Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Divorced Solo female in 40s; been to Europe many times but never alone. Tips/advise/suggestions? Scandanavia?

Divorced Solo female in 40s; been to Europe many times but never alone. Tips/advise/suggestions? Scandanavia?

Old Nov 28th, 2002, 12:38 AM
  #1  
Ann
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Divorced Solo female in 40s; been to Europe many times but never alone. Tips/advise/suggestions? Scandanavia?

I'm going to need to go alone as I'm too used to independent travel with 18 past years of it with my ex-husband to try a tour. Husband was language professor so I was spoiled by that as I only speak English and being able to converse with locals added so much to our many trips. One place I haven't been to much is Scandanavia. Thinking of mid Spring and maybe going alone to Sweden or Norway or Finland as I haven't seen much of these countries and I know they speak English more than in many other countries. I love the outdoors too and nature. Any tips, suggestions or advise for me especially from other single mid aged female travellers or anyone who knows more on the areas I mentioned?
 
Old Nov 28th, 2002, 04:32 AM
  #2  
elina
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I wonder what you mean with mid-spring? If it for example is mid-April, it is very different in Denmark and Finland, and southern Sweden and anything north of Stockholm. I for example live in the Helsinki area, and in mid-April we are just getting rid of the last snow.
 
Old Nov 29th, 2002, 12:47 AM
  #3  
Ann
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I was thinking of starting in very early May for about 3 weeks or maybe 4. I want to go before the summer rush of tourists.
 
Old Nov 29th, 2002, 02:00 AM
  #4  
helen
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
If anything, try to be in any major town Oslo, Bergen or Trondheim on may 17. A day most Norwegians are very proud of.
 
Old Nov 29th, 2002, 03:10 AM
  #5  
Tina
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
I would highly recommend staying in private homes, type bed and breakfast or very small private driven hotels. It is more personal than hostels and less formal than hotels. If lucky with your hosts they may help you discover more than most tourists ever do.

www.bbnorway.com
http://home.online.no/~bb-oslo/
www.bedandbreakfast.dk
www.bedbreakfast.a.se

I guess you can find more by contacting local tourist information offices.
 
Old Nov 29th, 2002, 03:44 AM
  #6  
elina
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Ann, June would be better than May. Although last May was just beautiful and warm even in the north, May is still more unpredictable than June. And don´t worry about crowds! If we leave out the southern fjord area of Norway (I don´t know about Denmark, less space, more people) Scandinavia is EMPTY! There may be occational crowds in the capitals, but that´s just about it. For example in Finland when you leave Helsinki and go 50 kilometres inland, you are most likely the only foreigner there. Same thing for Sweden. If you look at the map and see the space, and then think than in Finland there are 5 million people (same as in London) who are sprinkled all over that space. And even all the capitals are untouristy compared to the towns people on this board usually visit.

And a great thing about June is Midsummer! May 17th that Helen mentioned is Norway´s independence day, but 21st of June is Midsummer, the nightless night! Bonfires by the lakesides, nobody sleeps, some do old magic (a traditional Midsummer party also in Seurasaari outdoor museum in Helsinki). Midsummer here is celebrated in old pagan-time ways. And sun only makes a quick drop below the horizon, and comes up straight away. And if you go above the Arctic Circle, sun stays above the horizon all night for two months.

You could consider renting a cottage with a sauna and a rowing boat by a lakeside for some days. There are hundreds for rent in Finland (www.lomarengas.fi), and I suspect the same goes for Sweden. Travel the capitals, archipelago, Lapland, Norwegian fjords, Finnish lake labyrinths. There are tons of things!

As a single woman you are not a curiosity, since most women here are single (at least it feels like it). You would also be safe, and if you found some man interesting, you would probably have to make passes yourself – men are usually shy. Most people speak English (but certainly not all), and hotels have cheaper prices in the summer. Yes, and the public transportation is reliable, safe and frequent. No need for a car unless you like to travel outside mainroads.

And a wide variety of nature hikes and stuff (for Finland check www.metsa.fi) even in the Helsinki area there is a big national park (www.nuuksio.fi).

The tourist rush is possible only in August when people in Central and Southern Europe have their holidays. So you can choose June or July as well as May. At the end of May leaves are just beginning to appear in the trees, ground is still somewhat wet from melting snow, and waters are not warm enough to swim. Contrary to July – last July my nearby lake hit +27°C.


