[rockrunride]

Hi guys,

About once a week or more frequently the forum gets threads asking whether travelling/backpacking alone is "weird", "acceptable", "okay", or any words to this effect.
So is it weird? The answer is emphatically this:

No.

Is it acceptable to travel alone?

Yes!

I've just set this up to encourage people to follow their travel plans and dreams even if no peer can accompany them and for said travellers to chat away! It's a resurrection of sorts to the TSR Travel Society which unfortunately hasn't seen much use in, well, ages.

One more issue I frequently here is from people that question how "safe" it is to travel alone. By "travelling" we commonly refer to urban backpacking, ie travelling from city to city using public transport and staying in hostels. The answer to this is that it will be universally "safe" for anywhere with 1) a backpackers' hostel, and/or 2) a common tourist trail. It's not advisable to visit war zones or certain areas of some cities, but by and large, if you apply as much common sense as you would at home, you will be fine.

So fellow solo soldiers, I've just got back from an Interrail trip, how about you?

J

[Vindobona]

I don't mind travelling by myself at all and have done it many times. In fact, I actually prefer being by myself when it comes to city trips. I enjoy the independence. And I have met many great people while travelling solo.

I just came back from a solo trip to Belgrade this afternoon.

I have travelled across Canada and the US by myself, as well as southern Spain and the Netherlands.

[rockrunride]

So I thought I'd review my Euro-go-round here. Five weeks spent in Western-Central Europe between late July and late August, organised as follows:

Avignon (F) - Cologne (D) - Düsseldorf - Berlin - Dresden - Prague (CZ) - Kraków (PL) - Vienna (A) - Budapest (H)

Thoughts overall: Great. Thrilling to see so many new places and one old one, usually afforded great weather though it did rain at least once in every country except for Hungary. If I'm honest the city-ing was the main highlight and the travelling the main lowlight. My organisation wasn't always amazing so on a few occasions I did miss the last train and had to rough it/hitchhike. Poland was quite a culture shock with seemingly ad-hoc additions to public infrastructure like railway stations, as well as being very inexpensive (5 EUR for an evening meal).

Highlights:
Seeing an old friend again in France
Improving my German to no end in Cologne
Seeing the Brandenburg gate
Going unbeaten on table football in Berlin
Free beers in Dresden
Playing with new currency
Pub crawl in Kraków, actually the city of Kraków and all its wackiness in general
Finding the perfect Viennese café
Getting invited to fireworks in Budapest
The Gellert Baths in Budapest

Lowlights
Outstaying my welcome in France
Buggering up my Interrail order
Constantly missing trains
Night transport
Negative effects of Polish culture shock, ie absolutely rubbish trains forcing me to hitchhike
Guilt at having to press people for English knowledge later on
Sporadic lonely feelings

Places I definitely want to go back to (including the whole academic year's worth of city visits)
Budapest
Kraków
Cologne
Rome
Paris
Madrid
Berlin

Places I would never say no to going back to if offered a trip
Barcelona
Florence
Prague
Vienna
Granada
Lisbon
Seville
Valencia
Munich

"Meh" places (ie places I probably won't actively seek to go to)
Avignon (and I lived there! I think the magic's gone now the people have..)
Strasbourg
Dresden (beautiful but just a stop-off really, all things considered)

A few regrets?
None, because I live by Robbie Williams's word, but are there a few things maybe I should have done?

Visited Bratislava
Visited Wroclaw
Stayed longer in Budapest, Berlin
Stayed shorter in Avignon, Dresden
Probably shouldn't have hopped about so much between countries during the latter stages

That's all folks! Until November when I should be making a short visit to lovely Sweden!

[jameswhughes]

I was very tempted to go on a trip on my own this summer, it's very hard to get my current friends to do anything, even getting them to leave North Yorkshire is incredibly difficult.

[Vindobona]

(Original post by rockrunride)
Highlights:
Finding the perfect Viennese café

I'm Viennese myself, so I'm really curious as to which café you're referring to

[Kitebo]

I'm going on a 7,5 month solo trip to South East Asia, China and japan in a couple of months... Reaaaally looking forward to that!

