Solo travel advice & recommendations

[Sprezza]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement everyone! Especially to the person who suggested cooking classes/ walking tours- I don't know why I hadn't thought of that! I've actually combined the two and just reserved a place on a food tour of the city I'm going to! Feeling freshly excited!!

 

[Notworthy]

Oh go on then add me to the Croatia solo holiday with a bunch of tattlers

 

[Fizzwhizz2020]

I’ve been to so many places on my own. I spent time in Thailand and Cambodia as well as Vietnam and spain. It depends what you want from a holiday. I did one day by the pool and the next doing activities. I absolutely loved it and those were the best holidays I have ever had as you have no one to please but yourself and you can be on your own timeline. No one bats an eyelid when you go out to eat by yourself either. I just booked myself into nice hotels and didn’t do it as part of a tour, it was a bit of an eat, prey, love affair with myself but there’s so much to see and do in terms of culture. You can even get internal flights to different places. Have a week on a beach with beautiful scenery and then fly for an hour and be in a lovely city. Even Google is your friend! I’ve also done Italy and can recommend Florence if you’re on your own. So much to see. Good luck x

 

[YetAnotherObsessionx]

Oh go on then add me to the Croatia solo holiday with a bunch of tattlers

Would we all have to go in disguise with fake names since we're not supposed to give away our true identities on here

 

[GirlLondon]

I once travelled to New Orleans with an ex and we had a fight and he left for Washington. I was on my own in New Orleans. I did my own bar crawl and watched the street parades, spoke to so many people, lots of live music etc. I ended up in a gay bar (if I was going to be safe anywhere, it would be in a bar where the men have absolutely no interest in me), watching a drag queen show and stayed out until 4am drinking with the regulars and the acts themselves. I had such a great time there but you need to be alert wherever you go! Especially where alcohol is involved too.

 

[lurkingaround123]

I have travelled extensively alone and always had a ball!

European city break - I usually just book a flight and hotel/airbnb with no real plan, walk around and see the sights, try the local food and have a drink in the day. I went on airbnb experiences in one city and found someone doing a tour in English, I had a full day out sightseeing, all my pictures, food etc for about £40. In the evening I love going to somewhere really fancy and people watching. I find eating alone quite enjoyable, probably on the back of these trips.

European beach trip - Airbnb is so good for this! get somewhere with a kitchen and a shortish walk to the beach, then you can do your own breakfast/lunch. I stayed in one airbnb which had workaway staff, so ended up making friends with another Brit and we went off doing things for meals and days out with her work schedule allowing.

Further afield - I did Dubai alone by just booking hotels and flights and winging the rest because it is so westernised.
I went to India and booked through a tour company called Just You, ideal because it is for solo travellers who don't want to share a bedroom. I found the clientele were mainly all older than me, but we got on really well.


I hope you have a fab time wherever you go

 

[Heidi88]

Agreed about the hotel thing, further to that don't tell anyone you meet where you are staying or that you are in a room alone

I realised this on my first trip. I began chatting to a very friendly slightly older man on a ferry. He was on holidays but was from the US state I was visiting. We talked about where we had travelled before and both our sight seeing plans. At one stage he asked my name. Bear in mind my name is a little unusual. Then later as we came into dock he asked what hotel I was staying at..he was asking if I had far to walk. I made the mistake of telling him. I just didnt think and he was so friendly. Later I realised my mistake as I also had said i was travelling solo.

That night I blocked the door of my room with a massive armchair. It turns out he was harmless and was genuinely asking as I am still alive to tell the tale He had told me he was visiting to see a college football game and I googled the fixtures in the city to see if there actually was a game

Since then I pick out the name of some random hotel so if someone asks I say I am staying there and I always say I am visiting a friend or with a tour group.

 

[soymilk]

a few summers ago I travelled around Italy on my own, i did a mix of hostels/airbnbs. The airbnbs I stayed mostly with locals of a similar age to me, which was great bc they were really up for showing me around etc, I've kept in contact with most of them and have seen them since! If you do a city trip i would recommend booking some free walking tours and planning things to do, therefore you won't feel too lonely and you'll be busy.
I've been many other places on my own too and I honestly find it v liberating (but a bit scary at first). I think once you do it, you'll never travel the same again and you'll be thankful for doing it!

 

[petitspois]

I've always wanted to go to Borneo and I've decided that once my kids are old enough I'm off to cuddle some orangutans.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Florida in October is incredible and definitely doable for a long weekend. Most flights land very early in the morning on the return trip so you can go into work the day you get back (tough but best way to combat the jetlag)

Florida, for a long weekend? From the UK?!

