1st Time Going Solo

Steve, I made my first solo trip to Europe when I was 53. I'm 60 now, and I've made 4 solo trips in the last 8 years. I'm also fairly shy, so I can relate to your trepidation, but I also envy you getting to do this for the first time.

I did my solo trips to diverse places, from big cities to small villages, and I was surprised at how easy it was to strike up conversation just by doing what I was doing. Half the times I tried to take a selfie, someone offered to take my picture for me. (Usually these are other tourists.) Sitting on a train in Sweden, heading from Kalmar to Stockholm, the woman sitting across the aisle saw the odd luggage tag on my bag and asked me about it, and we ended up chatting for hours. In a restaurant in Florence, I was seated at a table across from another tourist (from the Netherlands) and conversation just struck up. In Amsterdam this past May I went on a walking tour and by the end of the tour I and one of the other participants decided to get lunch together and then made plans to meet up the next day. It just seems to happen. And I assure you I wasn't intrusive. There are just enough friendly people in the world that you're bound to run into some of them on your travels.

That said, the other thing about traveling alone is to have it be okay with you to be alone. There will be moments of loneliness. Don't let them get you down. Just be aware of them when they happen and go for a walk or do something where other people will be around. Or sit in a cafe and read or write in your travel journal.

One of the most joyful conversations I have had in my travels was in the lobby of the guest house where I stayed in Mostar, with the desk clerk. I went down to the lobby to work on my blog (because there was no wifi in my room), and she asked me what I was writing, and I had the most fascinating conversation with her and learned a great deal about life in Bosnia. So opportunities can arise where you least expect it. Go into the TI, and if it's not too crowded, you might end up having a nice conversation with the person behind the counter.

Another possibility is to do Airbnb and rent a room in someone's home. You may really luck out and meet some interesting people that way. I did that in Copenhagen and Oslo and I really enjoyed getting to know my hosts.

As for destinations, I don't think one is better or worse than another. Small town, big city, both. London should be great if that's where you feel drawn.

Enjoy!

I am a solo traveler and London works great for me. I really enjoy the London Walks programs for a wide variety of interesting learning opportunities. They are inexpensive (10 GBP) and go for 2-2.5 hours.

This might nor work for you as you are a lot younger than I am, but I also enjoy Rick's tours. I generally try to hook some independent travel time on to one of his tours. This year I did the Germany, Austria, Switzerland tour with some time in Paris on my own ahead of the tour and some time in London on my own after the tour. He does offer a London tour which probably has a free 1/2 day most days. There are probably 3 or 4 group meals during the week. I did the Best of Paris tour a couple of years ago and it worked well for me. I did things with the group, I did things on my own in free time and one day another tour member and I did things together. I also came away with a huge appreciation for Paris and feel very comfortable there on my own. It was a great investment, lol. Or not...since now I can't seem to stay away!

I am 52 and started travelling solo in 2011, just planned my 7th trip for next April. I actually really like to be on my own, love the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want and for however long. That said, occasionally I feel lonely, particularly when surrounded by happy couples/families at a restaurant, or when in a dither over directions, etc. I can be fairly out-going if I want to be, and do sometimes find people to chat with, which is nice, but I honestly don't seek it out.

I enjoy all the things you've listed as well, and found plenty to keep me busy in the following cities: London, Edinburgh, Tallinn, Vienna, Budapest, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague and Paris. My trip next year will include Amsterdam. Each destination also had good options for day trips. I don't know where else you've been, but London is certainly a fine city to be on your own in--that's where I went on my first trip.

Think of it this way...if you were 20 or 25 now, would you have any doubts/hesitations ( assuming money is not the main issue) about going solo. I went solo at 21, now 45 years later, I still do it. London is a great place to start, one of my four top places in Europe.

I was going to suggest walking tours, but I see that the first two previous posters have already mentioned them. Food and bar-hopping tours could also be good, if you're into that kind of thing.

It's true that, especially when you're traveling solo, opportunities for conversation with local residents or other tourists pop up pretty frequently. I've had some really interesting conversations with seatmates on buses and trains. That happened less often when I traveled with my mother, despite her being much more outgoing than I am. There's a tendency to communicate mostly with your travel mate, if you have one.

