is really cheap for food... 10€ a week was enough to buy groceries. The city is amazing, everyone is very young. And all of them spoke very good english, which I didn't really appreciate since I was there to polish my german.

My grandpa gave me the german course (he is german, so he wants us all to know proper german). The rest I paid on my own. Air ticket+spending money was around 3k usd. But hey, I was there for 2 months!

My tip is: don't go to germany (particularly Berlin) thinking that you will use credit card like you use in the US. In berlin, they use cash and a little bit of eurodebit....

England is expensive, and it's on its own island. I hear it's super easy to get around Europe by train. unfortunately, I don't speak a lick of French, German or Italian, and I can only understand Spanish words by themselves, never in an actual sentence. this is going to be a challenge....

[rising_star]

For money overseas, there's a few approaches. The best combination, imo, is to find a bank where you can get an ATM card with no fees for withdrawals at foreign ATMs. The best option I know of for this is Charles Schwab Bank (you can ask me if you want to know more, I have an account with them now). Alternately, some of the large banks, like Bank of America, have international partner banks where you can withdraw money with no fees. The reason I recommend directly withdrawing from an ATM with whatever local currency you need is that it minimizes the exchange fees, which means you lose less money to the bank in the process of converting the currency. This is great for when you need cash. For credit, which I have only rarely used overseas, you'll want to use a credit card that doesn't charge an international transaction fee (these can be 1-3% of the purchase price). The best known company offering cards without those fees is probably Capital One.

 

Traveling within the US, you'll want to do the same thing with avoiding fees. For example, if you bank with Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America, etc., you'll want to make sure there are ATMs for that bank wherever you go so that you have easy access to cash when you need it. I always travel with a backup ATM card (I have more than one checking account so this is easy) and a backup credit card, which I keep separately from my wallet and purse. That way, in the event of theft, I still have some access to money. I haven't had to go this route yet (*knocks furiously on wood*) but I like knowing that I have a backup option in case something does happen.

[spectastic]

For money overseas, there's a few approaches. The best combination, imo, is to find a bank where you can get an ATM card with no fees for withdrawals at foreign ATMs. The best option I know of for this is Charles Schwab Bank (you can ask me if you want to know more, I have an account with them now). Alternately, some of the large banks, like Bank of America, have international partner banks where you can withdraw money with no fees. The reason I recommend directly withdrawing from an ATM with whatever local currency you need is that it minimizes the exchange fees, which means you lose less money to the bank in the process of converting the currency. This is great for when you need cash. For credit, which I have only rarely used overseas, you'll want to use a credit card that doesn't charge an international transaction fee (these can be 1-3% of the purchase price). The best known company offering cards without those fees is probably Capital One.

 

Traveling within the US, you'll want to do the same thing with avoiding fees. For example, if you bank with Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America, etc., you'll want to make sure there are ATMs for that bank wherever you go so that you have easy access to cash when you need it. I always travel with a backup ATM card (I have more than one checking account so this is easy) and a backup credit card, which I keep separately from my wallet and purse. That way, in the event of theft, I still have some access to money. I haven't had to go this route yet (*knocks furiously on wood*) but I like knowing that I have a backup option in case something does happen.

I was under the impression that Europeans use plastic for their transactions. Their credit cards are supposedly more advanced than ours. Theirs have encryption, while ours are primitive by comparison, and leave records on every machine it touches, which is why Target had that big screw up during holiday season. In any case, I thought we might need to get something different for Europe, and this lady explains it pretty well http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/chip-pin-emv-upgrade-europe-1433.php

 

It's probably to just easier to get a free atm card, and make daily withdraws in cash like someone already mentioned. I don't like the idea of having to keep track of emergency cash, but I suppose it's a good idea to have a backup.

Edited March 5, 2014 by spectastic

[overworkedta]

Your ATM card will work abroad.  I recommend never, every using a debit card as a credit becase you are less-protected that way  Your credit cards should still work just fine MOST places but quite a few places will not take a credit card abroad and some may require a chip and pin (more and more this is an issue).  I always have two credit cards and a debit card.  Some CC companies will shut down your card and then you have to spend time calling and getting it fixed - even if you already put in a travel warning (something you should do!).  If you always have cash, you should be fine.  ALWAYS CARRY A BIT OF CASH.  I cannot stress this enough.  My roommate has travelled quite a bit abroad but she still refuses to do so and ends up in trouble over it.  I have been able to use ATM's effectively even in places like Rwanda, so they really are a godsend.  Take out quite a bit at first, stash your cash somewhere safe and don't carry it all on you at once!

