Boldly Go Solo

Tips on getting cheaper flights, packing, what to do on the road, and more

I've read a lot of great travel tips over the years. And I've probably forgotten just as many. So I always like reading stories on how to be a better traveler.

I've learned through experience to bring an empty water bottle to fill after going through security. That saves paying exorbitant prices to buy and throw out yet another plastic container.

For years, I've taken along photocopies of my passport in case I lost the real one. Having the passport information is supposed to speed up the replacement process.  

Recently, I was intrigued by an item about an inflatable footrest for airplane travel. Seems like a godsend. I'm always looking for someplace to put my feet when I'm trying to sleep on an overnight flight. 

On a site called Bookmundi, the post "The Ultimate Travel Hacks and Tips" provided many useful tips.  

For instance, have you ever noticed that the more you return to an airline site to check fares for a particular flight, the higher the prices seem to go?  You're not imagining things. Bookmundi suggests using "incognito mode" to browse. Who knew there was such a thing?

The section on airport hacks gave me several new ideas. Like downloading an app called Flight Board so you know your connecting flight's gate without ever having to stop at an airport departure board. Or sticking a "fragile" sticker on luggage to get your bags treated with care - and possibly taken off the plane first.

Bookmundi also offers useful tips for being on the road. Such as downloading offline maps. Or making sure to have the apps best for traveling internationally.

I learned that one in Italy a few years ago when I discovered WhatsApp was the only thing on my phone that worked in the rural village where I ended up. Having it was a lifesaver. I could have wandered around that place for days before being able to get in touch with the friends who were waiting for me.

Check out all the tips on the site to find some you might not have thought of. Google Goggles anyone?

(Tip 10 under the "On-the-road Travel Hacks and Tips") 

Solo in Quebec City

Solo on Thanksgiving

Why did Shannon spend her Thanksgiving break solo? “I wanted to go with someone but no one wanted to go. I just went.”

That’s the spirit!

Shannon’s family is in California and she lives in D.C. It doesn’t make financial sense to fly to California at the end of November and again for Christmas just a few weeks later. That means Thanksgiving isn't a family event for her. “I never go home for Thanksgiving."

And where we work, Thanksgiving is a four-day holiday, so why not zip off for a little rest and relaxation somewhere new? 

"It looked cute."

Shannon happened upon Quebec online. "It looked cute," and it was French-speaking and she thought it would “feel like you’re in a foreign city,” without the effort and expense of flying to someplace in Europe. In fact, the official website reads, "Quebec City: So Europe. So close."

It didn't disappoint.

Six tips for a great solo ski vacation

We got our first crisp day of autumn today here in D.C. With the beginning of fall, some people's thoughts turn to vacation plans for the cold months ahead.

Maybe it's a trip to someplace warm. In other cases, the choice is winter sports.

For those thinking about a ski vacation but don't have friends who ski, here's a post I wrote about how a ski-loving friend dealt with the situation:

Although my friend Elaine is skiing in Park City, Utah, alone, she's making friends right and left. Okay, they're friends for five minutes, but what's the difference? She's being entertained, being social and not feeling lonely.

 "I have five-minute relationships with people on the chairlift," she says. "Then it's, 'Have a nice life.' " And off she goes, carving her way down the snowy mountainside.

I worried that Elaine, who has gone solo on plenty of biking, skiing and other group adventure tours, would not have a good time going skiing for a week in Park City, Utah. All by herself. In a condo without her pals.

Instead, I'm envious of her vacation. No, it isn't perfect. Nothing's ever perfect. She misses the camaraderie from the time a couple of years ago when she, our friend Andrea, and I traipsed out West together, eating out, waiting for each other on the slopes and laughing. A lot.

Solo travel hits the big time

You know the solo travel world has come into its own when The Washington Post does an entire travel section on it. 

One article offers eight tips ensuring a "trip of ease."

Some obvious tips include using common sense when it comes to safety and talking to locals. One you don't hear as often is the recommendation to travel places where the dollar is strong. Agreed.

It's always fun to go somewhere you can live like royalty for very little money, but it's that much more important when you're not sharing expenses. 

 Meeting a tiny Irish tourist, Inishmoor Island, Ireland

In another of the articles, the writer calls solo travel the "All About Me" trip. "More myselves and Is are venturing out into the world alone," she writes. Good for them!

Solo travel tips and insights

 

While I gear up to write about my recent trip to Italy - Emilia Romagna specifically - I offer a roundup of solo travel stories by others. 

 

• From an Australian website called "Starts at 60," a solo female traveller's (spelled the British way) checklist for traveling alone. The story addresses issues such as best destinations for solo travelers, cost, safety and where to stay. 
• From a Malaysian newspaper, "5 things you learn when traveling solo." All of the five "things" ring true, but two you may not always think about are: your perspective is changed forever; and you can be anyone you want to be. Powerful concepts.
• From a woman thrilled about her solo trip to Italy who "loved every freaking minute of it." As she put it, "I did some super nerdy/gluttonous/luxurious/stupid things that only I could judge." (Remind me to tell you about the time I forgot my passport and lost a day on the way to Europe. Imagine if I'd caused someone ELSE to lose a day due to my knuckleheadedness. Hm is that a word?)
• And finally, at least for this post, a story on the "big mistakes" a woman made while traveling solo. They're not what you might think. The writer talks about taking too much stuff (no one's going to notice you're wearing the same things all the time) and not allowing enough time (when planning your connections and travel).

