Pegontheroad

I've decided in the past couple of years that i prefer to travel solo rather than have to deal with the foibles of other people. However, as I read the recent thread on spending a day at the D-Day beaches, I thought back on the trip that my sister and I took to Paris, the D-Day beaches and the Loire.

Mary and I took seven European trips together, and we both enjoyed them enormously, but the first trip was the most fun. We took the train from Paris to Rouen so that we could pick up the car in Rouen and I wouldn't have to drive through Paris traffic.

It was Mary's first trip to Europe, and she was thrilled to death. Even seeing people's back yards from the train was exciting to her. She had begun reading Stephen Ambrose's book on D-Day, so she especially enjoyed the invasion sites. I'd been interested in WWII for many years and had read a lot about it, but it was all new to her.

The trip (in 2000) was a cheap one. We traveled for 12 days at a cost of only $1600 each (including airfare), finding inexpensive hotels at tourist offices and driving a Peugeot that was so cheap the windows didn't roll down. No kidding. I looked for the handle to roll down the window and discovered that a car this cheap didn't run to frills like windows that opened. We encountered our first roundabouts, earning some dirty looks and some horn honks from outraged French, because we didn't know the rules for entering roundabouts. We laughed and laughed and laughed.

A major factor in my enjoyment of the trip was that it was all so new and exciting to Mary. The same held true of the other trips we took together. Seeing the radiance of her face as she listened to the wonderful Latin Mass sung by the 4-man choir in St. Ansgar's Cathedral in Copenhagen or her delight in seeing Nefertiti in the Altes Museum or her enjoyment of Den Gamle By in Aarhus.

I enjoy traveling solo, but I don't think any trip I've ever taken or will ever take will ever be as much fun as those in which my sister and I took together, and so much of my enjoyment was caused by her delight in all that we saw and heard.

So I envy those of you who have a travel partner in whom you delight.

JulieVikmanis

What lovely recollections and what a lovely and insightful post. Thank you.

mscleo

I hear you. I, too, love to travel solo, and almost all of my vacations are taken that way. Four years ago, however, I went on a tour to Egypt and Jordan. In my tour group were 12 other people and we bonded instantly. At the end of our trip we vowed to travel again together, and last year we rented a villa in Italy, and traveled in from our respective countries (Australia, England, British Columbia, and me here in the US). By far and hands down, those three and a half weeks in Italy was the best holiday I've ever experienced. Laughter, comraderie, and discovery ruled our days and everything was just delightful.

We're going to Spain next year and can't wait to see each other again. Like I said, like you, I love to travel alone, but being with my friends on that Italian trip was priceless.

Pegontheroad

Wow, mscleo! That's terrific. You really have lucked out!

azzure

I love traveling with my sister and last year I was her "tour guide" on her first trip to Italy and Paris. It was wonderful as she was so delighted and appreciative of everything she saw. When we walked into St. Peter's Basilica for the first time she burst into tears.

Next month we are 'road-tripping" to LA (our hometown) together. I can't wait.

jaja

I have read the accounts of people traveling solo and thought it would never work for me as there is so much of "look at that!" or "get out the map (wake up the satnav)" or "help me watch for...." or once home, "do you remember when we...."

To each his/her own.

Pegontheroad

It helps me to have my little digital recorder along. When I see something that strikes me or that I want to remember, I just whip out my recorder and talk into it.

It also helps me when I write my trip reports, which are great fun. I print the trip report so that I have a hard copy, and then later on I read it again or I read my sister's trip reports and enjoy the trips all over again.

If I could travel with someone like my sister or with someone who matches my traveling style, I'd do it in a New York minute, but that's just not the case for me.

Rastaguytoday

Before I got married, a good friend was my traveling partner. The only problem is that he would not drive in Europe, nor could he navigate. That makes it tougher.

I've mostly traveled single, and enjoy it immensely. I would try to memorize the map at least until lunch, and then again after lunch.

My wife is a passive traveler, except for shopping. I read the guide books, I navigate and I drive.

It's nice traveling with my wife, but I've always had passive traveling partners. Sometimes I wish my partner would know where in the @#$@ we are.

Agosto

I love travelling solo. Maybe because I haven't found a really good travel companion.