 

I travel quite a bit by myself and there's a part of me that prefers it.  In the past year, I've travelled alone to New Orleans, Ottawa, Toronto, and Tampa.   I meet really, really cool people that way.  it opens you up to have some outstanding conversations.  I also made some cool friends to do a victory lap with when the Hawks won the Stanley Cup this summer.  I got all the drinks thanks to some guys in a bar in Ottawa where I was watching the last game.  I like going to sports bars and meeting people.  I don't feel unsafe (even as a woman) doing this but I know I'm a real extrovert.

 

I recommend bringing a book so that you can distract yourself.  It's a great way to pass the time when eating alone.  Have fun!

[TheGirlWhoLived]

I was under the impression that Europeans use plastic for their transactions. Their credit cards are supposedly more advanced than ours. Theirs have encryption, while ours are primitive by comparison, and leave records on every machine it touches, which is why Target had that big screw up during holiday season. In any case, I thought we might need to get something different for Europe, and this lady explains it pretty well http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/chip-pin-emv-upgrade-europe-1433.php

 

It's probably to just easier to get a free atm card, and make daily withdraws in cash like someone already mentioned. I don't like the idea of having to keep track of emergency cash, but I suppose it's a good idea to have a backup.

They have a chip in them. Bank of America's travels reward card has the chip. It also has no foreign fees, and the exchange rate is good. Someone mentioned Bank of America for withdrawing money. As far as their debit card, I have had a terrible experience (this was in SEA, so maybe it was because of location). There are so many fees associated with withdrawing money. I would take out enough to last me a while because of this. This isn't the best idea while traveling, but at the time I was living there for study abroad, so I had an apartment to keep it in. 

[rising_star]

The fees really vary widely. I don't actually use Bank of America, for example, but they offer this page of information on International ATMs. In case the link doesn't work, here's the relevant info in a really ugly format:

 

 

International ATM
Traveling internationally?
Use your Bank of America ATM or debit card at one of our International partner ATMs and avoid the Non-Bank of America ATM $5 usage fee for each withdrawal, transfer, or balance inquiry as well as the ATM operator access fee.
Bank Name  Coverage Area
Bank of America North America
Barclays England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Channel Islands
BNP Paribas France
BNL D'Italia Italy
Deutsche Bank Germany
Ukrsibbank Ukraine
Scotiabank Canada, Peru, Chile and the Caribbean, including: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Maarten, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands
Westpac Bank Australia and New Zealand
China Construction Bank Mainland China
Santander Mexico

Bank of America will assess an international transaction fee of 3% of the converted US dollar amount.1 Foreign ATM operators may offer to do your currency conversion for you, but they may charge a higher fee for conversion. To insure that your currency conversion does not incur a fee higher than 3%, you may refuse the ATM operator's offer to convert the amount of the transaction.

 

There are some banks that not only don't charge you the international transaction fee but also don't don't charge to withdraw from a foreign ATM. The reason I got an account at Charles Schwab Bank is because they not only don't charge those fees but they also reimburse you the fee charged by any ATMs you used. So, I can take out money basically anywhere. For example, if I need money really fast, I just hit up the closest ATM, regardless of the bank because I know the $2.50 or $3 the ATM operator charges will be reimbursed to my account at the end of the month by Schwab. I did a lot of research into the international fees issue before I moved abroad and, at that time, Schwab was the easiest and cheapest way to access my money and avoid having to keep large amounts of cash around all the time.

[EngineerGrad]

England is expensive, and it's on its own island. I hear it's super easy to get around Europe by train. unfortunately, I don't speak a lick of French, German or Italian, and I can only understand Spanish words by themselves, never in an actual sentence. this is going to be a challenge....

You can indeed do europe by train. And that's actually an amazing and cheap way to do it. That's what I might do this summer!

There are unlimited train tickets around 500$ that you can use for a month. I am looking into this one: http://www.eurail.com/eurail-passes/global-pass

And you don't need to speak anything... You can always mime hehehe