DeborahAnn

I've been to Paris several times but this is the first time I am going alone. I have never traveled solo but have planned all of our family trips. Are there any preparations I should do as a single traveler that you don't have to do as a couple/group? I haven't found much advice doing a search on this site so any suggestions are welcome. Deborah

richardab

Well I go there alone all the time. It doesnt bother me.

My one advise is that if you want to eat at a nice place, go early. The french don't eat early.

WillTravel

I started a thread a few days ago about whether it's important if hotels have 24-hour service. That might be something to consider, if you are staying at cheaper hotels. You might want to consider emergency preparations in general, like carrying ID that tells who to phone in the event of an accident, and so forth.

I'd be more careful to arrive at a hotel earlier in the day rather than late at night, in case your reservation is lost or something. Just be reasonably careful and vigilant, and I don't think there's much different.

DeborahAnn

Thanks for the suggestions,WillTravel, I feel comfortable at the Hotel College du France where my husband and I stayed last year. It's a nice two star in the 5th and I have always felt at ease walking around there in the evening. I am hoping to feel as confident on my own. Deborah

indytravel

I've been to Europe solo 4 times now. Here are a few things I do.

Start keeping a daily journal. I write in it when dining alone. It gives me something to do. Sometimes it's a conversation starter. People next to me ask if I'm a travel writer. "Only for myself," and a smile is my response. I fill out postcards at dinner too.

I use a moneybelt. I don't want extra problems. Alone I can't turn to my travel companion and say, "OK, I was pickpocketed so you get to use your credit card from here on out."

As mentioned above I also like dining early. It's a lot less smoky too.

suze

Since I'm single, I travel solo probably 1/2 the time (5 to Europe, 8-9 to Mexico, 2 to Hawaii in the past 10 years). I think it is great fun and have had only positive experiences!

I love the freedom of doing exactly what I want & when I want to. There is no compromise necessary when you travel solo (well other than maybe a curve-ball thrown your way by some circumstance of traveling!).

My special precautions are to make extra sure my money, tickets, and paperwork are in order (since you don't have someone else's ATM card, for example, to fall back on). And never carry everything in one place. (I hide an extra $100 and a charge card in my locked suitcase).

I use a small leather pouch/purse worn close to my body (but not a money belt) for my passport and cash. Also sometimes a larger unstructured tote with another stash of daily money plus books, water, maps, etc.

Packing light becomes especially important, since you have no one to help you or watch your luggage in airports for trips to the bathroom, shops, etc. I also think it helps for "safety" when you can easily handle your own stuff and look organized and in-control. I use 1 rolling 22" suitcase and 1 small carry-on tote that can piggy-back onto the handle (check the suitcase and take the tote on the plane).

I always have an interesting but "light reading" paperback novel in progress for on the plane, in restaurants, and the hotel room for evenings if I'm too tired and want to relax.

Sometimes I enjoy picking up to-go food instead of eating out at a restaurants in the evening (I am careful not to mess up the room and remove my own food-trash since some hotels are touchy on this issue).

You might try again a search using the words single or solo, I know I've posted on several good threads fairly recently on this topic.

craisin

Very good suggestions above. In a nutshell, use common sense and stay alert but don't be paranoid. I always enjoy travelling on my own because I'm free to plan my days however I want to.

Do keep copies of your passport, plane tickets or e-confirmation, itinerary (with hotel's phone, address, email), and other important paperwork/phone numbers with someone you trust. I also like to use a joint account (aka trip account) with someone I trust. This way, if need be, that person can access this account without any problems.

The worst part about travelling solo is flying home. I just get so depressed on that looooong flight home. So, take something that will preoccupy you or something that will help you sleep.

