Travelling Solo -- How to Minimise the Downside

[Stargazer]

Hi,

I will be travelling to Europe solo and want some advice on how to minimise the downside. Any and all advice appreciated. eg. where to meet people or how to get over a long trip when the passenger next to you realises that you are alone and won't stop talking or how to enjoy the nightlife on your own (as a single female).

 

[simongr]

Are you travelling on business or pleasure?

As a non-single male I take the time for some peace and quiet and catch up on TV shows that are not acceptable at home (Walking Dead/Dexter).

The biggest downside for me is dining - I tend to eat a lot of room service as I am not that keen to eat out by myself.

Are you flying in J or whY? I do find it much easier to avoid conversing with the person next to me flying in J as you aren't pushed up against them.

It is one of the reasons I like the coffin seats on CX in J - no opportunity to speak to the people next to me.

 

[harvyk]

Whilst I can't really give you advice from the female point of view I can give you some hints for travelling solo considering most of my travel is solo.

Bars \ Pubs will be the best way to find other like minded people. I have a general rule that I do not go up to groups which have equal number of females \ males as there is every chance that they do not want any additional company. For yourself I’d also think twice about going upto a table if there is a “lone” male as they might get the wrong idea.

Just go up and introduce yourself, the worst a group of people are likely to do is say “no we don’t want you to hang around us”.

Watch out for overly friendly strangers, as a solo traveller (especially a female solo traveller) you may have people come upto you, certainly be friendly, but be warey if they want to go anywhere else.

Take a good collection of movies, books and music. They will be invaluable for the nights that you don’t want to go out. They will also help waiting at airports \ train stations \ bus stations.

If you’re staying at hostels, or other similar places you may end up finding a group of people who are doing similar travels to yourself. I’ve made some really good friends simply because we both chose to stay at the same place.

Watch your drink. Don’t go to the bathroom until you’ve finished your drink. If you can’t wait simply leave your drink behind and get another one when you get back.

This one should be obvious – If you don’t feel safe somewhere leave. Make sure you know how to get a taxi in the city your in (eg keep taxi phone numbers in your phone \ know where taxi ranks are likely to be etc...)


As for the talkative person next to you on the flight, headphones... After takeoff I usually put the headphones on and I've never been bothered by the talkative person.

Finally have fun, whilst you may leave AU as a solo traveller, chances are you won’t stay that way for very long, no doubt travel buddies will come and go as your paths intersect along your trip...

 

[UP4014]

There is no downside to travelling by yourself, I find it much less stressful.

 

[Hawkeye]

Like simongr, I try to catch up on things that are harder to do in the family environs. For me, that is reading some good books. That is both in hotels and on planes - I rarely use IFE, these days.

I also tend to utilise room service often. I've made a bit of a game out of it - essentially sampling the club sandwich at every hotel I go to. Have had some terrible ones, but some very good ones to. The Cajun duck version at the W New Orleans is up there with the best!

 

[Stargazer]

Are you travelling on business or pleasure?

As a non-single male I take the time for some peace and quiet and catch up on TV shows that are not acceptable at home (Walking Dead/Dexter).

The biggest downside for me is dining - I tend to eat a lot of room service as I am not that keen to eat out by myself.

Are you flying in J or whY? I do find it much easier to avoid conversing with the person next to me flying in J as you aren't pushed up against them.

It is one of the reasons I like the coffin seats on CX in J - no opportunity to speak to the people next to me.

This is a holiday and I will be travelling in economy (most likely premium Y). Yes, I agree about not eating out alone. What do you do until the meal arrives? Listen in on nearby conversations!! Not my ideal. So room service looks like it will be the go. And that's really a shame as hotel food tends to be fairly standard. You don't really get the chance to try out all of the wonderful local restaurants.

 

[Chrisd26]

I must say I generally enjoy travelling solo very much. Almost always in J or Y on business.
Always meet nice people whether in queues, in the club or pax or staff in flight!

Part of why I enjoy travel

Happy to dine alone or in room as usually have lots of after hours work to catch up on!

 

[harvyk]

What do you do until the meal arrives?

Read a book \ facebook \ stare blankly into space... Meal times can be a little lonely, but on the other hand when it's just yourself they tend to be pretty quick, no conversation getting in the way of eating .

Sometimes I'll talk to the wait staff (provided they don't look too busy). If you go to the same place a few times, and especially if you leave a bit of a tip (assuming not in a country where tipping is mandatory) then the wait staff usually have no problems lending an ear.

 

[nlagalle]

This is a holiday and I will be travelling in economy (most likely premium Y). Yes, I agree about not eating out alone. What do you do until the meal arrives? Listen in on nearby conversations!! Not my ideal. So room service looks like it will be the go. And that's really a shame as hotel food tends to be fairly standard. You don't really get the chance to try out all of the wonderful local restaurants.

As someone who travels weekly and eats out solo, you quickly get used to it.. some places like sushi trains, or places that have shared tables making eating on your own easier. a book or an iPad goes a long way!

 

[casanovawa]

Travelling on your own has all sorts of advantages, as well as a few disadvantages, to travelling with a companion...

