Ireland as a lone traveler

Sounds like an organized tour would be an option. The choice would depend on your age and interests.

I did a lot of solo independent traveling when younger (including Ireland), and agree its better to go with others, even if they start out as strangers.

(Turning head to either side to make sure no one is listening) I just got back from Ireland in May, some of it alone, some visiting friends and some with my girlfriend. Given the choice, I enjoyed all three but prefer going alone.

Why? I only need to please myself so the itinerary is made up completely with my must-sees. I don't have to worry about balancing the sights to cover someone else's must-sees. A tour? I looked at the Rick Steves Ireland itinerary and realized fully half, if not two-thirds, of the sights are things I wouldn't choose to spend my time seeing. It's a lot of money to spend seeing things that don't interest you.

I get to set my own pace. I probably go a lot faster than some people and a lot slower than others. When traveling alone, I don't have to worry about it. If I want to rest, I rest. If I want to go, I go. The most basic issue is I'm an early to bed, early to rise person. I couldn't stand traveling with someone who isn't ready to be out until almost noon and wants late evenings and they wouldn't like traveling with me.

I get to choose my mode of transportation. I like to walk a lot. I enjoy getting the exercise and it allows me to eat and drink what I want, guilt free (I usually come home five pounds lighter than when I started). If I'm with someone with limited mobility, I have to think about finding a cab (which makes travel more expensive) and reducing the amount of walking.

I can decide what, and when, to eat. I'd rather skip a meal to visit a great sight than the opposite. I often eat on the go. I don't mind eating a relaxed paced dinner in a nice cafe but taking more than an hour for every meal bothers me as does spending an inordinate amount of time deciding what to eat. For me, it's not a big enough issue to spend time worrying about.

I enjoy meeting people, especially locals, when I travel. I get to learn their culture, through their lens, rather than either a packaged tour version of the culture or just what I've read and studied. I ask about everything: politics, sports, art, history, entertainment, music, work, etc. - anything that makes them who they are. I'm interested in their view of everything. When I meet the next local I can compare and contrast their view of everything with other views I've heard. Traveling with others forces you to focus inward on your group of travelers. It's a good way to get to know someone better but it insulates you from meeting locals.

Ireland is a great country to travel alone. It's easy to talk to people in pubs and other places. The hosts of the guesthouses, B&B's and AirBnB's were very friendly and interested in conversations about a number of subjects. You can also take some day tours and meet people on those.

Also, depending on how much time you have, you could do a shorter organized tour and then visit a few other places on your own.

All the best,

Raymond

I agree with Raymond. You will rarely be truly alone unless you want to be. Take in the pubs and trad music sessions at night and engage folks on the street and at B&Bs in conversation. Ireland's the friendliest country I've visited (nine times now).

I travelled Ireland alone for three weeks with a bus/train pass, and stayed mostly in hostels. If you stay in hostels you will meet lost of people who are willing to see the sights with you for the day. If hostels don't appeal to you then stay in B&Bs instead of hotels. You will meet people at breakfast who may be going the same way you are. I also did several guided day trips that allowed me to join with a group of like-minded people so in the end I was rarely alone except for when I was in transit from one town to the next.

Ireland would be a very easy place to do solo travel. Sign up for walking tours and organized pub crawls, etc. here and there along the way and you’ll have plenty of people to experience things with. You might end up having a more interesting experience because you’ll be more open to meeting new people than you would if you were traveling with others.

I completely agree with everything Brad said. I just came back from a week in Dingle hiking solo and then spent a day in Dublin alone before my flight. My husband had been with me for a week before leaving to return to work. It was odd at first to be alone but I planned out several things to do every day so that I would stay occupied and not dwell on being "alone". I had a fabulous bike ride around slea head drive with lots of stops that interested me (with not having to worry about if anyone else was interested or how long I lingered), did shopping and ate when and where I pleased. In Dublin I again mapped out several things I was interested in seeing, but otherwise did whatever felt right at the moment. I am somewhat of an introvert but everywhere I went, everyone was very helpful and eager to talk to me. After the first day of adjustment, i never felt lonely. The Irish lived up to their reputation and are truly the friendliest people!

I understand the odd feeling of not having someone to share the experience with. For me, that sharing is part of the fun of travel. Still, sometimes I travel solo. What I do then is send long emails and multiple pictures recounting my adventures to my family daily. It solves my need to "share" and they are kind enough to say they enjoy them. My son likes it because then he knows that I am ok and doesn't worry about me.

Some people write blogs as a way to share the experience and to keep a record. Places like word press make starting a blog fairly easy.

Ireland was a very friendly place to be. One of the places my sister and I stayed at was the Glamping cabins on the Aran Islands. There were many people who gathered in the communal kitchen facilites to visit. You could have the privacy of your own cabin or go join a group of others if you desired some company.

I've also gone on a Rick Steves Tour and found I enjoyed having a ready made group of really nice people for travel mates.