Thoughts on travelling alone...

[dug]

I'm getting very excited about my trip! But as of yet, I'm the only one going


I'm trying to convince my friend to come with me, because I think I could be a lot braver in a foreign country with a good friend around than nobody + he lived in Leeds for 2 years. But should he decide not to go, I don't want that to effect my decision.

So what does everyone think about setting off for the unknown completely by yourself?

Things to consider;

1) I've never been to Europe, and this trip will take me all over Europe by way of train, camping, and hostels.

2) I don't know anybody in Europe, yet

3) I've never stayed in a hostel. (at the moment I'm more inclined to just find a park and sleep under the stars or hop on a night train rather than go through the trouble to find a hostel. But I know I'm going to want to shower some time on the trip jk)

[Brookers13]

well ive never traveled in europe and im going alone in 2 weeks and i couldnt be more excited...i just went to chicago alone this weekend to see how i would do by myself and i absolutely loved it....i was alone when i wanted to be and i hung out with people at the hostel when i wanted to...i dunno im pretty comfortable alone i suppose...but im also really social...

but after all that rambling..just go!

[freespiritz]

I'm going to say go for it even though I've never had solo travel experience.

I'm in a similar situation, and got ditched by a friend who was supposed to backpack through Borneo with me. I was originally slightly nervous about it but now I'm really looking forward to some time alone and/or meeting peeps on the road.

For my own peace of mind (and my parents' sanity, they're very not into my gallivanting plans), my trip isn't as spontaneous and random as many veteran tpunks might prefer - my stuff is all booked and planned out, and if that makes you feel better, booking stuff beforehand (at least some) might be the way to go.

I'm sure you'll have loads of fun, and you meet the most interesting (and often really nice!) people while on the road, especially when on your own, as even my little meanderings here in the US and Canada have shown.

And I bet you'll be able to find a tpunker or two to meet up with as well.

[morte]

I’m going by myself for my first time to. My band was supposed to come but they backed out.
I say do it, you only live once.

[thatgirlwholaughs]

solo trips are epic. then afterwards people will oooh and ahhh-and you won't understand why everyone thinks your little adventure was so...well, epic. heh, don't you want that?

[dug]

Originally posted by thatgirlwholaughs@May 30 2006, 08:43 PM
solo trips are epic. then afterwards people will oooh and ahhh-and you won't understand why everyone thinks your little adventure was so...well, epic. heh, don't you want that?

[snapback]123360[/snapback]

I've never thought of it that way! 'Oooh's and 'Ahhh's are worth their weight in gold!

deffinatly a nice bonus to an amazing trip

[tumblezweedz]

Back in the day, when I was planning my first trip, I originally planned to go with my friend. She kept backing down the time she could go - 1 month, 3 weeks, 2 weeks: it was perfectly obvious that she had no desire to travel around Europe for three months, or even three days. The worst part of that experience was that she went from being a potential travel companion to being a naysayer, that it wasn't a good idea, etc. I guess it made her feel better about not going, but it certainly didn't stop me. I did have a couple of contacts along the way, but otherwise was traveling solo.

On the other hand, I was seldom actually alone. Staying at hostels is not a bother at all, and a good way to meet people, so don't knock the idea entirely. There are also campgrounds throughout Europe where you can tent, but still take showers! And more important, you can meet people. And some of the people you meet in Europe might actually be Europeans, who (if you make a good impression) may invite you to visit them... I met some Dutch guys on a train from Madrid, ran into them again in Biarritz (we ended up camping together) and they invited me to spend the last few days of my trip with their family, and took me all around the Netherlands. Trust your instincts about the people you meet, obviously, but these kind of things actually do happen - more so to people who are traveling on their own.

[urOZm8]

Travelling solo is so liberating and on nearly every occasion I wouldn't have it any other way!

ev

[crybaby]

i've never tried it before. In fact, i'm doing my first trip this july and w/a friend, but the more I think about it the more appealing it seems, not that my friend isn't great, but I imagine the sense of freedom and competency you'll gain from it has to be awesome. Everything that you're stating...fear of being alone, sleeping in hostels etc..is exactly the same way I feel and because of that I say do it! do it! do it! You need to see for yourself that you can. It sucks that you can't meet up w/someone somewhere along the way to break the monotony but I still think you should go for it. I'm considering travelling solo for a week or so away from my friend, and will probably be a mess too ( i know it's nothing compared to how some ppl here travel) so you wouldn't be entirely alone!! And I keep hearing over and over again, there's a lot of camaraderie among ppl travelling alone so i'm sure you'll meet someone!