 

[Hereiam44]

I was nervous about what to do in the evening as well - in Feb I went to Seville for three nights by myself. Not going to lie, the first night I was a bit awkward and ended up buying food from a supermarket and heading back to my hotel room - nothing wrong with that either! But by night 2, took myself off to a restaurant, had my phone, took my book and just had a great time! Actually ended up chatting to a nice couple at the table next to me for a bit.

I was very lucky in that my hotel had a lovely rooftop bar, which I would go to for a nightcap and the staff were lovely but what I would say is just go easy on yourself and do what you’re comfortable with. If your hotel has a bar, then it’s a good place to go by yourself for the first time because they are very used to be people being there by themselves.

 

[Sprezza]

Where are you going in galicia? I've only been to a coruña but it was beautiful and of course fantastic seafood.
Anyone have recommendations for a shirt trip in mid November (in europe). Want to go away for a bit for my birthday (haven't been abroad since 2019 November when I went to bologna in Italy which was great. Not really fussy but want somewhere nice to walk around, good food!

I'm going to Santiago de Compostela. It's such a nice autumnal destination, really gothic and cosy.
Ahh I went to Bologna on my last trip so I recommend going back haha
Somewhere I haven't been but am thinking about is Madeira. November would be a good time weather wise for me anyway- not too hot not too cold.

 

[SpindleWhorl]

I do solo holidays sometimes. Being on my own doesn't phase me the only worry I have is if i somehow lose my phone/cards and I'm left on my own with no money. But I'm sensible and cautious when I travel on my own nothing has happened so far. I'm off to Italy solo in June and I'd like to do a solo city break later in the year, maybe Madrid x

 

[YetAnotherObsessionx]

I want to go on a holiday by myself but feel like i’m being held back by someone who would 100% judge me / argue about it

I agree with you and what @littlepup says below. My OH doesn't want to go on holiday, but also doesn't want me to go by myself. So I've told him I'm going to go on a hiking holiday. This is not strictly true, but he might complain a bit less. I went on a holiday he didn't agree with once before (I met up with a friend once I got there so wasn't alone for the whole time, just the travelling which I've done a lot before). We had a row about that, and he never wants to hear anything about it or see any photos. It's because he feels he missed out. But that's his problem, not mine - and I won't let him persuade me out of doing what I want. Someone on here said if we wait for other people to agree with us on everything, we'll never get to do what we want.

 

[LaBlonde]

Booked 3 nights in Milan - been before but plan to do day trips to Turin and Verona, or maybe Varenna for a swim in Lake Como. And then getting the train to the coast near Portofino and staying for 7 nights there for walking/swimming/sunning. So that's 10 nights in total x

that is a GORGEOUS trip - have the best time!

 

[Monkeybum]

Anyone ever done a cruise on their own?

Kind of, I booked with an ex and another couple and we split up before we went so I went with the other couple but didn't spend much time with them. It was lovely, all the staff looked after me extra well when they knew I was alone. I booked trips for the days off the boat and always had a group take me under their wing

 

[futbolista]

Seville is also great, as is granada (you can go to amazing Arabic style spas which are amazing ) but with the crazy heatwave andalusia has been experiencing atm might be too hot

have been to Valencia and Seville. Loved both. Both easy to get around and explore as a solo traveler. but the heat in Andalucía is intense in the summer.

If you go to Seville there’s an Arabic spa called Aire that is amazing. I didn’t do any massage but just did the pools and I can’t recommend it enough.

 

[ATV2021]

I went to New York with JustYou and it was amazing - I ended up going to Venice with a lady I met on that trip too as we both wanted to go and didn't fancy it alone so that worked well. I've gone spain for a day (oh yes it was brilliant) to dip my toe and like you I'd be fine in the day but what to do at night? I need to brave it and try Majorca or somewhere I know for a few nights first I think

So many lovely and useful tips so far! THANK YOU everyone! I've pretty much decided on Italy. Now have to choose when and where...

To add - if you ever decide on Venice, it's a 2-3 night tops place. I did 5 and I was SO BORED I couldn't wait to come home it's beautiful but very small

 

[GirlLondon]

I love this! It's the kind of thing I'd have done in my 20s but I'm 40 now (don't know how that happened... I don't feel 40!) & I can't drink much without wanting to go to sleep

I was 35 at the time. I'm 39 now and I will be doing my first Solo group travel although it is for New Year's Eve. I'm sick of friends letting me down. All my friends have boufriends, husbands, children, pets or parents to look after. I want to dress like like Princess at a ball and so I go with strangers to celebrate this year. I may even be the youngest but I don't care! I will not have a life of regrets. Good luck to you.
PS- Nap during the day and don't drink until a bit later. Stay away from wine as it's a sedative (makes you sleepy)!

 

[ATV2021]

Would we all have to go in disguise with fake names since we're not supposed to give away our true identities on here

Better take my ATV2021 necklace off then