[rockrunride]

(Original post by Vindobona)
I'm Viennese myself, so I'm really curious as to which café you're referring to

Drechsler, on Linke Wienzeile. Off-centre like you would consider fringe West End theatre, but the mokka was a mere 2.10 EUR (haha I say mere, I've had 'em for 60c in Spain) and the atmosphere, decor and clientele were typically what I had imagined a Viennese place to be like. Plus the strudel, don't get me started on it

[Emsybean]

Hoping to Interrail Germany for a week or so next Easter, will only be my second time abroad if I go. The sleeper trains will be interesting

[drakesdrum]

I travel pretty much exclusively on my own, it's great.

In a week's time I'll be in Tallinn before heading to Moscow on a sleeper train, then onto the trans-mongolian train with different stops on the way eventually ending up in Beijing. Then onto Hong Kong and Macau. Then fly onto Kuala Lumpur, few days in Langkawi then home.

Wish I had more time to incorporate more places but that's for another day. I've already been to most of the places I'm going to but an adventure non the less.

Then later in the year a few days in gorgeous Wroclaw & Krakow and that will suffice for the year

[Paul PTS]

(Original post by drakesdrum)
In a week's time I'll be in Tallinn before heading to Moscow on a sleeper train, then onto the trans-mongolian train with different stops on the way eventually ending up in Beijing. Then onto Hong Kong and Macau. Then fly onto Kuala Lumpur, few days in Langkawi then home.

So you are going to Moscow just to get place on the train and to go to Beijing?

Btw. I have been at Moscow four hours ago, when you have posted. I live near.

[drakesdrum]

(Original post by Paul PTS)
So you are going to Moscow just to get place on the train and to go to Beijing?

Btw. I have been at Moscow four hours ago, when you have posted. I live near.

No, I'm seeing an extremely good friend there first, she lives there. I've been to visit her before so I have no need to stick around for ages.

[rbnphlp]

Got back from sweden a week ago.travelling alone , had met quite a few interesting people ..
Visited Kiruna , and then narvik in norway ..
Also did some climbing ...


Some pics

[(parentheses]

Am going interrailing on Thursday. I have no problem with travelling by myself - I love meeting people and it's easier when you're by yourself - but travelling as a solo female is a little bit different. No, there's nothing weird about travelling by yourself, apart from security issues, which sucks. But hey. I'm still really excited

[Lightyear]

Does anyone know of any travel companies that specialise in solo travellers going to either australia/new zealand or thailand vietnam etc?

Failing that any companies in general which you sign up with to go abroad in a group of people?

Anyone ever travelled alone or can recommend it?

[aneel]

6 month trip in world.

[Skippeh]

I like travelling on my own, you get to do what you want when you want to do it. For example, a trip to Bruges with two others, the others want to go to the chip museum (bare in mind you are there 9am-5pm) you are like what? Why? You'd rather go to the Belfry or one of the churches. Alas you miss out as your mates want to look at some chips. Also accomodation, I'd stay in a dive if needs be as its cheap and I am only sleeping there, and most likely getting there at night after one or two too many mulled wines at which point it doesnt matter. And the room cost you £20. But you may have friends who will only stay in 4star or over bumping it up tp maybe £60 shared between people. Anyway rant over. Travelling alone good.

[redrose_ftw]

I got back from a solo trip to Thailand a few weeks ago and I was really nervous about it at first but in the end I didn't want to go home, had the most amazing time, met so many great people. Best time of my life. I'm now planning to go to India this christmas!!!

[robocop1andahalf]

(Original post by rockrunride)
So is it weird? The answer is emphatically this:

[SIZE="7"]No.[/SIZE]

(Original post by rockrunride)

Lowlights
Sporadic lonely feelings

Much as I love to travel solo - independence, freedom to do what you want whenever you want, maybe make good new chums along the way - what you mention is perhaps the big issue. There can be times where you wish you could be with someone and share the experience with them. Solo travelling is definitely not weird but it is easy to fear the negative stigma that some may see you as a "loner" even if you really are not.

[scott125]

Going lonesome all the way . Nothing beats you in control.

[Carlz]

I have never been away by myself before and I want to take the plunge for my 30th next year.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a female, first time solo traveller? (My birthday is in July, if that helps).