Help! Where does a 33 year-old woman go solo in a life transition?
 

Hi Everyone,
I have been reading the threads and looking at different websites to find out the best places for me to visit solo this month. I need to getaway for a few reasons:
1. Boyfriend of four years broke up with me last night, and I love him dearly.
2. Just got let go from my job...TODAY!
3. Just turned 33 last week.

I am looking for a combination of things that will help me rediscover, well, ME. These are my concerns:
1. Safety: Despite the events of the last week, I'm a confident and social individual. I want to venture on my own, but I don't want to think that there maybe a a mugger (or worse!) in the alley around the next block.
2. Balance: I always lean towards sun & sand in all of my destinations, but I would also like to incorporate some historical sights and spiritual locales into my destination this time around. Is there a hybrid destination?
3. Solo/Social Opportunities: A place with both nightlife and relaxation destinations sound good. I want to "play it by ear," meaning I maybe want to drink all night with the locals one night and retreat quietly to my room the next night. I want my destination(s) to incorporate both.

My last vacation was to St. Barts, yet I have NEVER been to any part of Europe. I have two weeks to travel and a middle class budget. I appreciate all of your suggestions, whether you are an experienced traveler or you were in my solo traveling shoes last month.

SO SORRY to hear about your bad news - never comes singly, huh? But, congratulations on your plans. I wouldn't worry about your safety in Europe or Asia (but do wear a money belt as defense against pickpockets).

Normally I'd suggest either Sicily, or Rome plus Amalfi Coast, or Greece (Crete+Santorini+Mykonos, or a cruise including Ephesus) given what you're looking for, but it's miserably hot in much of Europe right now, and air fares are at their peak.

Now would be a great time to go to Scandinavia or the Baltic countries, but I don't know about their beaches. Does it have to be sea water, or would a lake do? If so, you could do a city plus lake in the Alps - maybe Vienna plus Zell-am-See or Lyons plus Annecy. But, again, air fare will be high.
Maybe you can ask over on the South America board about beaches in the north, since it's winter there right now.

My two favorite solo destinations when I need to get away are Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Honolulu/Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii.

I like them both for the mix of relaxation, beach, friendly local people, and I can get around without renting a car.

I'm not sure about the spiritual aspects you are seeking, but besides that they fit your requests very well.

p.s. Really sorry about the double-whammy this week. Ouch! Though I will add getting let go from a long time job (about 4 years back) was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Thailand? Generally safe for tourists, beaches and city destinations, nightlife, historical and spiritual sites.

Ah, what a timely thread. Genuinely sorry to hear about your situation, but as a gal who just broke up with her boyfriend last night and turns 33 in a few weeks, I am sharing some of your restlessness...

Thanks for the feedback. Ahhhhh, Greece would be wonderful, but the airfare all over Europe right now is HIGH. Just flying into London is approx $1200 right now. I'm still looking, and beach water is always preferred...

Why not take a trip to Hawaii, we have warm weather and great nightlife as well as long strips of beach to just spend some time alone and reflect. There are a lot a spiritual and cultural things to be found here in the islands. You dont need a car the Bus system here is great.

I can also recommend Hawaii as a good solo destination. But to clarify escrowmanager's statement, you can easily do without a car on Oahu; the bus system there can get you just about anywhere you want to go. But you definitely need a car on any of the other islands, as public transportation is essentially nonexistent.

I am traveling solo as well as a single woman to italy next week. will arrive in milan on august 8th and head up to lake como. I will be in the lake como area for about 4-5 days and do 2 days in milan and return home to san diego.

Hi,
A great book for you to read before or during your trip: "eat, pray, love - one woman's search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's a recently published memoir of a woman your age in a similar situation.
Best of luck to you!

I think you can do the things you mention on your list at most any beach destination. I believe it's more about what you choose to do, than about the place itself.

How about over on the Caribbean side of Mexico? Where you could visit some of the ruins. Playa del Carmen or Isla Mujeres maybe.

I am thankful for all of the wonderful suggestions and encouragement. Please keep them coming, though I am harboring towards Italy, France, and the UK I haven't finalized my travel plans. I'm thinking London pub crawls, Paris, the beaches in the south of France, and rounding out with 5-6 days in Italy. NCounty-it is a small world, I am from Escondido.

Wow that's a lot of (fabulous) places... how long do you have for your trip?

between 15-20 days, is that enough?

If I could spend 15-20 days, I would eliminate the south of France. it is too much and less bang for the buck or effort. You could easily spend all that time in Italy alone going from Rome and south (capri, sorrento, amalfi coast which I like better than the french riviera anyway) and head north to Florence, Tuscany and then maybe Venice and the lakes.

what about Paris and the UK, worth the effort to encompass all in one trip or are they individual trips?

Everyone has their own travel style but I would not want to go to 4 different countries in only 15-20 days. Reasoning is too much time and money 'wasted' moving one place to the next, checking in and out of hotels, etc.

I would rather pick 2-3 locations in 1 country and have a more relaxed trip.

I would choose Paris and south of France together. Or Italy and include some beach time somewhere there.

I guess you could put 3 days in London at the start or finish of either if you really wanted to. I wouldn't only because London is huge and expensive.

Since it is your first trip to Europe and going solo, simpler logistics make for a more enjoyable, less stressful trip in my experience.

I suggest Bali. It is healing like no place else on earth. There are beaches, cultural sights, good food, noce people, nightlife if you want it.

Sorry to hear your bad news. I am 33 as well, sans boyfriend!

Whenever I need to "get away", I have booked an all-inclusive resort vacation. This time around, it will be the Club Med at Kemer in Turkey. I've stayed at Club Med before solo, and I find that it's just enough entertainment and mingling that I need, as well as being about to find a quiet spot on the beach to take in the ambience and lots of sun rays. Plus, I don't have to worry about "where my next meal is coming from" and beverages, etc are included. Plus, there is the option to leave the resort to go to the neighboring towns to do some shopping, and to experience the locals.

Club Med is a great idea....especially if you are solo and like beaches and newly single. If you really want to go to Europe though, I would consider the hot weather and limit your visit to one country. I have done the hectic cover as much as I can trips many times in my younger years and reflect on them as errors in judgment. I would do just Italy (which I would recommend), or just France or maybe London and Amsterdam, just across the channel. The advantage to Italy is that it might be good for your ego with recent events to have some Italian men around; although someone told me recently that they are not as aggressively romantic as they used to be. :)