wandering_gal

I am going to visit my friend in France this coming Dec 21 and tour around different cities. At least that was the initial plan. It is was set for 21 days, however she told me she was only allowed 1 week leave from work. So I am afraid she cannot accompany me throughout my vacation. from Paris we planned to go to Amsterdam, then prague, then Venice, Rome then back to Paris where I'd be flying out.

I am curious how is it like to travel alone in Europe where I dont speak there local languages. Is there any travel companion site that exist out there. I know people are saying its nice to travel alone, so you can fully explore the place however, I also want to have a drink once in a while, and I particularly chose to Prague to tryout their Pub Crawl. I guess that would be awkward.

Can you guys help me out.

emily71

Is there a tour that does a Prague Pub Crawl? I know in London there are pub walks where you can join a tour and visit some pubs.

I would look at the walking tours in the cities you want to visit as I find it's an ideal way to connect with others while maintaining your independence.

As far as wanting a drink, I've traveled alone to Spain and have visited many tapas bars alone. While you may feel awkward, having a drink at the bar alone isn't bad. I either take a book or talk to the bartender(if he speaks English) or my neighbor.

adrienne

Here's a company that does a pub walk in Prague. I don't see why it would be awkward to go for a drink in the evenings.

http://praguewalks.com/en/Walks

Europeans who interact with tourists speak English in all the cities you've mentioned.

november_moon

I travel for work, often alone and if I go someplace good, I try to stay a little bit longer if I can to sightsee. I find that joining walking, biking, and food/drink tours is a great way to get dome social interaction.

kja

Many of us love solo travel, and believe me, I don't forego having a drink now and again just because I'm solo! Bring a book or old-style Kindle (do NOT illuminate yourself in the bright back light of an iPad-like device while out for a solo drink!) and enjoy yourself!

wandering_gal

Thank you for all your tips. appreciate it. I saw this site travel-buddies.com however, it seem more like a dating site than a genuine i-need-someone-to-accompany-me in my travel sort of thing. I guess the above ideas are better and not creepy.

kybourbon

There are dozens of trip report links on this thread by solo travelers on Fodor's. Browse the ones for your destinations.

http://www.fodors.com/community/trav...collection.cfm

oedipamaas

I'm not sure how traveling solo makes language any more or less an issue when you're traveling with another person. In any case, you really have nothing to worry about, particularly since each of the cities you list has a major tourist economy and is used to dealing in English. In Amsterdam, fluent English is nearly universal. In Paris, Rome, Venice, and Prague there will be plenty of people who speak English and even with those who do not you can usually get by somehow, especially if you are polite and learn a few basic phrases.

amwosu

Is there a reason you're returning to Paris to fly home? If not, you should fly into Paris and out of Rome. It's less time consuming (more sightseeing time/less transportation time) and usually not any more expensive to do a multi city flight once you factor in the cost of returning to your original city.
Ann Marie

hollywoodsc

I've done walking tours/pub crawls solo, in several cities and had a great time. The last one, in Florence, there were 5 of us and we decided to all go to dinner together at the end of the evening Renaissance tour.
You'll be surprised how easy it is to make new friends, chat to the bartender, or join a conversation when you travel alone.

wandering_gal

amwosu, i wanted to shop some souvenirs in paris maybe some street artwork im not sure, which i dont like to drag around during my trip around those cities.