LakesideChick

Hi everyone
I have been a lurker at this site for many weeks, and have finally registered. I am planning a 2 month European holiday in 2006 (I live in Australia)and will be traveling alone. Does anyone have any tips for single travellers in relation to budget and safety?

Cathy

LilyLace

Sounds wonderful Cathy! I travel alone most of the time for business. The most important things for me are:

1. Packing light - I wear alot of black & neutral colors. I'm a girly-girl so skirts work really well for me, but mostly thin stretchy ones that don't wrinkle and wash in the sink.

2. Budget - staying in small family owned B&B places is usually a good choice, breakfast and conversation is always nice.

3. Safety - I've found that for the most part people tend not to notice a single woman (dressed conservatively) too much. I just go about my business. Even when I was 28 and staying in the "redlight district" of Frankfurt for a week (last time I trusted a travel agent's choice!), I really haven't found alot of problems.

Have a great time!

isabel

I agree with LilyLace about packing light. I've never traveled for two months at a time, and obviously you will need to do laundry, but I would do everything possible to get all your stuff into a 22" rolling suitcase plus a medium-small backpack. This will have both budget and safety advantages. In terms of safety, if you can manage your bags easily and not be funmbling around with a lot of luggage you'll be less of a target for theft. In terms of budget, if you only have that amount of luggage you'll be able to take public transportation (the metros) or walk instead of having to get taxis. Not to mention it's just easier.

Another safety tip is to have an under-the-clothes type of money belt to keep your passport and extra ATM and credit cards in. Only keep out one credit card and enough money for the day. Also, have two credit cards and two ATM cards, in case something happens to them (get lost, the ATM eats them, etc). And be sure someone at home has the numbers for them and for your passport, airline tickets, etc.

Staying in B&Bs is a great idea, but so are two star hotels. It does tend to cost more for one person than half of a double room, but if you look around you can usually find decent rates. When I'm alone especially I think the location of where I'm staying is important.

Have a cell phone so you can keep in touch with the people back home. Get one that works in Europe and then buy SIM cards for each country that you are going to spend several days or more in. Each European country's SIM cards work in other countries but the charges go up when you aren't in the "home" country. Also have a plan as to how often you are going to call home (at least once every two or three days) so that if they don't hear from you at least someone will know. Do you plan to book your hotels ahead of time? If so give the names and phone numbers to people at home so they'll know where you'll be. If you plan to find hotels once you get somewhere then call home once you arrive in each place.

I personally hate group tours of any kind but last summer when I was alone in Europe for three weeks I did take a one day group tour and I have to admit it is a good way to meet people, especially if you're not the type to just stike up converstations with strangers.

It sounds like a great adventure. I wish I had two months. Have a great time.

elaine

Hi
have you figured out your itinerary yet?
I assume you'll want a rail pass?
Also, with regard to budget, will you be a backpacker looking for student hostels, or will you want hotels of a certain level?
Any information about your overall budget, interests, things you've already considered,time of year,etc would be helpful for formulating advice.

isabel

Another thought - there have been many helpful threads here about the advantages of traveling alone, many of which will have lots of usefull tips. If do a search you should find them. One good one is "Do you vant to be alone" which is at:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1370305

jmw44

The only thing I can add is to consider staying 4 or more nights at each 2-star or b&b. (even longer if you can daytrip in many directions and return) You receive better rates, but better than that, the owners become friends, and your comfort level grows immensely. J.

ninasdream

Two months, lucky girl! I have been travelling alone without incident. As a single woman at home, I go to certain shops so that they know me if I run into trouble...I apply that same principle to travel. Even though I am a private person, I will find a little routine, a daily walk, bakery or market stop, cafe, make a friend on the hotel staff. This has served me very well even if I am only staying 2-3 days. And 2 star small private hotels can be great.

For the rest, Lily got it. I too pack light, 2-3 colors, silk wrap or tube skirts that fold to the size of a scarf, allow variety, leaving more suitcase room for good walking socks, leggings, and layers of shirts and sweaters, all in a 24" case. I like the little around-the-neck money/doc pouch, and I have a good ergonomic shoulder "backpack". Learn as much of the languages as you can. I am always amazed when people say English is fine. I have often been in situations where there was very little English.
If you get into a jam, people are willing to help. It's always a heartwarming surprise when the communication is successful. It may result insome of your best memories of your trip. Enjoy!.

Nutella

Lots of good advice above.
If I can add one more (possibly controversial) that I never see addressed... DO NOT advertise to the world - via this message board or any other on the internet - the dates and addresses on your itinerary! Too often I see people, including those identifying themselves as solo females, enthusiastically posting the details of their trip, including cities, hotel or rental apartments, and dates.
Tell the details to your family and friends, but on the internet, speak in generalities. You can never be too cautious.
Have a great trip : )

suze

Pack light: 22" rolling suitcase plus oversized tote or small daypack. Especially if you are moving around quite a bit, it's the biggest favor you can do yourself.