Since you mentioned theater, I think London has to be one of your top options. Outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland, your opportunities for English-language theatre in Europe would probably be pretty limited. And a lot of the museums in London are free.

For future reference, though, I want to mention that a really surprising number of the folks under 35 or 40 in Slovenia and Croatia speak very good English. To a slightly lesser extent that phenomenon will be observed in other parts of the Balkans. Away from a few tourist hotspots, American tourists are fairly uncommon in the Balkans, which tends to increase the opportunities for fairly in-depth conversations with locals.

Most of the places folks gravitate to have interesting architecture as one of their attractions, so--subject to your personal stylistic preferences--that will nearly always be available to you. I especially enjoyed the architecture in two places not so often visited by Americans: eastern Germany and Romania.

Wherever you decide to go, try a small tour group for a few hours. Could be a city walking tour, archeological park, museum; you'll have conversations.

Nothing says "stay away" like being attached to an electronic device, even though it might seem to make solo time at meals go faster.

I travel solo almost 95% of the time, I love it.

I appreciate the suggestions. A walking tour sounds good. I took a tour of Roland Garros 2 years ago in Paris with my buddy but we were able to talk to a lot of people who enjoyed tennis like we did. Maybe a similar tour in London focusing on WWII or a food tasting tour. I don't mind sitting in a park reading for a few hours or going to a pub and eating at the bar. I would appreciate any suggestions of great walking tours in London.

I would stay at a b&b to meet people. Another would be visit a pub not a bar.
Pubs are usually very relaxed and friendly espec neighborhood pubs. Of course have dinner or lunch there also.

I did a really good WWII walk with London Walks a couple of years ago. It is called Westminster at War and is on a Sunday afternoon, ending at Churchill War Rooms (but not really enough time to go in, in my opinion). This tour was mostly focused on WWII but the guide pointed out a couple of things related to WWI (damage from aerial bombs if you can believe that!).

http://www.walks.com/our-walks/sunday-walks#westminster-at-war

I don't think they have a tour out to Bletchley Park (Enigma machine/Alan Turing/etc).

If you have the ability to flex your travel dates and do decide to go to London, you might look at the London Walks schedule and plan your dates around anything that looks interesting to you.

What you said about reading in a park struck a cord with me. This past July, I signed up for the Best of Swtiz. tour. I was in London for a few days beforehand. The day I landed, I caught a matinee at the Globe: Midsummer Night's Dream - the best! I did a lot of walking, too. The next day, I joined a London Walks tour of Marylebone and saw some places I never knew were there. I will be back. I also took a bus, an adventure, to visit the House of Hackney since I like fabrics and design. Such fun.

The third day, I determined to hang out in Hyde Park which was right on my doorstep (No 63). I took my book and just mosied around, landing at the Orangery around 11:00 and able to snag an outdoor table for a light brunch. Wow! Then, more wandering to see the Diana pool, and finally, several hours finishing my book. It gave me great satisfaction and peace to do this. I loved overhearing snippets of local conversation. Other than the Globe, I did not visit especially touristy destinations. It was great buying an iced coffee in Hackney and totally fine to be on my own.

Have a blast.

I turned 52 last week. I've been outside North America 13 times, each for pleasure and never for work. I was alone 10 times. As a result, I have a fair amount of experience overseas alone.

My first bit of advice is don't confine yourself to a country where English is the dominant language. While London is a great destination -- and you should not hesitate to go there if you're truly interested in a visit -- don't hesitate to go elsewhere if you want. English is the world-wide lingua franca. My girlfriend is from the Philippines. She says English is almost as prevalent as Tagalog and provincial languages.

Since you're shy, it's best to go where people are warm. I found the Eastern European countries to be a bit friendlier than average. I especially liked Hungary. Since you like culture -- as I do -- Hungary would be a great place to go. Budapest and Pecs have tons of culture. I also found Germany and Ireland warmer than average.

Go back to culture again. France is the world capital of culture, and Paris is the capital of France. Think about Paris alone. You won't regret a second in Paris. Plus, you could take the Chunnel to London, too, which is also packed with great culture. A two-country trip to Paris and London -- two of the best cities in the world -- would be fun.