 
Old Nov 29th, 2002, 06:45 AM
  #7  
Betsy
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Why let lack of a foriegn language hold you back? If you want to visit Scandanavia go, but if somewhere else is more interesting to don't let language hold you back. I travel all of the time in countries where I don't speak the language. Within a day or two I become accustomed to the sound of the language and things seem fine. I know how to say hello, goodbye, please and thank you. Other phrases become known as I hear and see them. You figue out quickly that "sortie" means exit when its a green sign and all seem to be heading toward it after getting off of the metro. Plus, I find that when i attempt to start in the country's language, waiters, shop keepers etc, will inevitably speak english as they realize my french-italien-spanish if worse then their english.Besides part of the fun of travel is to try to figure out how to communicate. Occasionally I've gotten some interesting meals, but that's been the worst of it.
 
Old Jan 27th, 2003, 07:45 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 142
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree with Betsy, and although I'm married I generally travel solo, as my husband doesn't like long plane flights. I've travelled alone all over europe & asia and have never had a problem. In most cities, you'll find people speak/understand english--but I always try to make sure I know a couple of 'key' words/phrases in the local language (please, thank you, excuse me, hello, goodby etc). I also wouldn't worry about safely too much, just use common sense and enjoy yourself!
mauld is offline  
Old Jan 27th, 2003, 07:57 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 757
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have traveled to Finland alone and language was not a problem. The older people may not speak English, but all of the young people are taught English at school, so you won't have a problem. When my cab driver didn't speak English, I just showed him the address of the hotel on paper and he knew where to go. You will be fine. Mind you, I was in Finland in August and it was already cold!! Summer is June and July to them.
Deborah is offline  
Old Jan 27th, 2003, 08:40 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 342
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Scandanavia was a great trip for me 2 years ago!! I had been to "most" of western Europe, but finally made it up "north"!
I was there in mid June, and the weather couldn't have been better, but from what I learned, that can be true from late April on, depending on your luck....
Certainly it will get warmer as the days get longer, but I don't think you'll have any difficulties with either: 1)language, or 2) the "travelling alone part".....
We found the people in/around the major cities of Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen to be friendly, outgoing, and eager to help....

One additional thing to remember is that almost all young people in these countries speak excellent English because they don't "dub" their TV programs, they just play them in English or German or French and then subtitle them with the Scandanavian language...
So its perfect for "learning" a language! Have a great trip!!
Dave is offline  
Old Jan 27th, 2003, 12:33 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,404
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ann, I thought I would throw in my two cents worth. I usually travel to Europe solo (because my wife doesn't like to travel and I think she gets tired of being around me for a long period of time).

I think Scandinavia would be ideal for several reasons: 1)people tend to speak English very well. 2)people tend to be a touch more friendly and helpful. 3)I tend to feel more safe in Scandinavia. (is three more than several - I can't remember)

I found that if you travel outside of Helsinki in Finland, there are fewer people who speak English and tend to be more reserved.

I was in Denmark/Sweden last April and thought the weather was very nice - just be prepared for anything.

For the most part, you should be fine traveling solo just about anywhere in Europe if you use your discretion and common sense. Good luck.
Bird is offline  
Old Jan 27th, 2003, 12:58 PM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 165
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ann,

I made a solo trip to Norway this past summer at the end of June. It wasn't crowded at all - plus the days were amazingly long. If you plan to head north I'd encorage you to wait until 'summer' - as there was still snow on the ground in higher elevations and the weather was cold. (By my admittedly biased Hawaii standards.) Norway was a breeze to travel in despite my monolinguistic abilities. Also, I had no trouble meeting other solo female travelers when I stayed at hostels - and the travelers were of all ages (I'm in my mid-30's).

I made a point of connecting with other people where I stayed - looking for other people traveling alone and asking them along for dinner or to go sight seeing or whatever. I had company when I wanted it and alone time when I desired it. Don't forget to talk to the hostel/B&B/hotel/store clerks, etc. - they can often tell you about places to go, etc. or extend invitations that you might otherwise miss.

Traveling solo was great. My husband wasn't able to make this trip so I went alone. Honestly, in some ways it was much better than traveling with him - met more people, set my own pace, saw only what I was interested in, and didn't have to engage in any negotiations regarding schedule/activites/etc.
scigirl is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
burnmeister
Europe
11
Dec 22nd, 2012 10:23 PM
gruezi
Europe
25
May 14th, 2011 03:00 AM
lululemongirl
Europe
6
Mar 10th, 2011 03:24 PM
Judy
Europe
24
Jul 27th, 2005 07:17 PM
Susan56
Europe
27
Oct 22nd, 2003 06:28 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -