Stay in Cancun or head to Europe?
 

Hi all!

I'm in an indecisve state of mind and would love to hear some advice from experienced travellers-

I'm going away in late June (syd to LA, LA to Cancun) with friends and then will be going solo for the remaining 6 days. Currently i have a flight booked from Cancun to London (HR).

Ive never travelled alone before and am feeling unsure of being in London the whole time. Considering either getting the Eurostar to Paris and booking my flight back to Syd from there or do I extend my stay in Cancun and change the flight to sydney after?

Is Cancun friendly for solo travellers? Whats good to do there?

Thanks guys!

Cancun is excellent for solo travelers. Especially if you like to drink and party. Nice beaches, too.

It will be hot in the Cancun area at end of June. Nice for the beach and cenotes, but very hot for off the beach activities like visiting archeological ruins, other towns like Playa del Carmen, etc.

I am in Cancun now for a few nights after spending two wks in Playa del carmen at my place there. It is starting to get very hot now. In another month it will be hotter.

In Cancun there are high rise hotels on the beach, very nice ones. To shop or get out of the resort hotel you are in, you need to have a car, or take the bus that runs up and down the hotel zone highway, or take a taxi that the hotel can call for you. If you stay at a hotel close to the Mall ( used to be called La Isla but has changed name now, Fashion something) then you can walk to the nice mall. AC is nice there when it is hot outside. There are lots of tours you can take but I would stick to water activities as hot as it will be at end of June. Snorkeling tours are good, there is a great reef off of Holbox island that you can get a boat to and snorkel there. Or get a tour or taxi to Puerto Morelos, hire a small boat at the beach and snorkel equipment and snorkel that off shore reef, not very far out, 5 min off shore. PM is a nice little town for the day also, nice little outdoor markets with handmade goods, good lunch places on the beach, etc.

Just FYI-- For some reason there is a very very large amt. of seaweed on all the beaches on the Riviera Maya, including Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, and Tulum now. It is very noticeable both on the beaches ( a foot or more deep, several feet wide) and in the water. Have never seen it like this in many yrs of travel here and having a condo in PDC. I have been to all the above beaches in the last few wks and they are all affected.

Either one would be a great trip.

There's certainly plenty to see and do in the Cancun area for one week. I vacation in Puerto Vallarta solo every year (other side of the country).

Flying to London would take a lot more time & $$. Is there a special reason you want to add a Europe trip right now? Why not save that for a separate time, and do London/Paris like you talked about for a week or two.

All these places are OK for solo travel.

I'm going to be a contrarian and say Cancun isn't that great for solo travelers compared to many other places. There isn't that much to do there, unless you like drinking and hanging out in bars and on the beach. And I think some of that is better with others, not solo. But if you love to hang on drinking in bars alone, it's perfect. It's kind of sterile, also, at least the area on the beach and nearby. And the "real" Cancun isn't that enticing to me, having been there (like the interior market and that area). YOu can take a ferry to Isla Mujeres for a day or book a day tour to some sights, sure. But as noted, it's going to be very hot there.

If you are already spending time in Cancun with friends, I personally would not extend my time there by 6 days, no way. At least I'd move somewhere else in the area in Mexico for variety.

London or most big cities are solo-friendly IMO, jsut totally different experience. But if you just want to add on something else, surely there are closer/cheaper options than going all the way to London? MOney for flights doesn't seem an issue to you, but as long as you are in Mexico, you could easily go elsehwere, plike PUerta Vallarta as mentioned, I was in Mexico City and Guanajuato last year about that time and it isn't as hot there, etc. Or even some major city in the US if you want (LA, San Francico might be on the way home? not sure).

But if you do want to visit London, of course it is solo-friendly.

I am not sure how someone who has never been to Cancun or the surrounding area can recommend it for solo travelers. It is not Puerto Vallarta, not even remotely similar, regardless of both of them being on an ocean. Completely different.

I tend to agree with Christina. Cancun is not good for a solo traveler, unless you like partying and drinking alone, or possibly want to hook up. I mean, after a few days on the beach and spa at your resort, there is not much left. Unless the season is cooler, like in the fall and winter and spring months when the possibility of nice off the beach tours are good. But as I said above it is WAY too hot in mid to late June to do off the beach archeological tours and other tours that are not water-based.

This poster has already decided they are going to Cancun. Their question is about adding Europe.

emd3 - From Cancun it is my impression that people do day trips to the various ruins, historic sites, cenotes, etc. I know you can easily take a ferry over to Isla Mujeres or take a day trip down to Playa del Carmen (or Akumal or Tulum). Why wouldn't these be good solo?

