Traveling alone in Italy - looking for some company
 

Hi,

I usually have the pleasure of traveling with my wife, sometimes with my kids or brother. However, this year I do not have a travel companion and would like to spend a week or 10 days in Italy this fall - but NOT BY MYSELF. Has anyone any suggestions for tours I could link up with that would allow me to meet people to talk with at mealtime etc, but that are not the standard 7 cities in 10 days coach tours. Something where a person traveling alone would not stand out like a sore thumb.

I like sightseeing, nature, galleries, museums, gardens, good meals, comfortable accommodations.

Thanks in advance.

It seems to me Elderhostel is a good bet. There is also an organization called Untours that rents you an apartment, welcomes you along with others, gives you an orientation about the area, and then you are on your own. I think they also arrange for dinners with locals. So between the other Untours folks and the locals you should have a chance for socializing.

Here's something you might want to look into:

http://www.neweuropetours.eu/

That said, I travel alone quite a bit, and it's never occurred to me that I was standing out like a sore thumb. Generally speaking, I don't think anyone in Europe is the slightest bit interested in who I am or what I'm up to.

Agreeing with StCirq - no one's going to notice or care who's alone or not.

If you'd like to meet new friends check out the CouchSurfing website. There is an option to just meet for a drink or a meal, etc. I met several couchsurfers on my trip last month and it might be fun!

Hello still. If it appeals to you think about starting a thread regarding a Fodor's GTG in one of the places you will be in. Many Fodorites have met other Fodorites when one Fodorite posts that they will be in (name of city) and they ask if there will be other Fodorites that would like to meet for lunch, dinner, drinks etc. They usually throw out a couple of different dates. Everyone always seems to have fun. Being in a big city (Rome, Florence etc.) seems to get the best results. Best wishes and do enjoy your time in Italy and don't worry about standing out like a sore thumb. Many people visit Italy by themselves and there are a lot of single adult Italians as they tend to get married later in life.

Thanks for all the good replies.

Elderhostel/Exploritas looks promising. I am just turning 60 and (like everyone else) consider myself a young 60 - will I find the participants to be close to my age group or a lot older?

Couchsurfing might be promising too especially in the bigger cities.

The traveling alone comment actually referred to being the only single traveler in a tour with 20 couples.

Well, I'll be by myself, at a loose end, in Venice from November 27th to December 2nd (my wife and her mother are running away to Assisi, Florence and Verona for a few days).

Care to meet up for a drink near Campo San Barnaba, Dorsoduro? I'll flag this as a GTG on Fodors closer to the time.

(Being the only single person on a trip means that you get to talk with the tour guide more. And the guide is likely much more interesting than the fellow travellers).