VACATION BY MYSELF
 

I'd like to take a week's vacation by myself in mid-May. Don't want luxury - need something affordable. Don't drive, so need to go where there is good public transportation or within walking distance of restaurants, shops, etc. Really want to be near water & have view. Any suggestions?

Key West!! If you stay in Old Town, everything (tourist activities, restaurants, shops) will be within walking distance.

What part of the country are you on? That could help on time and costs. <BR><BR>Sounds like you need some good time off!

Susan - Key West is definitely on my list - have always wanted to go there, but wasn't sure about the not driving issue.<BR><BR>LN - I'm in Minneapolis, MN - yes, I need some time off - work has been quite stressful lately.

Key West! You do not need a car if you stay in the historical area. New Orleans too could be a good choice.

Charleston, SC. The historic district is very walkable; great restaurants, shopping available. Special buses will take you out to the plantations as well.

San Diego is also a good choice. Public transportation is very good in the immediate area of downtown and there's lots to do and see in that area. There are a number of threads on this forum with San Diego info.

ANYPLACE can be great - it's what you make it.<BR><BR>Go for it!

I'm not sure I'd want to do San Diego without a car - it's just too spread out, like most of So. Cal. A big appeal of San Diego is the beaches. Getting from downtown to/from the beaches is certainly possible, but I don't think SD's public transit system is adequate enough to make it very easy. You'd waste a lot of your vacation time.<BR><BR>I don't know what Mauigirl's interests are. European cities certainly do have great public transit - you do not need a car in most of them. In the US, the older mid-west and east coast cities have the best transit systems (Chicago, NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington). Out west San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC have good public transit also. Lots of choices there though &quot;fun in the sun&quot; isn't really in there. I'd check out these areas first and see what appeals to you, then ask more specific questions about one area or another.<BR><BR>Andrew<BR>

I go almost everywhere alone and it can make a difference in certain travel choices. Places I've been to (alone) recently are Nantucket, which is affordable in May and I didn't need a car once. Charleston and Savannah. I had a car in Savannah, but only for trips to Beaufort and Hilton Head otherwise I would've done without one.<BR>You definitely dont need a car here in New Orleans in the French Quarter espescially. <BR><BR>Some others you might like are Newport, RI where a car is practically a handicap, but May shouldnt be too crowded. Washington DC is usually nice in May, and many people who live there dont have cars. Also, DC should be warmer than Mnpls. but not as warm as New Orleans yet. I have a love/hate relationship with DC having lived there for a short time :), but its a &quot;must see&quot; for any traveler. I also agree with the above who suggested Key West.

Outside of not being near the ocean I would definitely vote for Washington DC. There's so much to do here - you can fill a week up just learning about your country. And most all of it is FREE!!! We have a great subway system so you need no car and there are really great hotels in town.<BR><BR>If you decide on DC - write back and we'll give other a host of ideas.<BR><BR>We're not by the ocean but we are on the Potomac River!!

SunCounty has vacation packages to Mexico, where you will have the beach, shopping, and good eating. Taxis and buses are cheap.

New York City, Key West, New Orleans, Charleston SC, Chicago, DC, and Boston would be my choices.

San Francisco would be a great choice. It's the only trip I've ever taken without someone and it was one of my favorites. There is something for everyone.

I went to Bermuda in January ( a bit cool, but I bet May would be wonderful) and kept expenses down by staying in a B&amp;B ( I believe the single rate is $80/night which is good for Bermuda) that serves a full breakfast and let's you have access to a community kitchen. Public transportation was wonderful, especially the ferries and affordable with a week's pass giving you unlimited bus and ferry access. The busses have huge windows so you see alot of the island scenery and don't feel like you're wasting time getting from here to there. Airfare might be prohibitive for you and eating out is expensive, but if you can swing it, it makes a great retreat.

DC is good for seeing a lot w/out driving and Key West is great too. Whatever you do, just be very safety oriented and have good maps w/ you. You don't want to take a turn down the wrong street in DC. Also, it would be wise not to keep all of your money and credit cards in one bag. Keep at least a $20 and a card on your person.

*Laguna Beach. You can walk to tons of shopping, bars, and restaurants. It's a fun and relaxing town (as long as you are not driving) with lots of nice people.<BR><BR>*Vegas. Though it's certainly not &quot;near water&quot; some of the pools are so beautifully landscaped that you think you are! You can walk or taxi (or bus or monorail) to everything on the strip. It's one of the most affordable vacations you can take.<BR><BR>*Just about anywhere on the Mediterranean. Cheap lodging, perfect weather, typically good transportation and lots of pedestrian towns &amp; villages, and I bet there's a bunch of good travel deals coming up.

I 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or whatever Key West. I went there a couple of years ago for 5 days and had the most relaxing enjoyable vacation ever. I flew into key west so did not have a car and never needed one. You can walk everywhere. If you want to see a little more of the island just do what everyone else does and rent a scooter for the day (great fun). Do not expect a lot in the way of beaches but there is plenty of other things to do. Just cop a laid back attitude and you will have a ball.