Would you travel solo internationally?

I have travelled alone in Europe for years. Lots of pluses to doing it (autonomy, for one), and very few negatives.

Now, I’m male and considerably older than you, so I come at this from a different perspective. Women may (and probably will) have different challenges.

But my overall answer is – Yes, you should go it alone and have one hell of a good time. Do what you want, see what you are interested in.

@elbanditoroso I would definitely take into consideration being a woman and look for safer locations to visit and stay. I do worry about being a bit lonely though. Lacking that other person to share in the experience with. I also worry about the airport experience (I’ve only flown twice). Customs makes me nervous as well.

Yes. I’ve done it. In my case it was Costa Rica. Europe, if you stick to certain countries, should be perfectly safe.

You might get lonely if you’re not a particularly outgoing person. Of course, it depends on how you travel. In many hostels, people are so welcoming you can hardly get rid of them.

@longgone I’m not very outgoing but I don’t mind being left alone. I prefer some solitude most of the time. I don’t know much about hostels so I’m not sure if I’d feel comfortable staying in one or stick to a traditional hotel.

I did it at age 27. There were a few times when I’d have liked some company, but mostly it gave me the freedom to do what I wanted. It was a much more satisfying trip that way than it could have been if I’d been constantly negotiating with someone.

For instance, I didn’t want to go shopping at all. I wanted to visit museums, as many as I could manage, and major spots such as the Tower of London and Anne Frank’s house. Later on, traveling with friends, I did have to make some unwanted compromises. Because of course they did want to go shopping.

What I did that first time, and would be happy to do again, was to book a tour that handled travel among selected cities, customs assistance, transfers, and hotels, gave me someone to call on for help with things like reservations, and arranged a bus tour of the city for the first morning at each destination. I was then on my own, after getting a feel for each location. This allowed me to get oriented with the help of a guide and then spend my time on what interested me.

Oh, and the tour included event tickets for one program (theatre, music, dance) in each city.

Experienced travelers may scoff at the idea of booking a tour, but I was not an experienced traveler, and I had no companion. For me the structure gave me confidence with all the details I’d have been anxious about. It freed me to use my independence as far as I was able, with a safety net. I could also find mealtime company among fellow group members when I didn’t want to dine alone.

Reminder: Do your homework first on anyplace you plan to visit. Don’t wait until you get there to ask, “So, what should I see?”

Try going on a trip to a local large city in the US first.

@Tropical_Willie It’s not being alone in a city that makes me anxious. It’s mostly the flying and customs I think. So I can’t exactly replicate that until I jump and do it.

I would now, but not when I was younger. I’d be so restricted on what I could and couldn’t do, for saftey’s sake….especially after dark!

I have done both. I am definitely more anxious about things like getting to the airport on time and things like that when traveling alone. It is nice to have a buddy that it works with but there are advantages to going on your own and at your own pace. I would suggest if you go that you pick just one or two countries and make the travel relatively simple within. Like say a week in London and a week in Ireland, ideally in the countryside. Or if you like cities, you could fly into London, rent an Airbnb for a week and then take the train across to Paris for a week and fly home from there.

One possibility also is to look for a small group tour so you will have the advantage of someone else making the arrangements and getting you places. I used to be snotty about group travel bu it can be a fine way to go it alone and have time for yourself or with people.

Get a ticket to fly to a city one or two states away. One step at a time, first airports . . . .

I love traveling alone internationally. I also love going with like-minded people I get along with. But traveling with someone you don’t get along with can be stressful – one of the great things about going alone is not having someone else to consider all the time.

However I don’t have your anxiety about being alone.

I would suggest you practice traveling alone locally first. For example, on a weekend, you could pretend you are on vacation and go visit a nearby town by yourself as if you were on vacation, and practice exploring alone, and see how it goes and if you can get used to it.

As far as Europe goes, some places might be easier for you than others, depending on what your anxieties are like. In general I personally find being Europe incredibly soothing and therapeutic.

