Travelling alone

Author
Discussion

Ninjaboy

Original Poster:

2,525 posts

265 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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I've found myself in abit of a rut of late and basically bored to tears of everything, i'm hoping this is my midlife crisis and i'm getting it out the way early.

Anyway i've got it into my head that the way forward is to go travelling but my mates are not up for it which means i would have to go alone. Has anyone on here travelled alone and how did you find it? the people i've spoken to have either said "yeah do it, your always meeting people" or "you must be crazy" i'm not the most confident person in the world so any sensible advice would be appriciated.

Bill

55,837 posts

270 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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I'm firmly in the "do it you'll meet loads of people" camp. You'll also probably come back a more confident person, which can't be bad.

Lord Flathead

1,288 posts

194 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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On the other hand my oldest friend went travelling about 6 years ago. He turned up about two months back. He has now turned into the biggest ponce, has no money, expects everyone to do everything for him, he has lost his morality, has no scuples and generally thinks the world owes him a living because he cannot hold down a job. He's now gone off to live with a girl in Argentina (who is married) because he believes she will look after him.

Shame because he was a decent guy before he left.

Bill

55,837 posts

270 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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hehe

Rach*

8,824 posts

231 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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Go do it! Me and my codriver met awesome people after we spilt in china. I met a girl at the airport who'd been away for 15 months alone and loved it. It will defo bring on your confidence and stuff. Go go go go go!

pejay

245 posts

198 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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+1!

I spent a month riding around Europe on a motorbike on my own after a mate let me down at the last minute.

In the end it was fantastic not having to wait around for anyone, and being able to go where ever I wanted whenever I wanted!

Hmmm, that road looks interesting... I'll go that way!

I also met lots of people I'd have never met if travelling with someone else.
I'd say out of the whole month+ I was away, I only spent 3 or 4 nights alone.

Pothole

34,367 posts

297 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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Lord Flathead said:
On the other hand my oldest friend went travelling about 6 years ago. He turned up about two months back. He has now turned into the biggest ponce, has no money, expects everyone to do everything for him, he has lost his morality, has no scuples and generally thinks the world owes him a living because he cannot hold down a job. He's now gone off to live with a girl in Argentina (who is married) because he believes she will look after him.

Shame because he was a decent guy before he left.
sadly I have met more of that type of traveller than anyone I think it has changed for the better...

carreauchompeur

18,200 posts

219 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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Do it! Go alone. It's very liberating and you get to do what YOU want! Didn't do too well on the "meeting people" bit last time I went away though, all of the resorts were filled with lobsteresque Germans wink

GKP

15,099 posts

256 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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I went to the Alps on a skiing trip on my own about 15 years ago. Loved it, but didn't immerse myself with other people. I conversed with the concierge and the waiter and that was it. Brilliant!



/Victor Meldrew/ biggrin

Mojooo

13,219 posts

195 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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I did a 3 week trip to China/Aus/HK on my own. It was brilliant. You can feel lonely sometimes - especially i nthe evenings when you wnat to go and get something to eat and it would be better with 2 peole

On the other hand it encourages you to talk to strangers and you can do what you want whenever you want.

v15ben

16,017 posts

256 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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Hell yes! None of my mates could be convinced that buggering off into China with nothing booked except the flight ticket into Beijing in mid-winter was a good idea. This was made even less sensible as the plan was to go overland from there to Singapore entirely off my own back!

Going it totally alone sometimes, combined with trips with people you'll meet along the way would be a good balance for me. Going it alone means you can go wherever and do whatever you choose and be totally flexible to change plans at the last minute. A conversation in a Saigon bar ended with me going on a weekend break with 2 Swedish guys I'd never met but had tickets for the same flight the following morning!

Edited by v15ben on Monday 21st September 20:17

a boardman

1,316 posts

215 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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All my holidays since school (apart from one a friend and her family) has been by myself I am now 40. places I have been included

New york,
Florida x 4
Hawaii
Las vegas
Banff (skiing ) x2
Egypt scuba diving
Italy Via ferrata
Paris.
Mexico x 2

put then again I live by myself so I am used to my own company.

the single supplement is a pain and adds a few quid to the holiday.

Edited by a boardman on Monday 21st September 21:15

Nuclearsquash

1,329 posts

277 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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I'm fairly newly single after seven years, and i'm looking to get away for a holiday next year, the only thing is i cant decide where to go, haven't been out of the UK for 5 years so anywhere would probably be fun. I'm not super confident but i like the idea of just being able to do my own stuff and meeting people.

sneijder

5,221 posts

249 months

Monday 21st September 2009
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My mate dropped out of one of our trips island hopping in Thailand, so I went alone for 3 weeks.

Loved it, do what you want when you want. You have to force yourself to get into conversations sometimes, I found sitting by the door of an eating place by myself attracted other single travellers/holiday makers.

Before everyone else jumps in, it's true, you can wake up next to a six pinter and your mates will never know.

AndyAudi

3,486 posts

237 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2009
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Mojooo said:
You can feel lonely sometimes - especially i nthe evenings when you wnat to go and get something to eat and it would be better with 2 people
This is true, I tend to go away on my own, for the evenings reason I will always select a Hotel with a swimming pool regardless of where I am to give me an evening option. Usually also tend to eat more at Breakfast and lunch & very little dinner. Depends on what you like doing but I find I can cover much more ground on my own and like only having to interact when I want. I've a freind who does it too but she tends to like to lie on a beach & read books for a fortnight which I can't understand.

Distant

2,386 posts

208 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2009
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pejay said:
I'd say out of the whole month+ I was away, I only spent 3 or 4 nights alone.
You dirty dog!

Ninjaboy

Original Poster:

2,525 posts

265 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2009
quotequote all
Thanks for the sensible replies, I'm really giving this some serious though now. It's sounds like the doubts i've got are normal and hopefully should come back feeling abit better about things.

v15ben

16,017 posts

256 months

Tuesday 22nd September 2009
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I would agree about eating alone feeling a bit lonely and boring, but I usually found people to eat with. You have to be a social retard not to get chatting to people in most hotels/hostels and I always found at least someone knew the place or was working round the corner so knew the best local places to eat rather than the rip-off tourist joints.

Overall though I enjoy travelling alone as much as with friends or in groups. It isn't for everyone but the type of experiences and trip you end up with can be very rewarding and very different to the 'comforts' of doing it with mates!

Colonial

13,553 posts

220 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2009
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I got jack of work one day, bought a plane ticket to the UK, with a return 4 odd months later booked 2 nights accommodation in London and worked out the rest as I went along.

Traveled by myself and loved it to bits. I went over pretty shy and came back much more confident and happy with who I was as a person.