[***Beady***]

I had never been on my own before, and I decided to go off for a whole year on my own. I enjoyed every second of it! You meet so many people, you really are never on your own.
I sometimes found that when I wanted to go off and see someting like a temple etc, I wanted to be on my own!
So, it is swings and roundabouts really.

My younger sister is actually going off to Europe on her own for about a month around Europe. She has done it with 2 other friends before, but decided that she would rather go off and see other parts of Europe on her own........wise move I think! You don't have to check that everyone is happy going to see such and such and then check that everyone wants to travel by train or bus....the trip is all YOURS!!!
However, you will still meet people there, so the choice is yours.

Hostel's you have to accept there is an element of give and take with them.
The cheaper the hostel, the less you have to expect. I personally, never went for THE cheapest. Normally went for second cheapest instead!
People are normally very friendly in them, and owners generally are quite helpful.
Try to make sure that there is a locker there, if there isn't then you can leave your passport etc behind the recpetion desk in a lock up thing. Then again, some people prefer to have them by their side all the time.

Whatever horrors or joys you get from a hostel, it will always be an experience you won't forgot!

[PLUSCREW]

Feel the fear and do it anyway. I was supposed to go travelling with my best friend but she got pregnant so she was off on her own adventure.
I still packed and went on my own, a kiwi girl at the tender age of 22 all the way from littl' ol' new zealand, our total population is a quarter the size of London's. All i can say is it was the best thing I could have done in my life.
Landing in London without knowing a soul was a little scary but i think it was the jetlag mostly. staying in hostels was the best thing to do as i met so many people from all over the world i could never have met in NZ, i had roommates from Canada, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, guys and girls that i went partying with , travelling with, and eventually flatting with . I had been prepared to stay in the UK only for a couple of months and ended up staying 5 years. Travelling Europe with other backpackers made it all the more memorable and you discover so much about yourself its scary, all the things you thought you could never do vanish. I have a line from a drinking song I made up about backpacking that goes, "we moan about the bed bugs, foot rot and cold, but the stories we'll tell one day when we're old". That will be the best bit, telling your grand kids what shenanigans you got up to travelling.
Dive in.

[omisan]

Traveling alone rocks. That's all I gotta say without repeating myself for the umpteenth time. Do it! Do it! Do it!

[space virgin]

I'm going to India by myself in the fall for approximately one month. I'm not under any delusions about my safety, especially considering that I'll be entering some sensitive-border-situation areas that require special permits. But that's not going to stop me. And I'm a girl.

[Kiki]

I'm going to travel alone threw Europe this summer.
All my friends and family thinks i'm crazy.
But i'm still going

I don't want to miss out on all the great things, just because nobody wants to come with me!
I can't wait to leave

I'm from Holland, so even if it's terrible I can go home any time.
Just go and have a great time.
You'll always meet other people to hang with.
Trust your instinct and make new friends all over the world

Kiki

[simply_angelic]

GO FOR IT!

Do you really even need to ask? I had a blast doing it last summer and I was a 17 yo female at the time. I went for 2 months and I can honestly say that it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

That said, be smart. There are a lot of jackasses out there looking to take advantage of tourists. Keep your money close, don't carry it in completely obvious ways, try not to flaunt you camera, and if you do have it out hold on to it in a way that someone won't be able to grab it quickly and run...etc etc. A lot of the people that may pick tourists as their "victims" are not looking for trouble. They just want a easy target so try not to make yourself one.

I was really lucky in that I didn't run into too many creeps when traveling. You meet so many amazing people, and backpackers will become your best friends. Really, you never end up being alone, unless you want to be. In fact by traveling solo, it forces you to go outside of your shell and meet other people.

I learned so much about myself from that trip and it's something I'll never lose. So I'll say it again, ditch the friend and GO SOLO!