On the other hand, things as 'earning some dirty looks and some horn honks from outraged French, because we didn't know the rules for entering roundabouts. We laughed and laughed and laughed' make me cringe. If you drive in a foreign country you need to learn the traffic rules. You are a danger otherwise, not only to yourself, but also to others. Please, remember, you may be on vacation but the rest of the world isn't; not fun at all to end in hospital -or worse- just because some tourist didn't learn the rules. How would you feel if you were in your home town and it was another car who put you (or your loved ones) in danger? I don't think 's/he was a tourist, laughing and laughing' would be any confort at all.

Sorry to wander out of the topic, but I think some things should be taken seriously, even on holiday.

sundriedpachino

Rasta, know the feeling. I like to travel in Europe for the history, art, architecture, and scenery. My husband likes to travel for food experiences.
We have learned to mesh our travel interests, and can have a perfectly wonderful trip. That is, as long as no-one utters that fateful phrase, "So, where are we again?"

Peg, I love your expressions of witnessing your sister's joy in those first-time experiences. My husband and I usually travel alone, but this autumn, are having our daughter and husband join us in Italy.

After all we've told them about our exciting trips to Italy, I'm hoping for that same kind of reaction. But then, who would not love the Amalfi Coast?

Anna_Galea

I guess each to his own. Some people prefer travelling solo (especially those who are the really independent type), whilst others prefer some company. But I would never travel with somebody unless I know them well, as we used to do in our young days when we were free and single.

It is true you might have to deal with the foibles of other people (the more the larger the group), but it makes, always in my opinion, the holiday more fun to share the experiences in a holiday. Plus it would make the trips to reach cities, etc during the holiday less boring, like for example on a train journey. Also, I personally feel more secure having someone with me. Also having family members with you and seeing them enjoying themselves makes it doubly the fun.

But it is still enjoyable to travel solo, I'm sure. If you do not have a travelling companion that you are sure you would like to travel with, or if you prefer peace and quiet and do whatever you wish to do on holiday without having to consult your travel partner, then plan the holiday well, and take a couple of good books with you. As I always say, each to his own.

irishface

Peg, I agree that traveling single is great, and I have done most of my trips that way. (Even at home, I need to have space and an occasional day with no commitments--sometimes just hanging around and sometimes getting into the car and taking off for an explore as if I were a tourist.)

I have also traveled with some fun partners and a couple of real disasters. When I have taken friends who have never been to Ireland, it has been fun to hear and see their expressions of excitement and wonder at one of my favorite places. It is especially poignant to relive the trip of one dear friend who died shortly after we came home.

Some trips have been the best of both worlds when I traveled on my own and then met companions at the airport and traveled together. By the time I met my friend(s), I was glad to see someone familiar with whom to share the rest of the trip.

Rastaguy, traveling with passive partners works for me, though occasionaly I wish someone would help navigate. Then I get to make the travel plans and see what I want. Like you I try to memorize the route until lunch or first stop and then work from there. (Maybe memorizeing is good for this old lady's gray matter.)

latedaytraveler

Pegontheroad, great memory, thanks.

In recent years I have traveled solo combining several days in larger cities “doing” the sites, then joining a tour to “do” the countryside. It works for me because my fun travel companions of yore are no longer interested/available for these jaunts.

I can’t help noticing the gasps of disbelief when I mention to some happily married or otherwise committed folks that I am going “alone.”

Pegontheroad

Lateday: I've noticed some of the same gasps also, particularly in view of my age. If I could find a compatible travel companion, I would do so, but everybody seems to be broke or arthitic.

When I retired, I moved from Sacramento to Spokane, so that I'm no longer in touch with women close to my own age. Most of the women I know here are in their 80's and are of limited means.

I live alone and spend most of my time alone, so traveling solo is not a big deal for me.

When I used the word "foibles" in the original post, I was really thinking of my last travel companion, who is the same age as I am, but who had to stop and rest her hip every couple of blocks because of pain and who wasn't capable of actually walking a mile. She is also diabetic, so we had to plan meals around her diabetes. I really enjoy her. She's a fun person who loves to laugh, but it's difficult to travel with someone who is unable to walk.

Agosto: We weren't laughing at a driver who honked at us. We laughed so much because we were having a good time. My sister, who was my travel companion, is very witty, and we set each other off. We always laugh a lot when we're together, but we especially enjoyed ourselves in France.

I assure you that nobody was endangered by my driving.