I assume you are travelling for pleasure and not business...

When i travel i usually either use couchsurfing or stay at hostels... Not only are they both cheaper than staying in expensive hotel rooms that i usually only ever use to sleep in (rest of the time i am exploring out and about full bore) but they also provide interaction rather than being stuck up in a hotel room on your own which can be the pits, only surpassed by being with an inconsiderate friend/partner or if you have had a bit of a barney and the trip isn't going so great...

With the hostel you obviously bump into room mates who usually are happy to help each other out but can also bump into people from all over the world down in the eating/bar/pool area and can also makes friends as well as find companions to go out on day trips or explore the city... In NYC me and my NZ friend i was travelling with bumped into a Swiss young guy and a middle age Aussie over a couple of days and ended up going to a baseball match together... There is obviously the room mates from hell which i have copped as well but they make a very small percentage of the people that I have bumped into/roomed with...

Couch surfing is different but another option, although often easier to find potential hosts in autumn/winter of locations you are going to rather than spring/summer when, especially in the most popular cities, hosts are getting deluged with requests... But I've had some good experiences there as well... I have also hosted couch surfers here in Perth and took one of them to King's Park with a few beers one Friday arvo to look over the city and chill out... Couch surfers have taken me to several dinners/parties with friends, out to a movie and I went to band jam session with one in Athens (but couldn't summon the courage to join in the singing) so couch surfing is definitely something i recommend if travelling on your own...

Another way if not actually staying with a host is to join couch surfing and then join a group for a city your visiting. Not only can you ask lots of questions and get advice, but in Rome i noticed there was going to be a roof top party one Saturday night, I asked if i could join in and ended up paying 5 euros to be be on the roof of a 6 story building with amazing views including clear views down to the big wedding cake Vittoriano monument, tunes playing, drinks and food etc (i drank maybe a little too much perhaps) but again, locals and travellers from all over the world having fun and meeting each other... I bumped into and talked with an Iranian medical student and a German guy who worked for the European Space Agency?!?!? I also went to a bar in Amsterdam one Friday night for a Couchsurfing get together of locals and visitors... Travelling alone these types of get togethers would definitely be my preference to heading out to bars/nightclubs on my own!!

I think as a girl it is probably easier to generate a conversation if you want one, although probably also easier to generate unwelcome attention... But i have run into many single females at places i've stayed who seem to be having a great time, teaming up with other females or guys or groups, I think its the mind set you bring with you and what you open yourself up to experience rather than expecting problems/the bad and you will find it... Group walking tours are another good way to get out and about and maybe also bump into people in the same situation and they can be free in a number of cities throughout Europe...

With planes, I have struck up one or two interesting conversations with people next to me, but most of the time just have earphones in listening to movies/music and don't get bothered other than a few pleasantries... I wouldn't stress ahead of that for the remote chance that someone will really be a pain.. Stick the headphones in and they soon get the message...

 

[v8Statesman]

Hi,

I will be travelling to Europe solo and want some advice on how to minimise the downside. Any and all advice appreciated. eg. where to meet people or how to get over a long trip when the passenger next to you realises that you are alone and won't stop talking or how to enjoy the nightlife on your own (as a single female).

Websites like http://www.travelchums.com/ can be good to fine like minded solo travelers to organise activities with. If you want to.


Sent from my Telstra iPhone using the Australian Frequent Flyer application.

 

[zig]

I travel solo a lot of the time, and really enjoy it and don't think there are too many downsides to it. I think once you get going you will see all the benefits of solo travel.
Solo dining in the evening can be a bit daunting to begin with, but if you try casual, relaxed cafes it sometimes feels easier to blend in. Also look for places with communal tables which make it easy to strike up a conversation. If you don't want to dine alone in the evening you can try some nice restaurants at lunchtime. Many offer a prix fixe menu which is also an affordable way to sample up market restaurants. Having had a nice meal at lunch time can make a room service evening meal more palatable.
I don't know what type of accomodation you will be looking at, but I also find paying extra for club access (or gaining it through status) to be worthwhile. The club can offer a relaxed and safe place to meet fellow travellers. I much prefer to go to a club lounge for an evening drink than going to a pub or bar.

 

[TonyHancock]

As a non-single male I take the time for some peace and quiet and catch up on TV shows that are not acceptable at home (Walking Dead/Dexter).

Me too same shows! Boardwalk Empire too. (To be fair MrsH likes Dexter.)

The biggest downside for me is dining - I tend to eat a lot of room service as I am not that keen to eat out by myself.

Same here, I hate sitting alone in restaurants.

Are you flying in J or whY? I do find it much easier to avoid conversing with the person next to me flying in J as you aren't pushed up against them.

It is one of the reasons I like the coffin seats on CX in J - no opportunity to speak to the people next to me.

Me too, when I get on a plane I really do not like talking to anyone!!

As a male traveling solo I love the "me" time.

 

[Fantic125]

Most of my (business related) travel is usually solo, and quite often to non-english speaking countries which can make it even more difficult at times.

