SAVE TO TRAVEL ALONE?
 

I WANT TO GO TO ITALY THIS SUMMER AND WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S SAVE TO TRAVEL ALONE? I'M GOING TO VENICE, ROME AND AMALFI COAST. THE COAST SEEMS LIKE IT'S HARD TO GET TO AND GET AROUND. PLEASE HELP!

Well, I spend weeks and months in Italy on my own, and I've lived to tell about it here, so it must not be too dangerous. As for the Amalfi Coast, see my post on Sorrento-it couldn't be easier to get around the Amalfi Coast from there.

I've traveled alone to many parts of Europe, and as long as you use the same common sense you would anywhere else you s/b fine.

PS Please accept a word of very friendly advice. Using all caps on the internet is construed as yelling, also it's harder to read. Kindly turn off your cap lock key.

Hello Wildwood. Italy is beautiful and full of charming Italians. Like anywhere however one must be cautious and use their head. Venice sometimes have problems with pickpockets but crime is less there as thieves can't easily escape due to the canals. Rome is a vibrant and wonderful city but it does have a lot of people that are not gainfully employed. Consequently one should be extra alert in Rome.

If you spend some time reading various threads here you will find that many travellers are concerned about not being a victim of crime and the various ways they handle travelling to avoid problems.

Many people travel to Italy and many do so by themselves and very few report problems. I would encourage you to read a lot of post here..and then come back to start a new thread regarding any specific questions you have.

Go to the Search Box (upper right hand side of your computer screen). Click on Italy and in the Search Box type in Amalfi Coast and hopefully you will pull up a lot of various posts that will give you needed information.

Go for it! I've been to Europe 11 times, 8 times by myself. I prefer to travel alone. I go where I want when I want & always meet interesting people along the way. I've lived in various US cities so I guess I am city savvy, but I have never felt at risk any where I've traveled in Europe. I've been to Italy 2 times alone & used public transportation. Last year I was in Venice by myself. What an extraordinary city. I wasn't prepared to fall in love with it but I'm head over heals & can't wait to go back.
This year I'm headed to Greece & Turkey by myself. No fears! Go & enjoy yourself. You'll find it's easier & more rewarding than you can imagine.

Let someone knows where you are. For instance, if you're staying at the same hotel for a few days, make sure the proprietor knows your whereabouts. Tell him/her where you expect to be, what sights you'll be seeing, etc. Maybe even a general time for returning. No need to go into specific details, but if you don't return by midnight, for instance, the chances are good a member of the staff will start an inquiry.

Research what you want to see as thoroughly as possible. Be aware of how small towns are set up so you don't get confused. And as another poster said..use common sense.

Hi W,

>I'M GOING TO VENICE, ROME AND AMALFI COAST. THE COAST SEEMS LIKE IT'S HARD TO GET TO AND GET AROUND.<

Can you fly into Venice and out of Naples? See www.kayak.com.

Then you could train from Venice to Rome to the AC.

If you fly into Venice and out of Rome, you could fly Venice VCE to Naples NAP on www.alpieagles.com.

From NAP, there is a bus to Sorrento. See http://www.curreriviaggi.it/

Yes, it is safe to travel alone. Take the usual precautions: "Keep your nose up and your skirts down".

((I))

A lot safer than traveling around the Washington, DC, area alone - where I live. What are you worried about? Italians do it all the time. There's a bit of petty thievery - pickpockets and such - as in all countries, but nothing to be alarmed about if you take the normal precautions and are aware of your surroundings.

Typing in all caps, by the way, is considered "rude," the equivalent of "shouting."

Yes, I believe Italy is safe to travel solo if you have common sense.

That said, it's easier when you stick to cities because then you can get there by train very straight-forward... like to Venice, Florence, and Rome as examples.

Wildwood, I have been to Europe 3 times and will be leaving for Rome, Florence, Venice and Paris in 16 days, each time I have traveled solo. I like the freedom of being able to do what I want, when I want. I, like the others, try to be aware of my surroundings.