LoveItaly

DeborahAnn, you have received very good advice so far. I too had to learn to travel on my own. And I like you always planned and made the arrangements for all our trips.
So that has not changed.
I do not put any cash/credit cards in checked luggage.
I do not carry a purse and carryon on the plane.
My carryon is my "purse" for the flight.
I find it easier to keep track of one item vs two (purse and carryon) travelling alone.
I do put credit cards and ATM cards in different sections of my carryon. I guess that is not important but I just feel if one is lost or stolen at least they are not all bunched up together.
I carry photocopies of my passport, drivers license (for government ID) separtly from the originals. But all in my carryon.
My passport shows who to contact in case of emergency. My wallet also has that info too.
The first time I flew to Europe on my own I felt excatly like I think you do.
All went well.
And each trip thereafter has given me more confidence.
Do pack as light as possible.
Do have photocopies of your passport, government ID, credit cards, ATM cards etc. with a trusty family member of friend at home.
Do take all important telephone numbers with you, along with a photcopy of these.
I just write these out on a sheet of paper, make a photocopy and keep them seperate from each other, in fact in make two copies, put one in check in luggage, original and a copy in my carryon but in different sections of the carryon.
You will be fine.
It is scary but an adventure travelling for the first time by yourself.
The second time is easier.
By the third time you will feel like an old pro.
Good for you for doing this. I am sure we all wish you a good journey.

suze

A couple more things that another thread today reminded me of (that I do when I travel alone)...

Use internet cafes to e-mail friends and family. It's usually pretty cheap, a fun way to share your trip, only takes a few minutes, and often I find myself having a live-like-a-local experience (same for post offices and grocery stores).

Leave your itinerary with at least a couple people. Be very specific including airline carrier, flight number, flight times, connecting airports & give your dates of arrival/departure for each hotel reservation including address and telephone numbers.

richardab

Everyone always says "pack light". Last time i did that i ended up buying everything I left behind. Personally I pack heavy and use my biggest bag. I want everything with me that I may need. I even bring along an extra bag for stuff I buy along the way.

I don't say "pack light", I say pack whatever you can carry.

WillTravel

What did you end up having to buy, richardab? My son did fine with a lightly packed backpack, and I did fine with a 22" suitcase for a 2-week trip. I bought a bit of blister stuff on the road, but otherwise did not need anything. I'd amend "what you can carry" to bring "what you can comfortably hoist above your head without endangering anyone else" and bring what you can "carry up and down three flights of stairs without being noticeably slow".

isabel

I took my first solo trip last summer after several years of traveling with my husband, daughters, friends or some combination of those. I absolutely LOVED traveling solo. Don't get me wrong, I still love all those people, and in fact I'm already planning next summer's trip which will be with my husband and another couple and I'm very much looking forward to it. But I had such a good time on my solo trip that I know I will do it again. Especially if you have traveled with others and done most of the planning then you should have no problem.

Take all the standard precautions of using a money belt, having more than one credit card and ATM card, copies of your passport, etc in a seperate place. Traveling light is very important on your own. My husband jokes that the only reason I take him on trips is to carry my stuff, and this trip without him I have to admit a couple of times I did wish I had someone to lift the heavy suitcase into the overhead bin, etc. But I was always able to manage my stuff (even on the way home after I'd acquired quite a bit) without any help and that was important. Even though there are ususally people around to help.

I know the area of your hotel, I stayed around the corner from there (Hotel St Jacque) last March and as you know, it's a great area.

The only safety precaution I took was to have a cell phone so I could call home if I needed to. And my husband and kids could call me when they wanted to. It was really nice to have that link. I think that's what prevented me from ever feeling lonely. I never minded eating alone but then I don't eat in very fancy places. I just took a book to read.

There are several threads here about traveling alone. Last spring there was quite a long one. Can't remember the title but I responded to it so if you clicked on my name you might find it that way. Everyone was very encouraging. You'll have a wonderful time.

weber6560

My favorite personal story is re removing the $100 bill from beneath the insole of my shoe, [emergency backup] in Corte Ingles in Sevilla, and having the mgr call security, check out the bill etc because it was in rather bad condition after a few weeks in my shoe. No prob. They did their job, and did it well, and I got my money!

nancy

Great ideas here. I spent a month in Paris in May 2001 (2 weeks of it by myself, also arriving by myself). I packed everything I wanted because I was not going to be dragging my suitcase around. I used Parishuttle to get back and forth to the apartment I rented - it was inexpensive and only required me to get my suitcase into the apt and out again. I can see packing light if you're heaving your luggage everywhere.

I always wear a moneybelt as it just feels safer. I only carry one credit card, ATM card and a little cash in my purse strung across my chest - couldn't be easier. Next trip I'm finally going for a small digital camera that will fit in my purse!

As said above, I carry a little notebook to write my daily diary and a book/travel guide to read while dining alone. However, I find I spend more time people watching, especially in the sidewalk cafes.

Getting to dinner by 7:00 you can usually get a table on the sidewalk in the cafes.

What was nice about those 2 weeks alone was that I did lots of things that my visitors didn't have time for (they wanted to see the basics) - took a Canal St Martin boat ride, visited some smaller museums, hung out at a couple of parks, and just wandered. It was very cool. Any questions about my trip or if you'd like to see my report, please e-mail me at [email protected] You're gonna have a great time. Nancy

richardab

WillTravel. I usually buy a lot of clothes. I take the big bag with expansion zipper and a flat folded duffle type bag. i only expand the big bag going home. i travel alot domestically (about a week a month) and my bag usually weighs about 65 pounds outbound. it has wheels and i have no issue draggin it.

going home i usually have 2 checked bag and a large carry on packed with stuff.

you should se me i am a sight!

DeborahAnn

Thank you all for the great suggestions, the butterflies in my stomach are not fluttering as much after a quick reading of your advice. Now I can add this post to my travel information and try once again to find past postings that might be helpful. I am looking forward to this trip but still a little apprehensive. Thanks again, Deborah

kaudrey

Deborah - you have gotten plenty of advice, so I'll just add this:

Have fun, be confident, and don't be self-conscious! You shouldn't feel the need to explain why you are traveling alone, nor worry about other people.

I met so many people on my trip to Spain this past February, in tapas bars, in line for things etc, probably because I was by myself. I am outgoing and would talk to people (if they seemed open to it, which you can usually tell) while waiting for things or walking around, and I found that people would often "adopt" me for a meal, a drink, or even for a day or two of touring around!

Have a great time!

Karen

suze

Since I'm a big fan of solo travel, I can't help but keep thinking of more things I'd like to add...

Small notebook. I don't keep a travel journal but always carry a tiny spiral pad to jot stuff down, so you're not looking for scraps of paper in your purse. I'll write new French words I pick up, addresses of hotels that look interesting for the next trip, shops that I want to return to and the like.

Rarely have I needed to rely on this trick, but if you should find yourself in confusing or unhappy circumstances (I got incredibly lost one day very near my hotel in the Latin Quarter!) stop and sit. My preference is for a cafe and a small carafe of white wine! But any quiet hotel lobby, park bench, even book store will do. Just to know you can stop and gather your wits, rather than pushing on is a great comfort.

Always carry the business card for your hotel. My theory is as long as I've got money in my pocket, even if I wander too far afield or manage to get lost, you can hop a taxi, show the card and get back home.

richardab

Oh PLEASE! Nothinmg to be afraid of. Travel with confidence. Remember you can come and go as you please, do what you want and use the time to reflect. I agree with everyone above. The hardest part is dining alone. Just bring a journal or a small book and read it as you wait for your food. It will make you look less alone. I always jot down comments about what i am eating. It make the restaurant people jumpy because sometimes they think you are a restaurant critic! So funny!

DeborahAnn

Thanks once again for the suggestions and the encouragement, even richardab's comments on big suitcases. I was picturing how as a female alone I would manage my largest suitcase after reading your suggestions not to pack light. I'll reserve that suitcase for travel with my husband, I have been known to push the weight limits on even the international flights but no more, I am learning to pack light. Thanks again, Deborah