@Zaku Great suggestions. I think I’ll do what you and others suggested and travel in a nearby city alone just to see how that goes first.

@ItalianPrincess1217 Really a good idea!

Yes, I would. What I carried on my person would depend on just where I was going, and if I could carry whatever I wanted.

I am an old white male. So my perspective is different. But I have travelled solo in Europe without difficulty.

Love traveling solo. The sense of freedom, the excitement in anticipation of sights and stuff to see with my own eyes…priceless.

The younger of a solo traveler you are the better. The clear advantage is you don’t have to compromise and make arrangements with a companion or companions. You are the boss.

You can do soul searching and stay in the country if you think the international flight is overwhelming. If you do go with the international idea, go to countries that are considered relatively safe.

Considering where you are from I would think you have crossed in and out of Canada more than once. Have you ever had a problem with immigration? Immigration and customs is basically the same all over the world.

You could consider a cruise. Transatlantic repositioning cruises are incredibly cheap in April time frame, I just looked at one out of NYC that started at around $500 to England. But, you spend many days at sea. The problem with a cruise is as a single traveler you basically pay double (but as I said some cruises are very cheap). If you do the transatlantic you need to fly back, or take the pricier transatlantic that goes back and forth regularly out of NYC.

I love being in my hotel room alone, so that is never a problem for me. The one thing that I am sometimes apprehensive about is walking at night alone. When I travel during the summer it makes it easier since sundown is later.

You could look into booking a tour. Less homework for you to do, and if you don’t like a couple of things on the tour you can go off on your own during the day, and meet back with the tour group.

If you have an iPhone your find friends will work so your family can see where you (your phone is). Also, check with your cell phone provider about temporary international plans so if you ever feel uneasy you can easily call or text a friend or family.

@JLeslie Yes, I’ve gone to Canada a couple of times before (with others) and never had a problem with getting through the border. I feel more comfortable with the idea of customs after doing more research. It seems relatively simple.

I have always had Europe on my “bucket list” of places to travel so I figured if I were to do some soul searching, that would be the place to do it. The only interest I have is going to Oregon for some of the beautiful beaches. But the cost of flights to the other side of the US is the same price as flying to Europe so I’d rather spend the money internationally I think.

I don’t know anything about how these tours work. Do you just go on certain excursions each day with a group of particular people?

I would definitely be worried about going anywhere at night. I would be limited with times I could be out until which might be boring at night. I also don’t know how I would get from place A to place B. Taxi I assume. I wouldn’t be renting a car and learning to drive on the opposite side of the road.

European cities tend to be designed for people to get around them on foot, and exploring them on foot is one of my favorite things to do. I find even their typical city blocks to be very enjoyable to walk around. They also tend to have an abundance of public transportation available – subways, buses, taxis, etc.

In regards to booking tours, you can learn a great deal from contacting a travel agency. You don’t have to book a trip with them to have questions answered.
There are trips you can book with tours all planned in advance, but I believe there are also tours which can be arranged after you arrive to your destination. Again, that issue is best clarified by calling a travel agency.

As @Zaku mentioned, many European cities it’s easy to get around without a car. Also, if you stay in the section of a city with lots of activity, then being out in the evening won’t be a big deal. Some cities you can stay a little outside, it’s usually quieter, and less expensive, and if you are right next to a “subway” line you get right into the city easily.

You can book the whole thing as a tour, or just do day trips on a tour once you are there.

It might help us help you if you tell us which cities and countries you are interested in.

Back to immigration and customs. Don’t buy anything you will have to declare. Don’t buy alcohol, etc. That way when they ask if you have anything to declare you can honestly answer no. If they decide to search your bags you have nothing to worry about. I’ve never been stopped or searched traveling internationally. I have been search by our TSA flying domestically in America. One time it was because of a barrette in my purse. At immigration you’ll just have to answer things like how long you plan to stay in the country, that you are traveling for pleasure.