Stay a week: If you are able stay one week in a place, both for possible discounts on room but also the routine as one poster mentioned above. It doesn't take long for the bakery or cafe to spot you as a 'regular' even within your short time. If I like a restaurant, I'll return several times. Especially eating alone it's nice to have that small comfort of 'knowing' the staff.

Budget: I can't tell if you are planning to stay in youth hostels, B&B's or regular hotels. I'm partial to small 2-star hotels myself. I'm not an overly social person on a trip so 'meeting other travelers' is not high on my list of requirements.

Cash/paperwork: Have a good system for passport, money, ATM, credit card, cash, train tickets, hotel reservations. That's one small down-side of going solo, you don't have your companion to fall back on should something go wrong in this department.

Always have a paperback novel: Besides entertainment on long plane rides or early evenings in your room, it is a comforting prop for me when I'm eating in a restaurant alone & good to discourage unwanted conversation if need be like on a train ride.

Enjoy! And welcome to the board!!

LoveItaly

Hello LakesideChick. You have sure received very excellent information here.

About clothes, black is the travelers friend. I have been in Italy several times for 2 to 3 months each and I have found if I have a week supply of clothes it works perfect. About shoes, I wear flats on the plane, take one pair of heels and another pair of walking shoes. And throw in flipflops that can be used by a pool or the on a beach and also can be used as slippers.

The less you take, as others have indicated, the happier you will be.

I take very small size bathroom supplies and buy what I need as I go along.

And a couple of paperback books that you can leave when you have finished reading them are a solo travelers godsend IMHO.

Have fun planning your trip!

Judy_in_Calgary

Hello LakesideChick,

If you want to find out how Railpasses work, there are a number of useful websites. If you do a word search at Fodors, you'll find several threads with links. The site I know about is:

http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/rail_menu.htm

Make a photocopy of the photo page of your passport and any other important document you are taking with you. Actually make two sets of photocopies. Give one set of photocopies to a trusted person back home and keep one set of photocopies with you (but store it separately from your passport, etc.). In the event that your passport is lost or stolen, your trusted person could fax the photocopy to the Australian consulate that is closest to you. This would expedite the issuing of a replacement passport.

If you are not going to have a cell phone with you in Europe, consider subscribing to Ekit's phone card and voice mail service. This will enable your family members and close friends to leave phone messages for you in the event that they have to let you know important news while you're away. You can check your voice mail from any phone, including almost any pay phone, in Europe. You could make an agreement with your family that you will check for messages once every 24 hours or whatever interval feels comfortable to you. If you can't get to an Internet cafe (of which there are heaps in Europe), the Ekit voice mail service will even read you the texts of your Ekit e-mails. This is a particularly helpful service if you can't give your family members and close friends a precise itinerary with exact contact details.

www.ekit.com

I agree with isabel's advice to have an arrangement that you will call home at agreed intervals.

You may want to carry with you a cheap door stopper. The one I'm thinking of is a small, triangular wedge made of rubber that you jam under a door. Probably you will be secure in the places in which you stay, but the rubber wedge will give you added peace of mind.

I don't know when you'll be travelling. If you'll be in Europe in the northern hemisphere spring, it's best to travel from south to north so as to take advantage of the onset of warm weather as it spreads across the continent. If you'll be there in the northern hemisphere autumn, it will be better to travel from north to south.

A good introductory book for someone who has never been to Europe is Rick Steves'<i>Europe Through the Back Door</i>. I would suggest you borrow it from your public library, if possible. It's not a book you need to take on your trip or even a book you need to own. Rather, it's a book to read before you plan your trip in any detail. It gives you good background information that puts you in a position to be able to plan your trip. To get a sense of what the book covers, you can view its table of contents at www.amazon.com .

A book that I have not read, but one that is highly recommended by Doug Dyment of the One Bag website, is <i>Traveler's Tool Kit: How to Travel Absolutely Anywhere</i> by Rob Sangster. Judging from the table of contents, which I viewed at Amazon, this too is a book to read before getting into the nitty gritty of one specific trip.

When you do go to Europe, you'll need a guidebook, but the book you take with you should be different from the books you use to get background information and plan your trip. You want the book that you take to be one of the leaner ones. You just want essential information, like a description of the local transportation system in each city, museums' opening hours, etc.

If you are a budget-oriented traveller (planning to stay in hostels, etc.), look in on the Thorn Tree forum at the Lonely Planet website.

For info on how to pack lightly, go to:

Universal Packing List:

http://upl.codeq.info/index.jsp

One Bag (a good website even if you are not as religious about confining yourself to one bag as the author is):

http://onebag.oratory.com/book.html

Travelite FAQ:

http://www.travelite.org/

suze

I think email is easier and certainly less expensive if you are looking for a way to keep in touch with family at home (than telephone calls, voice mail, cell phones, etc.). Get a hotmail account and use an internet cafe every few days.

SeaUrchin

I like to travel alone sometimes but there are times on those trips that I feel like I am a sprite or a faery watching people live their lives from the outside. I can glide along unnoticed at times which can be both unsettling and freeing. You make your own rules and don't have to live by your at home rules because no one knows you.
You have to enjoy solitude and not be afraid to be with yourself. It is an unique experience. Have a great time!