Like this kind of post? I get solo travel alerts all the time, so from time to time, I'll pass along some of the most interesting and fun to read. Stop me when you've had enough.

Photo: Ellen Perlman. Fall in Massachusetts

Solo travel around the world in the pre-Internet era

Imagine a woman traveling the world alone...a half century ago. I'm sure it wasn't common, certainly not as common as today.

I was intrigued when I learned about the experiences of such a woman from her daughter, Jane Stein, who found her mother's travel logs and turned those adventures into a children's book on travel. 

Today I'm running a guest post that Jane wrote. I enjoyed reading the tidbits she listed on her website to get people interested in the book. Details and fun facts, such as:

• Every year the world’s largest tomato fight takes place in Spain.
• Sesame Street puppets speak Hebrew, Arabic and Russian, and a cousin of Oscar the Grouch is named Moishe Oofnik. (That one cracks me up.)
• There are special laughing clubs in India where people go for their health. (I feel healthier already, laughing about Moishe Oofnik.)

Superstar of solo travel meeting new people wherever she goes

I now have a solo travel idol. Her name is Laura and she's 25. She and her friend Alexa, two country girls from the (still) United Kingdom stayed with me in August, a few days before Alexa had to fly home and Laura was getting ready to continue traveling around the U.S. on her own for two months.

In return for a few nights at my place, the two of them cooked me dinner and left me with a thoughtful gift and a homemade picture postcard with photos of places they'd visited while in Washington.

They were so fun to have around that I contacted just about everyone I could think of around the country to see if I could set Laura up for lodging during two months of traveling alone.

I was disappointed I was "only" able to get her a bed with friends or family in New York, Massachusetts and California. She stayed with my niece, one of my dearest friends and is now with my second cousin.

But I shouldn't have worried. I was far from the only one looking out for her and booking her places to stay.

Coincidentally, I was vacationing in Maine in September about the same time she planned to make it to Maine. So my friends and I hosted her there, all of us indulging in as much lobster as we could manage and spending a morning paddle boarding near Portland.

My friends contributed to the hosting chain. One put her in touch with her daughter (Laura ended up staying with the daughter's former roommates in Austin) and the other contacted her son in California, who was game to host.

Solo travel tips from writers and experts

Nearly every day, I find solo travel stories from around the world. Here are just three of the dozens I've collected. More to come.

Activities good for solo travelers:

From Peter Greenberg, a story on how to find friends when traveling solo. Some of these I've mentioned about before - such as staying at upscale hostels or B&B's or going to a dude ranch - but he offers some interesting new ones. 

For example, certain hotels that have wine hours every night, or cocktail parties for single parents on Mondays (Mondays?!). One even has a "yappy hour" if you're traveling with your dog.  

Traveling solo Down Under:

From an Australian writer out of Melbourne, a story on "Why we prefer to travel alone." She shares thoughts and stories from several solo travelers.  

Solo travelers on solo travel

A round-up of solo travel news

Lately I've enjoyed reading posts from solo travelers on the reasons they travel solo.

From a blog called the Simply Luxurious life, two thoughtful posts on solo travel.

Why Not...Travel Alone?: When traveling alone "be reminded of what stirs your passions" and "boost your confidence" and "realize the difference between alone and loneliness." I like the quote the writer found: “The first rule of travel is that you should always go with someone you love, which is why I travel alone.” – Andrew O’Hagan 

Why Not...Part Deux offers some tips on dining alone and getting a seat at a New York theater. And there are cautions about safety. For instance, travelers should dress to fit in and consider springing for a taxi from the airport or train station at night rather than walk around a strange place alone, in the dark. 

Is solo travel becoming trendy?

The number of women traveling alone is increasing, according to Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a hotel booking site. Between 2010 and 2011, bookings by women traveling solo increased 53 percent in this company's core markets, which include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia, the UK and the USA.

Solo traveler with a great sense of adventure. Who could that be?

Recently I was contacted by a guy from a bike shop in England who wanted to interview me about solo travel. I'm telling you this not because you have to buy a bike from him (but you should!)

And not because I feel a little like a celebrity (but I do!)

I'm mentioning it because Dave asked questions that were fun for me to answer. And the answers summarize why I started this blog in the first place.

Let's call it a refresher course on the reasons for traveling solo.

I asked him about his shop, which has this great address: Unit 3, Canalside, Tattenhall, Chester, Cheshire. (I've been to Chester and I seem to recall it has loads of Tudor homes, am I right, Dave?)

He told me that his staff is full of experienced cyclists and biking enthusiasts, some of whom have won competitions. They are committed to bringing cycling to all walks of life and, in particular, they support and encourage women and youth in cycling.

It sounds like they do good work.