More tips about immigration and customs. Don’t wear red lipstick (go for lighter shades). Don’t wear black clothing. Be your normal self, it’s ok to smile even though it’s a serious interaction.

Do you have your passport? Apply right away if you don’t. The shut down affected that department. It’s good for ten years, so if you decide not to go right away, it’s still a good thing to have it at the ready for another opportunity or just for ID.

@JLeslie I wanted to visit Ireland. Dublin and County Galway specifically. They are about a 2 hour drive apart though and Galway is countryside so I’m not sure how easy getting places would be. Additionally I wanted to visit Lisbon in Portugal. I live in NY and can drive to JFK to get on a direct flight to either. I’ve read that both places are considered safe for travelers.

I haven’t sent in my passport application yet but I was planning for a May trip. I figured that would be enough time. I hadn’t considered the government shutdown though.

If you are going in May of this year, I would get on it with the passport application. You should be fine but don’t delay it.

Galway is a city in County Galway. There will be trains or busses from Dublin to Galway and should be some public busses to the countryside in Galway but you might need to take some taxis to get out to the country. However, there would probably be one day tours you could get on from the city of Galway to the surrounding countryside once there that would be fun and informative.

You have a lot of research and planning to do. I would get on it. You can find out a lot from the internet. If you need help researching, you can go to a travel agent (if they still exist) or your local library,

@ItalianPrincess1217 First time passports and people getting a passport after being expired over 5 years, take longer than a renewal. Do your application soon. You can expedite it, but it costs more. On the application you can write the month you plan to travel, I think they take it into consideration. I think if you allow 2 months it should be plenty if time. My renewal took two weeks! Fastest it’s ever been, but it was before the shut down and a simple renewal.

Many of the cruises stop in Lisbon and then go on to the UK. But, you need a lot of time for the cruise.

There are very inexpensive flights within Europe, I could get you more info on that if you need it. I don’t know the information, I just know people who know.

There are land tours and cruise tours around Ireland. You could spend 2–3 days in Dublin and then tour with a group to other areas a few days if you don’t feel comfortable driving. Even if you don’t tour with a group, looking up the tours sometimes gives good ideas for things to do on your own. Actually, I think Shannon airport is near Galway?? I’ve never been to Ireland, but I looked into it a few years back. My husband really wants to go.

@JLeslie Shannon is a couple of hours from Galway; closer than Dublin but from Dublin it might be easier to get a car.

Shannon airport is a lot more expensive than Dublin.

In my youth, took a trip visiting Venice, Florence and Rome. I made hotel arrangements in advance. It never occurred to me how I was going to get from one city to the next or how I was going to find the hotels. The only preparation I made was to teach myself some Italian in a few months before the trip. Everything worked out fine. Like most the rest of Europe. train travel in Italy is very convenient. Nearly everyone I tried to speak Italian to quickly shifted to English (accent, me?).

Now in the wisdom of age, I have lost much of my boldness. Any travel I do in the future will probably be with a group.

@ItalianPrincess1217 So just research trains from Dublin to Galway. It shouldn’t be a hard trip.

As a newbie traveler, I would pick either Portugal or Ireland and just go to one.

I agree about the train.

Edit: I found a YouTube about the route. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iKrcLLqd7pQ I’m ready to go myself.

I see flights from Ireland to Lisbon one way for $76, if you can do an open jaw for a good price, land in Ireland, and then leave to go back to NY from Lisbon it might be worth the time traveling to Lisbon, but otherwise I think you will burn too much time going down to Portugal.

Here’s some info about renting/hiring a vehicle in Ireland. Make sure you have more than one credit card and make sure one of them is accepted in Ireland.

@Tropical_Willie She said she doesn’t want to rent a car.

@Tropical_Willie Yeah, I won’t be renting a car for me to drive around. I will just walk, take a taxi, train, etc.