Suze, as I said above, it is way too hot for most people do a off the beach day tours like a day trip from Cancun to any ruins, including Chichen. Itza , Tulum, Coba, or any other ruins in mid July. It is freaking hot and humid as hell, and that is from someone who grew up in Houston's heat and humidity.

Ditto for going to Playa del Carmen for a day. It is hot as hell even a block off the beach in Playa going down 5th Ave. in July and August. me, I have two condos in Playa del Carmen and have spent several July wks there by force, not because I wanted to but because i needed to furnish or have work done on my places there. It is awful off the beach in Jul and August, incredibly hot and humid and sweat, sweat, sweat. My condos rent 7 months out of the year but they have never rented in July and August, it is just too frigging hot.

Yeah, you can take the ferry to Isla Mujeres, and I have done it, but Isla Mujeres provides primarily more beaches. The beaches in Cancun are as nice as they get. So you can spend time on the ferry round trip and see the little town on Isla and go to a beach, but its not all that great coming from Cancun. And that is just one day.

I would not discourage someone from coming to the region where I have two rental condos in July unless. I had very good reason. It is hot as hell.

And the OP is going to Cancun with friends. Her question is about staying in Cancun alone the extra days after friends leave, as least that is how I read it.

Solomars-- Just a thought but have you thought about spending your additional 6 days (after your friends leave Cancun) at somehwere cooler and potentially more interesting in Mexico?

There are many very nice colonial cities and towns that are at high altitude and that stay in the 70s and low 80s in July, very nice tolerable weather during the day, and even nicer and cooler at night. If interested, look into spending your extra days in Mexico City, with a few days in Puebla. Great route at high enough altitude to be cool and comfortable. Easy and cheap to fly from CAncun to Mexico City ( look at VivaAerobus, Interjet, or MayaIr for cheap flights) and then the bus to Puebla is 2 hrs. from Mexico City. That would be a great extra 6 days, IMO. Exposure to some other areas in a wonderfully diverse country. You could also do a day trip to Teothicuan ruins from Mexico City, and the weather will be pleasant, and those ruins re awesome.

I wouldn't go to the hassle and expense of heading to Europe with just 6 days, especially since you haven't travelled alone before. I know from experience how hot it can get on the Yucatán Peninsula that time of year, but we still had an awesome trip, visiting Maya sites, snorkeling, diving, flyfishing for Tarpon, visiting Valladolíd, and finally snorkeling with whalesharks from Isla Mujeres:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stacey...7624562803472/

If those adventures don't appeal due to the heat or your interests, I agree with emd3 - head to somewhere in Mexico at a higher altitude with different activities on offer. Good luck!

I was thinking that too - head out to someplace else in Mexico. We enjoyed visiting various around the Yucatan Peninsula, but we went in March, when it was already quite warm. I'd hop a quick flight to someplace else in Mexico for the duration of the trip.

I totally chose Cancun! What a beautiful beach and the people are the most friendliest ever. I go to Mexico solo quite often and I can highly recommend it. May I recommend the Ritz Carlton Cancun. If your looking for some nice quiet time and pampering beyond belief this is the place.

Also if you do decide to do Cancun, I recommend USA transfer to all your travels. They can take you to the hotel, any of the sites you'd like to visit.

If I can help with any info, let me know. I'm doing my Cancun trip report right now.

I have to agree with emd3 on several matters.

Firstly, it is unfortunate to say that there are several people on site who comment and recommend certain ideas and have NEVER set foot in the area. this can be very misleading and costly. I believe some of us know who I am talking about.
Secondly, IMO Cancun is not the best place for solo travellers but the Riviera Maya most certainly is, especially Playa del Carmen and the surrounding areas.
Thirdly, we own a condo in Puerto Aventuras and have been to Europe on one occasion, including England. It is definitely not the same trip not even close.
Although it is very hot in Mexico at this time I would stay in the area as there is so much to see and experience as a solo traveller. I have experienced solo travelling in the Yucatan Peninsula some years ago and would highly recommend... Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Merida on a week end.
Lastly, you can get all kinds of information on the internet regarding solo travelling in the Yucatan, you will be well treated and well received if you practice common sense. Public transportation in the Yucatan is very affordable and reliable wether it be the bus, the collectivo or the taxi.
Happy trails

My reply was primarily thinking that adding London/Paris to this trip for only 6 days was not the best value for her travel dollar or best use of her time.

Figuring out what to do with yourself solo on the Mayan Riviera for less than a week can't be that difficult.

>>Currently i have a flight booked from Cancun to London (HR).<<

So take it. First of all you'll likely have to pay very high/huge fees to change flights (IF seats are even available at this late date)

And have you booked from London back to OZ? If so that would be another change fee.

London s a doddle for solo travelers -- could not be easier. I wouldn't try to tack on Paris -- you will only have 5.5 days as it is.

June is a fabulous time in London.