If I'm eating alone I'll usually avoid more formal restaurants, and either eat in one of the casual restaurants at the hotel I'm staying at or one close by the hotel. I either take along my e-reader or use the time to plan my activities for the next few days.

As a result of a lot of solo travel I've taken up photography as a bit of a hobby as well, so often when I'm travelling I'll pick a few sights or specific items that I want to photograph. I've found having a purpose in getting to a particular place for a specific reason (in this case to take photo's) reduces the perception of travelling alone.

My philosophy when I'm travelling alone is I do what I want to do and I don't particularly care what other people think (within reason of course!) as it's unlikely that I'll ever see them again!

 

[Hvr]

There is no downside to travelling by yourself, I find it much less stressful.

I agree, with a little care you can have some great travel experiences.

As always if in doubt get somewhere safe but otherwise enjoy the trip.

I've met many great people travelling alone and had some wonderful experiences by being open minded. As a single bloke I have enjoyed strictly platonic company with women whilst travelling.

By way of example in February I was eating dinner in a restaurant in Kyoto reading my magazine and two Japanese women were sitting next to me. When I finished it one of them asked me in English if she could please have it. We ended up having a wonderful conversation for a couple of hours and I learnt a bit about their town.

Remember there are no strangers, only friends you aren't met yet.

 

[Heleigh]

Hi Stargazer

I have travelled solo most of my life but do have an overall better time when with family, partner or friends. There has been some great info so I won't go into too much detail.

I would like to stress the drinking fact even to the extent of watch your drink being made (one of my drinks was spiked by bar staff lucky it wasn't a hard drug and I was with friends, unlike my nephew and his friends in South America they were distracted by a female who wanted her photo with them lucky they made it back to their secured hotel - they were out of it for more than 24hrs), don't leave or turn your back on your drink and if you have any doubts about your drink, food or safety get out of there even using phone to pretend to ring and say be there in 10mins.

Talk to people it only takes "Hi" and do make the effort to eat out in cafes/pubs and if there is a common table / bar seating these spots are friendlier. If the hotel has a bar drop in and see if anything is happening or find out if there is local nearby.

In my younger days stayed at hostels met so many great people there who were full of good info. Now mostly on club level but still eat out if I want something to do use phone to play game or book/mag. to read.

If you are going for the ski season most areas have lots of activities.

Have used earphones and eye mask in Y many years ago.


Enjoy your trip

 

[JohnK]

I actually enjoy travelling solo. The few times I have travelled with someone other than family overseas I have not enjoyed the experience.

I do not like following people and prefer to do the things I want to do at the time I want to do them. No arguments about what time to wake up or what time to go sleep.

And not sure if it is considered rude or not but it is quite easy to ignore the person next to you on a flight. Just put the headphones on and watch a movie or listen to some music and pretend to go to sleep.

 

[reductionist]

where to meet people

This part is easy to answer.

Absolutely everywhere is a potential meeting spot.

Arm yourself with a few standard conversation starters and you're all set. Here's one I use a lot:

I want to go to (transport, shop, tourist attraction, etc), am I heading in the right direction?

Even if you're not at all lost it's a good way to get chatting to people. You'll get good at judging if they are up for a chin-wag or not. There are a whole bunch of other follow on questions you can ask.

• Is x a good place to visit?
• Are there any good places to get food/coffee near there?
• Is there anything interesting happening around there today/tonight?
• Is there anywhere else you'd recommend visiting?

You get the idea. As long as you're willing to approach people then you can meet people anywhere.

On the flip side, I also have a rule of not engaging with anyone who randomly approaches me. Especially if they seem eager to help me in some way. I make the assumption that I look exactly like a tourist and that anyone who approaches tourists with enthusiasm probably doesn't have good intentions.

how to enjoy the nightlife on your own (as a single female).

Nothing to add here other than to echo what others have said. Stay safe!

I much prefer solo travel. I hope you enjoy it too.

 

[TravelingSmithy]

Did Asia & Europe Feb / March this year. Lots of good advice. Eat out & buy the local paper & read Eat where WiFi & update things on your smart phone or IPad

Enjoy You don't want to come back & say I should have enjoyed it more Travel PEco as I did & upgrade the odd sector. You make points you can use the whole trip.

Enjoy. I am now in Asia with my lovely girlfriend I met during the year. Life is short ... Especially now

Cheers

 

[Vinny]

What's to worry about?

I actually prefer to travel alone, and often organise things so I can. If you sit beside someone on the plane who tells you their family history and political views just put headphones on or get the ipod out. Mention your parole conditions usually works well too. I'm usually more blunt.

Even forgetting how to speak English works. With no stop over, sitting next to Kath and Kim or their partners wears thin very quickly. Your head phones are your best friend. Even with the volume off.

Eating out, just take a book, newspaper, iphone, ipod, or start talking to yourself and with a sour look and you'll be allowed to eat in peace. Do the opposite if you are looking for company for all the above.

The real downside is hotels. They charge by the room with no allowances for singles. No way around it unless you check out one of the online travel mate sites. Risky though.

Don't be worried at all. You'll meet other travellers and locals so have someone to hang out with for a while or longer.