SandyD1

Hello all

2 months: Dublin, Scotland, London, Zanzibar, safari in Tanzania and Kenya, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, Ayers Rock, and Southern New Zealand.

And I can't wait to save enough money to do it again!

escrowmanager

Aloha,
I will be making my first solo trip in October. I have only flown twice before, but only a short flight from Honolulu to Nevada. I will be going to Germany (from Honolulu) for 3 weeks. I am truley terrified to fly. I dont even worry about what will be once I am there (it will be fun) I am just so freaked about flying, I know, why take such a long trip alone??? But I want to see where my mother is from and my husband will not fly so far, so he said I can do this one on my own. Any of you out there have any special tricks to get over the fear of flying?? I always just held my husbands hand so tight I cut off the circlation!
Mahalo,
Jeanne

toedtoes

My first flight was from SFO to Hawaii. I was pretty freaked out, but imagined a clothesline stretching from the flight tower in SFO to the flight tower in Hawaii and that the plane was hooked onto the string. It got me through the flight.

Since then, I started reading a basic "how to fly" book. I gleaned just enough info to know the basic moves of the pilot, but not enough to know all that could go wrong.

escrowmanager

Aloha Toedtoes,
I thought I might try some "fear of" type of books to read, but the more I read the more I thought about it and then the more I worried.
I like your idea of telling yourself that in some way you are "attached" from here to your destination, as the mind is pretty powerful.
I also think that the more I do it the easier it may become!!
I will try to keep my mind busy "in flight" with movies, Ipod, reading about my destination etc.
Again thank for the thought and if anyone else out there has the same fear and has beat it let me know your secret!
Mahalo,
Jeanne

toedtoes

Good luck. I think the clothesline thought could work if you're afraid of the heights and the idea of falling (two of my biggest fears). "Knowing" that clothesline was there to hold the plane up if the engines died was reasurring.

escrowmanager

You nailed it on the head, it the height and the plane falling from the syk bit that gets me. Again mind over matter and like they say it's safer to fly than drive!

baaj

My longest solo trip was a horseback trek across part of Mongolia for 3 weeks. That was way back in 2001 and I haven't really done anything solo like that since.

Felly

I took two a few years ago. I spent the first week in January by myself in Vienna. It was great. I did exactly what I wanted---the kinds of things no one else my age would want to do. I went to the opera every night. I ate soup and chocolate cake for lunch and dinner every day. I went to every single castle/house museum I could (I like that period in furniture). That's basically all I did, and I wasn't bored.

I also spent a week going to Berlin and Prague by myself. I was kind of ill, so it wasn't the best, but it was still pretty great.

SusanC

In 1996 I took a solo 6 month trip around the world! I visited friends and met up with others along the way so I would say about 2/3 of it was solo.

My itinerary: Phildadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Fiji, New Zealand (one month), Australia (2 months), Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Bulgaria, Greece, Russia, Azerbajian, London, Amsterdam, Paris.

One of the highlights of my life!

hikrchick

just found this great forum for solo travelers --

the longest solo trip I've done is 2 1/2 months in New Zealand, Dec. 2006 through mid-Feb 2007. This was my "midlife-crisis" trip that i started planning when I turned 40 in 2005. I primarily (well, almost always) travel solo and really love finding out what I'm made of.

my dream is to do a 6-month or longer around-the-world trip.

slangevar

Wow - such great trips! The longest solo trip I've taken was a 2-week trip to London (but I have friends there, so it doesn't really count). But in a few days, I'll be flying to Europe for a 6-week solo trip and I CAN'T WAIT! So many people have put me in touch with their friends abroad, that I feel totally taken care of. Just the right combination of companionship and alone time.

samisamismi

My first trip alone was 147 days going around the world as a 43 yr old woman with NO previous travel experience. My kid was leaving, so I sold everything, got a world map, circled every interesting sounding city and connected the dots. It took 5 travel agents before I found one that could book the ticket. That's what we get for not teaching geography! Had a blast! Never looked at a guide book--just let serendipity happen! Boy did it! Everything from a private birthday party with an Indian Maharajah to an active tribe of headhunters in PI. Never worried !!! Ten years ago, I did the same on the Cairo to Istanbul route (took the local buses)---same results! Had a blast! Gained incredible self-confidence, learned a lot about myself and others, and a great appreciation of the incredible kindness of strangers.

rache2005

My very first Long Solo trip was 3 months in Mexico City, it was while in graduate school and was a self guided study of Mexican Muralism, it was really fun, amazing experince. But I guess my solo trip of the greatest distance was 4 weeks in Bangkok, which i have done twice now.

lavici

i went to asia, left from venezuela. traveled to thailand, bhután ( my super favorite place in this planet), bali and singapore all in all for 2 months!! yay!!would do it again in a cinch. also went to iceland ( 2° favorite place)

blader

My longest solo trip was 2 yrs 8 months in SEAsia, backpacking mainly but working 6 months in Australia and a year in Japan. I found I couldn't travel solo for more than 6 months without becoming a gibbering wreck - 3 was really optimum. Overall though it was great.

Now I tend to combine travel with work - currently doing a 3 month trip US and UK with a week in Rome. Not as much fun but I get to see a lot and I can spend time in one place and get to know it.

I did have a problem with flying at first but once I figured out what all the noises and bumps were and that pilots were overall a pretty responsible lot, I have had no problems. A few interesting flights though.

Guenmai

I'm female and have been traveling overseas, almost annually, solo since I was 17 and I'm early 50s now. I've done all of the continents except Antartica. For over a decade, I used to be away for about 11 weeks at a time. Then, in later years, when I had less time, my time away started to change from year to year. I prefer traveling solo as I don't want to possibly end up stuck on a vacation with someone and his/her drama. By traveling alone, I can meet people along the way, but if I get tired of them, then I can move on. Happy Travels!

dutyfree

My longest solo trip was 3 weeks to New Zealand in my 20's-a friend cancelled at the last minute. This gave me courage to travel to Greece for a week by myself later in my 20's and then a week in Berlin by myself when no one would go. Truth be told-I had a ball and learned alot about myself on those trips.I think that even now if I could not get my husband or older kids to travel with me I might consider just going by myself because I realize its later than I wish!

kaley1kt

3 weeks in Chile and Peru - loved every minute of it! I enjoy traveling alone, and have done many trips solo, but that was the longest one I have done.

twoflower

7 weeks Bali-Amsterdam-Rudesheim-Rhine/Mosel-Heidelberg-Rothenburg-Ammersee-Munich-Titisee-Colmar-Avallon-Chartres-Dinan-Paris-London-Ely-Buxton-Shrewsbury-Bath-Kingsbridge-Christchurch-Eastbourne-Horley. Loved it, loved the freedom. Not lonely, met people along the way, frequented internet cafes to share adventures with people back home. Next trip (2008) will be with my partner, and I'll enjoy that too - but solo is fine also.

zoecat

6 weeks Paris and 6 weeks Italy. I loved each trip!