So I'm 26 and love to travel, well who doesn't!? And it's been about a year and a half since I've been any where! So I'm itching to get out there, but none of my friends are able to travel and I'm single, so I was planning a trip alone, which terrifies me! I'm not worried about my safety, I'm more worried about the loneliness, and the crazy looks I get when I tell people that I'm traveling solo.

Well I haven't chosen a destination yet, I was hoping to get some help with that... He are some pieces of information that might help you:
- I love, feel safe, and am very comfortable in large cities ( a great metro is a must)
- I'm a huge history buff
- I love soaking up local culture and try to speak the language where ever I go
- I love trying new cuisines
- I like going out and having a few drinks
- I'm on a budget! I will be staying in hostels, and sticking to cafés and street food, with the occasional nice restaurant... But the more affordable the destination the better
- I'm gay, and I definitely need a nation that is gay friendly
- I do like some nature/ adventure activities
- people watching at a cafe is a favorite of mine

I was thinking Prague, Greece, Thailand, Vietnam, or Peru. I'm open to suggestions!

Any help would be much appreciated!!!

How much time do you have? What month/time of year are you planning to go? And where are you traveling from (guessing New York)?

Those are critical questions to recommending destinations. All of your ideas are great, but if you're thinking 10 days in June, that might be best for Peru/Greece, versus if you've got 3 weeks in December, that sounds like a great time for Thailand or Vietnam.

If you can provide some more info, we can help expand on your ideas and provide additional ones.

Honestly, my schedule is very open. I was thinking a week long trip, I'd love to go this summer, but Im open.

@Travel-Agent - input is always welcome here. Advertising, however, is NOT permitted, as explained when you registered.

How about Iceland? It's a quick trip from NY and has a great feel. Lots of good food, incredibly safe, and really interesting history.

IMO, traveling solo is a delightful self-indulgence. I'm absolutely committed to it! You might find some inspiration from this thread, to which many of us add links to solo travel reports:
http://www.fodors.com/community/trav...collection.cfm

With only one week, Asian destinations might not be best -- assuming you are in NY, the flights there are long enough, and the jet lag can be bad enough, that you might want to wait until you can spend a bit more time on the ground. JMO.

Ok with a week in the summer (maybe flexible to be 9-10 trip if it's a full work week plus weekends), plus your other interests in mind, coming from NYC, keeping a hostel+occasional splurge budget in mind:

-Iceland - definitely great for history, nature/adventure, and being LGBT friendly. Only worry is the cost: Iceland is a fairly expensive destination year round, and summer is their major tourist season and the prices inflate significantly. Reykjavik may not be as big of a city as you'd like to base in, either.

-Barcelona + Sitges - this could work very well, as Barcelona is a big city, nonstop flights from New York, with phenomenal food, culture, nightlife, and then you can escape to Sitges or elsewhere on the coast to do more relaxed time or seek out adventure experiences. Sitges is a very gay friendly summer hotspot. You can keep costs down and have that splurge meal in Barcelona easily.

-Greece - can work in 10 days, but recommend most direct flight possible to Athens to save time on the ground. Definitely ticks your boxes for history, culture, great food, and while the islands would be in peak price for summer, you can look at less popular but still LGBT friendly islands that may be more cost effective. Athens + 1 island would be my recommendation

-London + other destination in south England (Cotswolds? Brighton?) could also work very well for you. On the one hand, the pound is the pound, but on the other, you've got food, history, culture, large city, gay friendly, all in one place, plus pretty great food options across all cuisines and price points.

Europe is probably your best bet for easy transatlantic flights, large cities with lots to do, very open and welcoming attitudes towards gay travelers (and citizens), plus some ability to manage costs and potentially escape heat of the summer for a beach/mountain/countryside with pool.

Montreal/Quebec City, foreign culture but close enough to benefit your restricted time limit and budget.