traveling alone.... 38 female

I know that when you think Hostels, you think students, but not necessarily so. So, consider staying in hostels part of the time. I also find that if you take a day tour, you'll meet some people who are at least interested in the same things you are! You might also want to look and see if there are any shorter tours 3-4 days of one of the places that you're visiting. Maybe a city, or hike, or some other similar shorter tour. I found my walking group by looking on the internet. Since I didn't look for a US based tour, I met all kinds of interesting people on the tour, and I was the only American! Pam

where there are people my age?? So I'm not really sure because its a few miles away but I heard from a friend that some people in their late 30's live in France and when I went to Paris I saw women. Dunno about Portugal or Spain. .... also ... you keep saying "we", so won't you be alone anyway?

You may even find you like traveling alone. I certainly have (60+ female). However, if you really want to meet up with people, the day tour suggestion is good. I don't typically stay in hostels, but I've found lower-end accommodation - B&Bs, pensions, guesthouses, etc. are better for striking up conversations with strangers than posher places.

Hi Nish- I am around your age and traveling (at times) by myself this summer as well (but not in the same part of Europe too bad!). If you haven't been to the Journeywoman.com website, it is worth it for ideas and just inspiration in general. Europe Through the Back Door (the book) has a good but small section on women traveling alone that set my mind at ease in many ways. As far as accommodations are concerned, I think hostels are a good choice for those of us traveling alone: even if you get your own room, you are surrounded by like-minded people. I have found TripAdvisor.com to be the best resource for very lengthy and honest reviews regarding hostels/hotels that aren't safe. Much peace!
Cindy

nish, If this is your first trip to Europe, I'd highly recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door as it will provide you with a lot of good information. As a previous reply mentioned, there's a section that covers women travelling solo. I'd suggest using Hostels for at least part of your lodging, as that's a good way to meet people and find some company for day tours, etc. I tend to "mix" Hostels (usually stay in Dorm rooms) and budget Hotels during travels (it's nice at times to have some privacy). I tend to use HI Hostels as much as possible, as I have a membership and the facilities are fairly predictable from one location to the next. As you're travelling in August (PEAK tourist season), you might consider pre-booking at least part of your accommodations. You mentioned that you're "traveling on a budget". How much as you allowing for daily expenses, including accommodations? Also, how long will this trip be? How are you planning to travel between cities? Regarding "sights for those travelling on a budget", I'd suggest looking at country-specific Guidebooks, as there's LOTS of information there on sights in each city and ways to save money (ie: Paris Museum Pass). Happy travels!

I am 38 and I travelled around Spain and Morocco this past summer. I was on a tour in Morocco but on my own in Spain. I took day tours offered by the TI in Madrid and Barcelona they were only a few euros and were great. I did not stay in hostels as I found great priced budget hotels. small simple rooms with no frills but great locations. I was lucky for cost as I am a teacher and have learned to take my teacher id with me when I go to Europe. It saved me the cost of many sights. I asked everywhere. I know that will not help many people but saved me a great deal of money.

When planning your trip, remember a lot of Europeans take off for vacations in August. Certain parts of the countries you want to visit will be crowded and make some places difficult to find accommodation if you are hoping to wing it and book rooms as you are on the road. Also, lots of festivals take place in August, so check in advance to see if any of the places you want to stay in overnight will have some big event taking place that might drastically increase price of lodging and/or make finding a room more difficult. Solo travellers are all over Europe. It's easier to meet people (both travellers & locals) when on your own as they seem very willing to strike up conversations when you are out (cafe, bar, grocery, beach, flea market, museum, etc.). Try couchsurfing.org where you can connect with a local who may enjoy showing you his/her city. Many people seek free lodging this way, but it's also used by some Europeans who simply like meeting people from all over the world who come to their city. As for places to stay where there are people your age, hostels are a big mix of ages now. I've found at most hostels about half the guests seem to fall into the 25-35 age range, but I've seen hostellers as old as 80 and as young as 16. Some European universities offer housing for travellers during the summer that is cheap and it's a good way to meet other solo backpackers. Agree with Ken you should mix up your accommodation choices (hostels, hotels, guesthouses), some dorm rooms, some private rooms.

When you look for hostels, make sure to read the reviews on hostelworld.com or hostels.com. I managed to book several hostels that were quiet and not full of partiers just by looking at what the hostel offered (free drinks at the desk!) and reviews (Barcelona's place to party). Partying tends to attract the 18-30 crowd. If you are going to Barcelona, check out Barcelona-Home.com and specifically the Gaudi D3 apartment. You can rent out a room in a 5-bedroom apartment, with 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, laundry and a terrace. There were people ages 18-50 there, so it was really nice. We also met people from all over the world which was really fun! I think I paid 20 Euros/person + a deposit which you get back.

I used to meet people when I stayed in a shared room. I've also meet other women traveling alone in train station waiting rooms. But, all my trips to Europe (and Australia) I've done on my own. My first was when I was 26. This year I'm 53.