jomagpie

Oops. Didn't read @walkabout's post. Sorry!

MarthaT

Check out either Globus or Trafalgar web sites. For the budget version of these two groups go to Cosmos Tours for Globus or I think Trafalgar's is called Costcutter.
I do alot of tours and my first one was 5 countries in 10 days. Not something I would repeat but I have been to each county separately now.
Egypt does not usually combine with Europe tours but you could pick a shorter Europe tour that sees all of Europe and then book an Egypt trip to follow that one.
Most people on this board travel independently. I do both. I may be in the minority but I like the hours on the bus looking at the countryside go past. It can be very beautiful and if you are driving or watching a map you might miss something.
Every tour I have been on has a mix of ages. At least half are usually over 50 depending on the tour but that has never bothered me.(I am in that category now!!).
Another company I really like is AdventuresAbroad. They do modular tours so you can combine more than one.
I hope this gives you some ideas and have fun whatever you do.

adrienne

I would not be concerned with safety if you use common sense and don't go off alone with strangers. Use the same rules you would use at home. Lots of young women travel solo. Please do to the Thorn Tree site and discuss your safety concerns with other young women. You'll get advice and reassurance from other women your age.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa

janisj

Actually the demographic is closer to your age here than over on Thorn Tree which is more the Contiki age group. You are 30 (practically middle aged from the Thorn Tree user POV )

Traveling solo isn't dangerous -at least in the areas most tourists would find themselves. The biggest danger is pickpocketing which seems to be worse in Spain/Italy but can be a problem anywhere. But being on a tour doesn't help w/ that. In fact large groups of tourists huddling together will attract more pick pockets than someone on their own.

walking around most European cities - even late at night -is safer than walking around most any American city.

That's not to say things can't happen - and if you are on a tour, the tour director can be of assistance if things go sideways.

Some touring interspersed w/ some independent time would be a good intro. London or Paris are EXTREMELY easy cities to manage on one's own. So maybe look for a couple of 2 week tours book ended by time in Paris and London. In those two cities there are countless walking tours and day tours out of town.

ManalD

Thank you so much everyone, I appreciate all the advise! I will check out all those tour companies that I never even heard of thanks to you all. I have heard of Busaboout tours & it seems like a good idea to do things at my own leisure...but the issue with that is since I am unfamilliar with Europe I have no idea what places are good, what places to stay away from when it comes to hostels, hotels, etc...Also I dont know where anything is, so I would be lost without a tour group.

thursdaysd

Another tour company, which is more likely to give you time to explore on your own, and will have a small group (12 or less), is Intrepid - http://www.intrepidtravel.com/. You could also look at Imaginative Traveler or Peregrine. You can mix and match their shorter tours.

The demographic on Rick Steves' tours is definitely on the senior end.

I travel to a lot of places that are unfamiliar, but I do it solo with good guidebooks. Maybe you could spend some time in a library or bookstore before settling for a tour?

jomagpie

"since I am unfamilliar with Europe I have no idea what places are good, what places to stay away from when it comes to hostels, hotels, etc...Also I dont know where anything is, so I would be lost without a tour group."

- I think you feel "lost" because you haven't done any prior research besides looking at different tours. It's not as hard as you think. I suggest you get a guidebook of Europe (Lonely Planet is my go-to guide) and read from front to back, including info on all the countries, guidebooks also have suggested itineraries, hostels/hotels, suggested walking tours, etc. Then perhaps that will help you decide on what countries or cities you actually want to see instead of just saying "I want to see it all".

adrienne

<< Also I dont know where anything is, so I would be lost without a tour group >>

Ahhh...that's what maps are for. And guide books.

StCirq

<<my nervousness comes from being a 30 year old female...alone...in terms of safety.>>

Hours and hours a day on a bus is a far bigger safety concern, frankly, than being a solo female 30-year-old traveler on the ground in Europe.

I wouldn't dismiss the idea of planning a trip on your own. Thousands and thousands of solo females do this every day. We even managed to do it back before computers and the internet existed. We used maps and guidebooks. Seriously, it's not only easy, it's fun. And you get to see what YOU want to see, not what some tour guide thinks will tickle your fancy.

ManalD

You guys are right...I'm just nervous & felt that if I was on a tour, I would be safer. Are there discussion forums for solo travellers who meet in Europe perhaps? That way you can kind of get to know people that you can meet in Europe along the way.

thursdaysd

Well, there's couchsurfing as a way to meet locals. You don't have to actually couchsurf (as in sleep in someone's house), you can meet someone just for coffee or a meal. But you'll find that if you travel solo, and stay in B&Bs and pensions rather than posh hotels, and take day tours, that you'll just naturally meet other travelers.

ManalD

I just checked out couchsurfing...its looks like a great way to get to know people who may be tavelling at the same time to some of the same places. Is that the only site of it's kind or are there other similar sites?

jomagpie

I've been a Couchsurfer member since 2005 and it's an absolutely great way to meet people, locals and travellers. I highly suggested it. I usually end up booking myself into a hostel/hotel and just meet up with people for sightseeing, food, drinks, party, etc. If age matters to you, I'm 31 yrs old (ughh).

I'm meeting CS'ers when I'm in Spain in a couple weeks and we're all going to a musicfest

Tip: If you do decide to sign up, fill out your profile as much as you can; people who have no pictures and no descriptions usually don't get responses.

adrienne

One of the best known organizations is Servas where you can be a host and/or a traveler and invite people to stay in your home or invite them for a meal or a coffee in a cafe. There are different options.

Rick Steves (not my favorite person and here I am invoking his name twice today) has quite a few organizations listed on his web site.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...bsteves17.html

ManalD

I will sign up at Couchsurfers, thank you. & ughh is right jomagpie...I'm 30. I think the reason why I wanted to do so many countries at once is because I feel like I am starting my travels late & I need to make up for lost travel time. Age matters to me to a point where I don't want to be with a bunch of drunkerds when I'm trying to take in different cultures, historic sites etc. Although I do like to have a good time...I don't want my travels to be a drunken mess as it looks like it may be if I went with a Contiki tour.

jomagpie

"I don't want my travels to be a drunken mess" - haha that's exactly what my Contiki tour was like. Besides that only tour, I've been travelling alone, on & off, since I was 19 (even moved to England alone at that point!). Going alone is scary at first, but it'll be fine and lots of fun.

There's also another site called Travel Buddies but I think they make you pay now.

ManalD

jomagpie...if you don't mind me asking...are you a male or female? The reason why I ask is because for some reason, I think that guys would be more likely do travel alone as you did.

jomagpie

Female

email me at j

jomagpie

oops, email me at [email protected] if you have any CS questions or others...

Also, why would you think that "guys would be more likely do travel alone as you did"? I've met plenty of solo female travelers during my travels.

Underhill

Now is not a good time to travel in Egypt.