Italy and Greece have great cultural sites, too. That's another two-country trip worth thinking about, though I've only been to Italy.

Hi Steve. How long of a trip would you take? You might want to consider how much time you need to be around people vs. how much time you're okay spending alone. I've gone on trips where I travel with someone for a few days, then travel alone for a few days. I'm an introvert and enjoy being alone for about two days. Then I get lonely.

How would you operate in a situation where you're traveling alone for days or weeks? Would that make you open up and to talk to people? Would you get a little depressed? Just some things to think about.

London is great, but I would also agree with not limiting yourself to only English speaking countries. Plenty of what you seek (along with multi-lingual locals) can be found in other cities in Europe besides english speaking London, Dublin or Edinburgh. Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Vienna, Rome - all good options for a 1st time solo trip.

Sign up now on the couchsurfing website. Not necessarily to sleep for free at a host's home, but there are many people in the couchsurfing community who sign up to meet people from all over the world who come to their cities over a cup of coffee or a beer. Do keep your nose out of a book and don't sit around staring at your mobile phone endlessly either when you stop someplace for a drink or something to eat or to sit on a park bench. Learn a little of the local language if it isn't an English speaking country if you want to start a conversation with someone - even if you suck at it, they will likely appreciate your efforts and switch over to speaking English when they realize their language skills are far superior to yours.

If you don't feel ready for completely solo travel, maybe consider taking a group tour somewhere - or if you want to have some time to go off and do your own thing, but still meet other travelers, look into something like the Rick Steves' My Way tours. Consider staying in hostels (they aren't just for college aged kids - but read reviews carefully before booking to make sure it isn't a party place) as well as B&Bs. Airbnb also offers rooms for rent in locals apartments, so you can get a cheaper rate than booking an entire apartment to yourself, but also have some interaction and get advice from your host on what's good in the area.

steve,

Anywhere in Europe is great for solo travel so don't limit your trip to only English speaking destinations. Find somewhere that interests you and make it happen. You may find that you become more outgoing and less shy when you're travelling solo. I've been travelling solo for many years and never seem to have a problem chatting with people.

As someone else suggested, you could also consider something like a My Way tour which would provide not only a small group to travel with, but also the freedom to tour sites that interest you the most.

When I first started traveling solo I was very shy of talking to strangers. A friend told me she would look for someone else who was alone - maybe standing on a bridge admiring the view. Since then I've found that most tourists are quite happy to chat with others, especially if you ask them a little about themselves and where they've been and what they've seen. It's an additional bonus because I've received a lot of useful information and tips from those casual conversations. In a line, I'll turn to the folks next to me and say I get really bored waiting and would they mind chatting. Last year I was having a drink in front of a landmark as was another woman. I finally asked her if she spoke English, she was from the U.S. and we ended up having dinner together. Two things I've learned are that tourists are usually happy and friendly (after all, they're on vacation in Europe) and that couples are often even happier to chat with strangers than solo travelers - guess after being with someone 24/7 . . . .

The Irish all seem to have kissed the Blarney Stone. Ireland was the easiest place to engage with locals, in shops, gardens, pubs, wherever the opportunity presented itself.

If you haven't done it, consider staying in hostels. Most have private rooms. You'll have more opportunities to chat with others than in a hotel, and many of the guests are older folks and many of the young ones are interested in the same things you are.

Steve ,getting to know folk on travel forums before you go to any place solo and possibly meeting up with them can be great. Trip Advosor is good for this ,I have met up with loads of folk in my home city of Edinburgh and in places I have travelled to.I am a regular traveller to Prague and have met and become good friends with several folk there.
Also Meet-up is a great tool to use.Most areas will have meet-up groups of things you are interested in and you can often meet with like minded people to enjoy things you are all interested in.
I get involved in meet -up walking groups and have joined walks in various places as well as having visitors join our walks in Edinburgh.
I think smaller cities might be better for solo travellers rather than huge cities like London. Come to Edinburgh or Prague and I am sure you can meet up with a few folk and make some new friends.