For budget, make lunch your main meal, it is usually less expensive. Buy food for picnics and people watch.

As for safety, if you feel uncomfortable in a place or a situation let your intuition guide you. If something doesn't seem right, remove yourself quickly.

alice13

Have a wonderful time with the planning - you're starting early!

All of the above is good advice. Re safety - don't do away from home what you wouldn't do AT HOME is a good yardstick.

There are lots of great cheap hostels (meaning hotels) in Europe. I travel alone too and found excellent rooms for 30-45 euros in Spain last year (now the year before last); Florence and Venice a bit more; Greece &amp; Turkey a bit less. Haven't been to Paris for ages. London is of course expensive.

The YHA network is good too.

Where are you planning on going?

LakesideChick

I am absolutely overwhelmed by the wonderful advice and ideas I have received in response to my (very general) query, thank you all so much. As my travel plans become more concrete I am sure I will be back asking lots of questions!! I am planning to travel during May and June, 2006. I am planning early, but I always think planning is half the fun!!

Thanks again

Cathy

isabel

Cathy - you are right that planning is half the fun. Plus I really think it makes for a more enjoyable trip while you are on it. Of course you definitly need flexibilty - but there is no reason you can't do lots of planning (actually research is probably a better term for it) and still be fexible enough to take up great opportunities when they present themselves. My motto is &quot;always have a Plan B&quot;. Then you don't get all frustrated when Plan A doesn't work out. And since you asked about safety in your original post, I think having done lots of research helps you feel more secure which can help you look like you know where you are going (even if you don't alwasys) which makes you safer.

I have to disagree with the person who said using email is a better and cheaper way to stay in touch back home. I don't know about Australia, but from the US there are several phone companies that allow you to call Europe for as little as 3 cents a minute. And since incoming calls on cell phones in Europe are free that makes for some pretty cheap phone calls. I talked with my family every day almost for about 20 minutes for less than a dollar. Internet cafes charged at least one euro, and that's usually for only 15 minutes, which by the time you log on and all doesn't leave you with much typing time. It's also nice to actually hear their voices. I'm not sure if it was my one phone call a day, or just knowing that if I did get lonely or want another opinion on something, that I could just call them - but I really think having tha cell phone in my pocket kept me from being lonely and felt like a security link. For two months I would definitly get one. Doesn't mean you have to use it every day.

Nutella

I agree about the cell phone, it is a must when traveling alone. The obvious reason is that its an instantaneous way to get in touch with people back home. But also, its good to have to get emergency help where you are. Compile a list of the phone numbers of your country's embassies in whatever places you're visiting, and also the local police/emergency numbers, and keep them with you at all times. If you're hiking or anywhere else out of the way, this could be a life saver. The cell phone is also a safe and convenient way to get in touch with people you just met on your travels, to make dinner plans etc. Finally, when walking down the street, you can always pretend to be on your cell phone and people might be less likely to bother you : )
p.s. DON'T tell your boss at work that you have a cell phone LOL

LakesideChick

I will def have my phone with me... just the ability to send my family a quick sms to say I am ok makes it wothwhile, and the ability to call home and say hi when I need to hear a familiar voice will be invaluable. Thanks for the tip re embassies etc

alice13

Take a mobile phone when travelling? Wow - how things change. Once upon a time it was poste restante; now there is an internet kaff on every corner from Lucknow to Lusaka; from Barcelona to Buenos Aires; from Adelaide to Aleppo.

And how long does it take in each place to make sure your phone works?

Bottom of packing list - mobile phone!!

kfusto

I travelled solo on business for 20 years and had many wonderful experiences. I have also enjoyed solo vacations to the Caribbean and Europe.

The insights you have been given are excellent. I would add that:

- I prefer to stay in neighborhoods rather than near train stations in most cities in Europe. The train station hotels can be cheaper but if you do your research you can find good deals almost anywhere.

- If you travel by rail, try to make sure you can sit near where your luggage will be stored. This is easy in first class cars as you can make seat reservations, but not as easy in 2nd.

- I would have a preplanned basic itinerary to leave with a family member. I am a planner and do not like to show up in a city, especially alone, and then find a hotel. I did this when I was much younger but these days I like to know where I am going. I always email copies of my itinerary to my brother so if there is an emergency at home, I can be reached without too much delay.

- I have a European cell phone and it was a great investment. I highly recommend it.

- I strongly agree with the posters who said to establish a routine. I am a runner so I leave the hotel pretty early in the morning and head out for a run. When I am finished, I stop in t the same little cafe for a coffee and the staff gets to know you and expect you. I also frequent the same restaurants often and, especially when travelling in Italy, have often been included at the &quot;family&quot; table, usually in the back near the kitchen. Lots of other singles come in to eat and you will soon be one of the regulars.

I am also a big fan of basic black when I travel.

It is a wonderful experience so just be smart and enjoy!