Solo travel in Italy

I did this for over two weeks in Italy... almost the same locations as you are heading to. The only tip I can give you is "fully embrace your own company and make it as fun as you can". I never thought of hanging out alone as something to be dreaded, so when I went I really enjoyed myself (well minus that fight in the alley the first night with some really obnoxious guy). I always had a carafe of wine and took my time eating every course (and always dessert)...I "tipsy journaled" a lot too...it was fun to read everything I wrote later :-) In all seriousness, being alone gave me plenty of time to think, to observe, to write, to relish and I just didn't let it bother me that I was traveling solo. Back then there weren't as many electronics to hide behind either, so I just embraced my time for what it was - I felt incredibly lucky to be on such an amazing trip.

Like Agnes, I don't mind eating alone. I often listen to audio books on my iPod while dining.

You might try chatting with other tourists at breakfast at your hotel or on the train (Circumvesuviani). I don't know if this will land you any dinner companions, but I've found that couples are often quite pleased to have someone else to chat with and many people are happy to "adopt" single tourists.

Kristen,

I travel solo for at least part of every trip, mostly out of necessity but I also tend to prefer travel on my own. It provides me with the freedom to keep my own schedule, see what most interests me, make changes on the fly, dine when I feel like it, etc.

Loneliness is certainly one concern, but I find that I'm more extroverted and always have nice visits with other travellers or locals. Also, I'm usually so busy touring, taking photos or whatever, that I don't have much time to be lonely. One other aspect of solo travel is that I have no one to share and relive the memories with. When trying to describe my travel experiences to others at home, they often listen politely for a few minutes and then start fidgeting and lose interest.

I've never found dining alone to be a problem, especially as I often do that at home as well. I find that meals provide a nice break from touring, and that gives me the time to review touring for the day and plan for the following day. Since solo travellers usually don't have a choice, the best tip is just to make the best of it whether it "gets old" or not.

You may find it helpful to have a look at THIS VIDEO, THIS VIDEO or THIS WEBSITE for tips on solo travel.

Happy travels!

I travel solo a lot, often for a few months at a time. In Italy, it's not as rare for a woman to dine alone as it used to be, and you'll get plenty of attentive service (it's all about the food). If you take a guided tour (on-site licensed guides are at major sites), you'll have company part of the time. Look for hotels and B&Bs that serve breakfast, good chance for a chat and for sharing info. I journal or review the day's photos at mealtime.

It seems easier to find people to talk to in smaller towns.

Kristen can't help specifically with Italy, but have done some solo in France and its the same thing with longer meals.. frankly I love my solo trips and don't mind eating alone.. its something you either like or don't.. guess you don't..
I don't get lonely on solo visits usually. I do however love to read and love being able to sit at a cafe or whatever and read a book . would be rude if I had a dining partner. lol

One thing I have done is arrange to meet posters from this and other forums for lunches, coffees, even planned daytrips.. I am middle aged woman and always felt safe doing so.. had some nice chats with folks.. enough visiting do keep me going when on visits of a few weeks. I have also taken some bike tours etc and have found that is enough social chat time .

I think you just need to be comfy with yourself .. no one cares if you are eating alone but you.

PS there are often other solo diners around who MAY chat with you a bit.. I find tables are so close together its very easy to do so.. but some folks really enjoy their alone time so play that by ear.

You sure can bring food back very easily to your B and B in Italy. I have been in Italy sola for 3 months now and I have brought food back to my B and B every night. In Italy "carry out" is called "take away" or "Porta Via." Many bars, delis, panino shops, pizza places, and ristorante know what "take away" or "Porta Via" means. In fact, in Firenze it was very common for shops to ask me first if I wanted "take away." Then they would tell me to ask for "Porta Via." But that was Firenze, possibly the most "HIP" città in Italy.

However, there are places in Italy that may not know "Porta Via" because "take away" is not a common social/cultural practice over many parts of Italy. So before you order, say this to the person helping you: "Io vorrei portare via il cibo alla mia camera," or "Io voglio portare via il cibo alla mia camera." Find someone at your B and B to help with pronunciation. I have never had a place decline my preference for "take away" or "Porta Via." But if you have to shop around, you will find places who will love you and "Porta Via" you.