OP may find this recent thread of interest:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/traveling-solo-is-best-because

Steve - I made my first solo trip in 1979 and traveled solo until 1987. I'm now making first solo trip back to London in March 2017. I always seem to migrate back to London. This may sound corny, but "I like the vibe of the city". There is always something going on. I like the mass transit system, it makes everything reachable. I like the Museums. I especially like London Walks, like others have mentioned. I like going to pubs and meeting people.

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions. Thanks everyone!! I think I will focus on London as I will only go away for 7 nights and there is so much to do. I will probably be lonely at some point but I will do my best to fill it with visiting sites such as Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's, some London Walks tours, British museum, a night at the theater, Churchill War rooms and probably a day trip to Windsor Castle. I think eating in pubs is an excellent idea. Fish and chips with a pint. Steak and kidney pie....anyone have recommendations for an inexpensive hotel? I am intrigued by the idea of a hostel as I always thought they were for the younger crowd.

Re: affordable hotel....Wray from Boston mentioned this one in another thread:
http://www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk

The B&Bs at Kings Cross are relatively cheap. I've stayed at several of them, nice location, convenient with the Tube since three lines pass through Kings Cross. There are advantages going in the summer as there are disadvantages. Like everything else it is a trade off. I go in the summer, the last few years the 2nd half of May/June, though the next time in 2017 that will extend to July. Staying at the hostels are the HI/YHA ones and the private, independent ones. There is a hostel (YHA) at St Pancras, across the street from St Pancras station. All ages stay in hostels, from the millennials to those in their 60s. I still stay in hostels, usually once per trip.

For hostels, use hostelworld.com and/or hostelz.com. They have descriptions and reviews. For instance, some hostels are all-night parties, some enforce strict quiet rules. It's not unusual to find people there who are your age, also some families with kids take dorm rooms. In London, another place for inexpensive lodging is university dorms. They are rented out by the night when school's not is session. They are in the heart of London. Start looking here.

For theatre, use theatremonkey.com. It has all the information and links you need for theatre in London - what's on, where to get cheap tickets, which seats are best and lots more you never thought to ask.

The London tripadvisor group has a pub night meet-up about once a month.

I've taken several London Walks tours. They have ranged from very good to excellent. They also have day trips out of London, including Windsor. The British Museum has free 30-minute gallery tours throughout the day, led by knowledgeable, enthusiastic volunteers.

One more thought. Since you've decided on London, post a new thread on the England forum if you want more suggestions.

You don't say if you are thinking of a Rick Steves tour, but that may be a great way to engage in conversation, be part of a group, but have free time on your own, see wonderful sites, go on walking tours with the group, eat with others and have a great time. There are many tours to choose from and amount of time the tours last from 7 days to 21 days. Why don't you look at the tour scrapbooks and take a look at what tours may interest you. You could also, time permitting, add on a few days before or/and after the tour. Yes, the tours are manly couples, but there are many solo travelers. I traveled on most of my 14 Rick Steves tours as a solo single woman in my 40's and now in my 50's and it has been wonderful. There is the 7 day London tour which was my first Rick Steves tour and it was great. You may want to consider any tour RS has, as you have been to Europe before and you will be with a group. But if a tour does not interest you, you may want to go to London and do the walking tours, go to see a play at night, go to the many pubs that London as to offer and museums. It can be hard on your own, but if you have a plan of what to do every day, sit at the bar with others, book some day tours, you may not feel so lonely and go with the attitude you will have a good time, no matter what and see things and get away from the stresses of life and enjoy what you are seeing, doing and eating. Think about taking a Rick Steves tour as what you are describing, it sounds like a tour would be what you need for the first time going solo to Europe. Even though it will not be the first time to Europe, this may be even better as you know what to expect from sightseeing, and getting around on your own. Go and have a great time!

Thanks all!! I am considering the Rick Steve's tour now and figuring how economical is is versus independent travel. As it says, many meals are included, entrance to sites, etc. I will post again on the tour forum.

steve,

If you're not sure how well you'll like solo travel, a RS tour would be a great idea. You'll learn a lot more about the local culture and history, and will be able to spend time with a small group. Of course, solo travel is also possible but good planning really helps. I was in London about a year ago and had a full schedule of sights to see, so didn't have time to dwell on being alone.