Recommendations for long-term solo travel?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alex Berger on January 23, 2009 at 11:29am

European hostels are fantastic.

What time period are you planning on traveling during? Time of year will make a big difference in advice.

You can check out the Tips & Tricks category on my blog - it's almost all geared towards packing for/traveling solo in Europe. http://www.virtualwayfarer.com

Permalink Reply by Alex Berger on January 23, 2009 at 12:21pm

Wow, I need to work on my reading skills. Just noticed you said year...lol.

Season is important. I love traveling along with the seasons and would suggest trying to spend as much of your trip as possible in saddle season while avoiding the summer. As mentioned below Europe can be pretty expensive the trick is a delicate balance between the country you're in, the season and room availability. I just got back from southern Spain in December and pricewise it was fantastic with a ton of great hostels. On the flip side though somewhere like Crete which is a must was GREAT at the end of Nov/Dec from a price standpoint but you'd need a travel buddy to really take advantage of cheap hotel rooms since the hostels in Greece were pretty poor.

Hostelworld and Hostelbookers are godsends for Europe. As a solo traveler i'd go with hostels rated in the 70-95% range and look for decently rated hostels with bars or high fun ratings. The last thing you'll want is the REALLY nice ones which are more like hotels and don't have any social environment (if you're traveling solo). On the flip side, definitely avoid the roach motels/hostels with abysmal ratings.

In my experience the British Isles are great, as are Germany, Croatia (not many but high quality), Prague, Austria and Spain for Hostel availability and quality.

Outside of Athens Greece was fairly difficult/had low grade hostels and Italy is very hit or miss....most HI hostels are dreadful in my opinion and outside of the major tourist areas (Rome, Florence, Naples, Cinque Terra) you won't find many. One nice thing about Crete in December - we were able to negotiate for our food and hotel rooms (2 bed nice hotel rooms for 30-40 Euro a night - 15-20 a piece)

Rail it Italy and Spain is pretty affordable. Buses in Croatia are good. Rail in the UK, Austria and Germany is ridiculously expensive. Greece - buses and ferries are cheap.

Also try and pack light - one backpack max and never rule out using discount providers like RyanAir and EasyJet to zig zag around. I'd try for summer in eastern Europe where it's much cheaper and then saddle season for France, Germany, Italy etc.

Only other tip is not to plan it all out ahead of time. Just run with it.

Permalink Reply by Dave on January 23, 2009 at 11:49am

Budget! Euro traveling is expensive, the west in particular. Especially for a year!! Make a daily budget and stick to it. There are so many travelers in Europe that getting caught up in hostel parties, tours and day trips can take a huge chunk out of your bank balance. Which leads me to itinerary.

Make an itinerary of the places you have to see. And then thereafter the places you'd like to see. Budget out costs of getting to the places you must see and work from there to see where you can afford to go.

Check out sites like hostelword.com etc to get an idea of prices for dorms etc. Have a read of the reviews more than the photos though. WiFi is just about everywhere. If you're a blogger, photo uploader or use SKYPE a lot then a place with free wifi can save you some cash. A lot of restaurants have free wifi too, but few plugs bar the quiet ones.

Okay, hope this is a start!

Permalink Reply by kimba on January 23, 2009 at 12:01pm

On my first solo trip out of The States, I flew on a one way ticket out of Pittsburgh to London. That was the only plan I had. I didn't even know how long I would be gone, I only knew how much money I had for the trip. I also had a phone number for a Congolese guy in Paris who was a friend of my dance teacher in CA. Other than that, it ended up being just six months of wandering around. Even now, I can't imagine planning more than a tentative route for a long trip like that as you'll find things and people along the way that will change your plans.

Traveling alone doesn't mean being alone all of the time. On that first solo trip, and most solo trips after that, I met people in hostels and traveled to the next destination with them. I think you're still doing solo travel when you do that.

My only big advice is to buy your train tickets as you go - forget the rail passes except in Italy if they still have the 3000km pass - as traveling that way is cheaper. And the EuroBus is always cheaper than the train.

I've got tips lists throughout my site but here's one to get you started: http://www.artist-at-large.com/kimba/2008/05/22/travel-tips-for-wom...

Permalink Reply by Gary Arndt on January 24, 2009 at 1:16am

I've been traveling alone for almost 2 years now. The only advice is to put a higher value on your ability to adapt than to ability to plan.

People get excited about taking a big trip and there is a tendency to over think things before you go. Get where you want to go and figure it out from there. The only thing you should be aware of is getting stuck in a town which has a giant festival going on while you are there, becuase they might not have any available hotel rooms.

Permalink Reply by Kin Enriquez on May 15, 2009 at 3:49am

lots of common sense and street smarts :)

Permalink Reply by Leyla Giray Alyanak on July 20, 2009 at 2:45pm

I've seen lots of great advice here! All of it worth following...

I can add a bit more, perhaps. I have traveled solo for lengthy periods, once up to three years (though not just in Europe).

The most expensive item will be hotel/hostels. If I were touring Europe, I'd try http://www.couchsurfing.com, no doubt about it. I've also listed a few alternatives at http://www.women-on-the-road.com/couch-surfing.html. My friend Lisa Lubin at http://www.llworldtour.com traveled around the world for two years this way. She's been back in the USA for several months so look back in the archives.

I've pulled together a packing list for long-term travel at http://www.women-on-the-road.com/travel-packing-list.html.

Finally, just to give you an idea of how cheaply you CAN actually travel, my friend Gigi inspired the follow write-up of how to see Paris on less than $15 a day (she really did it!): http://www.women-on-the-road.com/cheap-paris-travel.html

Happy travels!

Permalink Reply by Rob Bloggeries on December 5, 2009 at 9:39am

Just go for it, I did almost no planning and just buy tickets whenever I get bored somewhere. Never had an issue finding a place and if you go alone. You'll meet people everywhere if you're open for it and the trip takes a life of its own. :D

Permalink Reply by Meagan Arnold on July 5, 2010 at 10:02am

Hi Edna,
For solo travel safety is paramount. Check out PacSafe for metal cages (that pack away nice and small) that wrap around your backpack and lock around anything substantial or unmovable. It's great for your peace of mind when you venture out without all of your gear. Another key piece of travel gear for a female solo traveler is a door stop...nothing fancy just a simple door stop. You wedge it in the door of your hostel room so if anyone does try to get in it'll stop them if the lock doesn't...that's the theory anyway fortunately mine hasn't been tested to date.
Other must haves are compression sacks to help organize your pack which is sooo important for long term travel, and if you plan on taking any boat trips waterproof sacs are essential to carry your electronics in, again for peace of mind.
Other than that, a good head on your shoulders, good common sense and instincts, and being able to go with the flow are all great attributes for long-term solo travel.

I'll add more if I think of anything else helpful.