I don"t recommend saying "Porta Via" nor even "Porto Via," the first person grammar. I said "Porto Via" to a cameriere in Amaseno and the person was clueless, picked up my leftovers, carried them to the kitchen, and threw all the delicious food in the trash. I should have said "io voglio portare via gli avanzi alla mia camera." And pointing to myself would have helped too. When the kitchen realized what I wanted, the Chefs made a whole new plate for me and wrapped it up for me to carry out.

So let Italians love you Kristen, they know it is Not easy to travel alone, let them help you, Italians love knowing they can help you. Hey keep in touch and let me know how things are going,
Love,
San

Everyone, thank you so much for all of your input. On my last solo trip, I didn't do any guided tours so I was literally by myself all of the time. maybe that is what made my meal times feel so much lonelier. I will look into a few more guided tours this time and pack extra books and journals (for tipsy journaling, love that Agnes). And I might try the travel buddy section of this website to find some meal companions. Thanks again!

Kristen,

A few additional comments....

If you'll be staying in Hostels at all, it's often easy to find companions to share meals with. I've found that's often better than bringing food back to the room (a practice which some hotels discourage).

Of course, you could also look at RS tours, as you'll have company for many of the meals and have a really interesting travel experience as well.

Cheers!

Hi! Have you taken your trip yet? it sounds like everyone has given you some great advice! I traveled to Italy alone March of last year, and I was not alone for long :) Honestly, between being so engrossed in everything you encounter and meeting people as you go it really isn't too bad. Talk to your waiters/waitresses in restaurants, talk to fellow tourists at certain sites. I stayed in a hostel and met some amazing people from France. I have actually continued communicating with them post visit and enjoyed several meals with them in Rome, especially on our last night. First we ate dinner, then walked the streets for a final evening as we were all leaving the next day. In our walking, we found a grocer and got some amazing cheese and meet, some bread and a bottle of wine. We found us a nice square and toasted to a great trip.

Haven't taken the trip yet but I am set for June! I really appreciate everyone's advice! I am looking forward to it!

Kristen, couchsurfing.com may be a resource you'd be interested in. It is not solely for finding a bed or couch to crash on, you can also use it to search for people (often locals) who are willing to meet up with you for coffee or a drink. Sometimes they'll take a few hours and show you around the city. I haven't used it since 2011 but I both hosted a traveler and stayed with someone I found on the site.

You'll get used to it. I have. One thing that has improved, although not until after the meal, is the Internet's connections to world news, local information sources, etc. Time passes easier before bedtime surfing the Internet, if free from your hotel and accessed through a Smartphone, tablet, ultra laptop, or other portable gadget. I even write e-mails to make my friends back home envious.

Many trattorias have very close seating so you are likely to end up conversing with the people at the next table. In fact, seek out crowded little places where this is inevitable. We've had great conversations with people from all over the world as well as many locals in many towns. It's fun to share your day's activities with someone else. Somehow I think outdoor seating contributes to this sharing, too. And go after 20:30 when the crowd is building so you aren't one of two busy tables in a sea of 20. It's worth waiting a bit at a busy place for the opportunity to interact.

Also, order slowly and don't let them rush you. Savor your glass(es) of wine. Try to have two courses, maybe an antipasto followed by a primi/pasta or secondo and contorno served one at a time. Don't let them bring it all at once. Revel in the chance to sit and enjoy the ambiance. Bring that tablet or book along just in case.

If you have not already booked a hotel, you might look for a small place that serves an evening meal. We have done this before and usually the meals are very good and one meets plenty of others who are staying there. It is also sometimes very nice to not have to go out again in the evening after a busy day of sightseeing.

Being alone gives you the opportunity to talk to strangers rather than focused on your companion.
When I stayed at small B&Bs, I sometimes was able to become chummy with other people staying there. Since I was alone, I was able to tag along with couples or other solo travelers and have a meal with them. At restaurants, I would sometimes sit at communal tables and have a chance to talk to strangers or chat with the staff. If you go to a restaurant multiple times, they'll recognize you and start treating you more warmly. It's really nice to travel alone and just focus on yourself and the moment. Don't pass up the experience of soaking up the experience of eating out in Italy.
Btw, Sorrento in June will be full of tourists so you'll definitely find people to talk to.