Have a wonderful time.

Ira,

Where did you get that, "Keep your nose up and your skirts down", saying?

That's wonderful, and brought a real chuckle. Wish I had that arrow in my quiver when my daughters were growing up.

:-)

As a solo traveler, I generally don't worry a great deal about violent crime in Europe as I do in some other parts including the good old US of A. As noted, just use normal common sense.

However, as a solo traveler, petty crime can cause you some real inconvenience but you can take a few steps to avoid insurmountable problems. If your money, credit cards, passport, etc get stolen, you've no one to turn to. [thank you Winston!] I also am mindful of the problems that an accident or illness could create for the solo guy.

Consequently, I stash [hide] copies of passport in as many different pieces of "luggage", money belt, pockets, as possible. Same is true for 3-4 $100 dollar bills -including 1 wrapped in Saran under the innersole of my shoe. Same is true for my emergency contact list of folks back home. And for a "long shot" that I have never had to rely on, early on in my time "in country", I consciously "cultivate" a local to the point that if in a bind, I could come back and plead for help. If I can get to the point that he remembers my name, etc, I will add him to my "emergency" contact list normally not telling him I have done so. I generally travel a lot of rural areas where the locals may not be as familiar with calling a number in the US as they might be in a larger city. My logic is that they might call a fellow countryman even if they are hesitant to call a US number on the list.

Before leaving, I work out how I would get money wired if I did lose everything. As often as I can, I let someone at home know my general intinerary for the next several days. This is tough because I generally don't travel with reservations. [I'd be smarter if I would just go ahead and get an enabled cell phone.]

Solo is fine but finer if you think through some of the situations in which you might find yourself!

ira,
re your comment
"Yes, it is safe to travel alone. Take the usual precautions: "Keep your nose up and your skirts down"."
As I often am tempted to ask you, but more often than not, bite my tongue, where do you get that statement?
When oh when is the last time you traveled alone in Italy? Are you serious? Please sustantiate this opinion with some actual experience of your own.

as a separate response to wildwood03,
I often travel alone in Italy. I have spent more time in Rome and on the AC than in Venice.
The Amalfi Coast has a tourist based infrastructure that makes it easy to get around by various means of transportation. The places you mentioned will no doubt be crowded with tourists, many Americans and British among them. My advice is to travel light and stay alert, but not extra anxious. Watch your back on buses in Rome, for example.
There are many threads here on safety issues which apply generally either to couples or singles.
Good luck to you.

Hi nukesafe,

>Where did you get that, "Keep your nose up and your skirts down", saying?<

Sophia Loren in "Two Women".

((I))

Hi B,

>When oh when is the last time you traveled alone in Italy? Are you serious? Please sustantiate this opinion with some actual experience of your own.<

Are you saying that I am wrong? It is unsafe to travel alone in Italy?

When my Lady Wife travel and I, we are not shackled together. Many times I spend much of a day all by myself.

Of course, I always ask an adult to hold my hand when crossing streets.

((I))

Is someone challenging the advice of "Yes, it is safe to travel alone. Take the usual precautions: "Keep your nose up and your skirts down"?

If someone says that ISN'T good advice, does that mean they believe you SHOULDN'T take the usual precautions and you should keep your nose DOWN and your skirts UP?

What am I missing here?

>>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;
Was it also Sofia Loren who said "I never drink liquor. It does terrible things to my legs"?
"Why, do they swell?"
"No, they spread."

>Was it also Sofia Loren who said "I never drink liquor. It does terrible things to my legs"?
"Why, do they swell?"
"No, they spread." <

It could have been, but it certainly sounds like Dorothy Parker.

"Yes, I would like a Martini/
One, maybe two at the most/
After three, I am under the table/
After four, I am under the host".

((I))

Ira:
Traveling as a couple and doing something by yourself for part of a day is a completely different ball of wax than traveling alone, obviously. Apples and oranges.
But hey, if you want to practice keeping your skirts down while you wander around by yourself, more power to you!