If you have a Kindle, stock up on some books! :D

Also as a part time photographer, I find that I'm never too lonely when taking photos. Planning the time of day for a shot, location, angle, etc., can put you in a certain mindset that doesn't leave room for loneliness. If you will have access to a computer/internet during your trip, do a photo journal of your trip. An account on Flickr or G+ will provide a platform for you to upload your images - upload your single best photo of the day to either of those sites (much better than doing a massive photo dump of every single image). If you want to do more images at a time, do that in the form of a blog post so that viewers can understand the story being the image set.

Just my 2 bits. :)

Wow, more great suggestions! I am a little shy but I will need to get over that! Thanks again everyone!

I have traveled to Italy solo...it is a wonderful thing to be accountable only to yourself! Seems selfish to some people but when I think of all the time spent in discussion with another travel buddy on where to go/when to go/where to eat etc. it is really fantastic to only have yourself to please...sleep late or get up at the crack of dawn to catch a train to whatever little town strikes your fancy that day. And I have never truly eaten alone...always someone close by has been friendly (I avoid the places advertising "tourist menu" etc.). When sitting in a cafe having your morning coffee and pastry, just people watching and planning out what to do next is great fun. Since I am an older woman, I was a tiny bit leary the first time...now I prefer solo travel.... it is incredible what you learn about yourself and what your resourcefulness. I have met very kind, friendly people from all over...Have a great time....I will be going back again this year end of May!

I love to travel by myself, as many others have said here. I take a lot of pictures when I travel, so I take advantage of solo meal times (especially those extended meal times in Italy!) to scroll through my photos and use my journal to make a log of them. I know if I wait until I get home from my trip, I will have forgotten what half of the pictures are. But a short note jotted next to the picture number assures that I will be able to remember later!

I've also spent a lot of time at meals writing in my journal, or just people watching. It's not a bad idea to simply focus on the delicious food on your plate, the fabulous surroundings you're in, and the interesting people around you. Remember, it's all about il dolce far niente! Have fun!

Ciao!

I'm so happy to read all these tips for solo travel, since I'll be traveling all by myself to Italy in October. My first trip to Italy I went with my BFF, but she's unavailable this time, nor can I entice hubby dear to come with me since he doesn't want to leave the kids with grandma for more than a few nights. I travelled solo to London and Paris many years ago, but I had a friend living in London at the time whom I would get together and do stuff with during the weekends.

I'm liking that I get to plan to do whatever I want whenever I want... But at the same time it feels weird.

Angela, if I come up with any more ideas/feedback after my trip, I will let you know! Being your own boss is one of the best things (maybe the best thing) about solo travel. The tricky thing (for me) is being more of an extrovert and trying to intiate conversation with strangers. From all of the feedback here, it sounds like people are pretty receptive to solo travelers. So I hope I am able to take advantage of that.

Kristen
I have travelled solo to Italy many times and find that there is much to see and do that I don't have the time to feel lonely.Enjoy the culture,food and sightseeing.I was in Rome last September and the Sorrento area in May(probably my favourite).If you want to visit Pavrottis favourite restaurant its the Villa Pina in Massa Lubrense(about 3 KMS from Sorrento) with views over Capri.Great food at a reasonable price.Take your camera!!

Check out their website and you'll see what I mean.
I will be solo in Venice at the end of May this Year.Any other single travellers want to meet for a coffee?
Gordon
Rochester
England

Well i don't know about your post Quirite, I should have contacted you when I was in Rome, I just got back to Chicago after several months in Italia, I ran my post and your post by my families in Italia and they said there is nothing wrong with my Italian. Truly, nobody cared if I said portar or portare or porto or porta. The Italian merchants were so busy, they ran with first syllables. Add to that how intelligent and skilled they all are, they were ready for me long before I opened their doors. True, many times I ate in my B and B rooms, but also many more times I ate in ristoranti, nobody cared that I was alone, it was all about that great Italian food I wanted to try, the waiters and chefs were always around to chat with me, many times locals at other tables would talk to me or intervene to make sure the waiter got my order correct, being alone made opportunities for me, oh how I miss Italia, their exquisite food, the love they gave me everywhere I went, the high energy, I'm so homesick for Italia. One of my funniest memories is the waiter at L' Brincello in Firenze who plopped a huge bottle of Italian beer in front of me, I can still see all the local men lowering their heads to hide the smirks, No I did not finish the beer, but my waiter saved the moment with a vinyl plug so I could carry out the beer to my hotel room. I still have that plug, I used it everywhere in Italia. the plug is tucked safe in a luggage pocket ready for next time!