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Thread: Solo Travel

  1. #1
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    Default Solo Travel

    Do you like solo travel? Have you done it? What cities/countries are good for solo travelers?

    Even though I haven't done much solo travel, I enjoy it the few times that I went alone. The best thing about going by yourself is that you have to compromise. You choose to see and do the things that you are interested in. When traveling with others, especially girls, you end up wasting a good amount of time at malls.


    Japan is a perfect country for solo travelers. The country is very safe; the crime rate is extremely low. Room prices are based on the # of people. Many Japaneses travel alone in Japan, so it wouldn't be uncomfortable eating alone at restaurants.

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    Moderator CrazyT's Avatar
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    The only time I've traveled alone was for business or to meet someone up at the destination. If it was for vacation, I doubt I'll go anywhere by myself. I don't see the fun is going sight-seeing alone.

    I was in Chicago a few months back for work and went to the Taste of Chicago festival. It was fun and all but I still remember thinking, "This would be so much better if I had someone to talk to."

    EDIT: It seems I didn't quite answer the question of this topic. If I had to choose places to travel alone, I'll pick:

    NYC, Washington DC - these two cities have the same reason. Lots to see so being alone won't be too boring.
    Any ski resort - I don't mind going skiing by myself. Sometimes, I even split up from a big group so I can ski alone.
    Las Vegas - it's no secret that I like to gamble. But gambling alone can get boring, especially when you're losing.
    Last edited by CrazyT; 01-11-08 at 05:28 PM.
    I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code.

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    Senior Member PJ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jay_z View Post
    Do you like solo travel? Have you done it? What cities/countries are good for solo travelers?
    Done it. Love it, although group travel doth have its charm also. Love meeting people. I've met a lot of backpackers who travel alone.

    If you (anyone) travel alone, just make sure you get into the habit of making friends with strangers. I personally love it.

    Japan is a perfect country for solo travelers. The country is very safe; the crime rate is extremely low. Room prices are based on the # of people. Many Japaneses travel alone in Japan, so it wouldn't be uncomfortable eating alone at restaurants.
    Hey, thanks for the tip about Japan!

    What cities/countries are good for solo travelers?
    Amsterdam. I went as a complete stranger, didn't know anybody. After one night, I had made a dozen new friends -- and I didn't even try (b/c I was with my friend already)!

    Indeed, having my friend around actually hindered my friend-making. Because I had to take care of him, I didn't really have much time to mingle with others... that's why it's better to go to Amsterdam on your own.
    Last edited by PJ; 01-12-08 at 02:49 AM.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

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    Senior Member john-e's Avatar
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    I enjoy travelling solo to places I've been to before. Even when I travel with others, I like to take off on side trips on my own. You tend to meet more people and I've found the locals will take you in more when you're alone. Some of the drawbacks are that it's usually more expensive and there's nobody to back you up if you get into trouble. If you hitch-hike, it's much easier to get a ride if you're alone.

    I suppose it has alot to do with how comfortable you are striking up a conversation with total strangers. Some of my friends think I'm crazy for doing it, but I've had many experiences and made alot of friends that I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't been alone.

    I've found smaller, out-of-the-way places to be better since the locals are more friendly. In bigger cities I tend to meet other tourists. On my last trip to Florida I met two girls, one from Houston and one from Minneapolis, and we had a great time hanging out together.
    john-e

    Sixty years ago I knew nothing; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of your own ignorance. - Will Durant

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    Senior Member big master's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by john-e View Post
    I enjoy travelling solo to places I've been to before. Even when I travel with others, I like to take off on side trips on my own. You tend to meet more people and I've found the locals will take you in more when you're alone.
    john!!! i sooo would like to try doing this sometime. i have never traveled alone to far-off places but would really really like to try to do so...its like u get to go where u want to go at ur own preferred time without anyone to control u
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    I have gone to tokyo solo two years ago. itwas better compared to 10 years ago as most japanese teens can understand/speak chinese and english today. it is quite easy to travel around the main city of tokyo. besides the common places of interest like tokyo palace, arukasa shrine, disneyland, mt fuji, try visiting the sunshine plaza aquarium (you can eat thousands of tuna fishing together, the huge hokkaido crab, eg) and the outskirt shrine (quite eerie and exciting especially at night, though i think most close before 7pm)

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    Senior Member pemberly's Avatar
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    the only place i've been to semi-solo was las vegas. i went with a friend who was there for work, so i spent most of my days alone. there's lots to see. you can go around to all the casinos and walk and take pictures. also, gambling all day if you can afford it. the thing about vegas is that most of the people are either here for vacation or in the hospitality business. people are very friendly and you can strike up conversations with people anywhere. i always talked with the people at the blackjack tables i was playing, and it's fun to talk with the dealers. they sometimes give you very good tips on "the right way to play."
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    Senior Member pemberly's Avatar
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    about washington dc, i'm not sure how much fun it is to go solo. i've gone twice, once with family and once with friends, and either time it wasn't all that great. you can walk around and see all the monuments by yourself, but it's lame to ride the paddleboats alone! plus, it's not as majestic as it seems on tv. there's a lot of geese poop.

    and dc was the only place where i wanted to drag a little girl onto the floor by the hair and beat her to a bloody pulp. yeah, violent tendencies, i know.
    nytimes: Every hr you have 10 minutes where you’re not doing anything productive at work, & you can’t look at porn. So you make a comment & fulfill this desire to show yourself off as a smarty-pants.

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    Moderator CrazyT's Avatar
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    I only want to visit Washington DC during April, when the cherry blossom blooms.
    I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code.

  10. #10
    atlantean0208
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    Quote Originally Posted by PJ View Post
    that's why it's better to go to Amsterdam on your own.
    and then doing sightseeing at the RLD or taking a sip or two at the Amsterdam famous coffe shop. So what is your preference, 1 stone, two stone?

    I once traveling alone to the UK (Edinburgh) and it feels very lonely, for me traveling alone for sight seeing is not preferred choice. It should be enjoy with someone else or group.

    It is also dangerous when you're staying in a foreign country especially east european, well this is based on watching the movie Hostel & Hostel 2. So maybe its not true.
    Last edited by atlantean0208; 01-15-08 at 12:23 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by atlantean0208 View Post
    and then doing sightseeing at the RLD or taking a sip or two at the Amsterdam famous coffe shop. So what is your preference, 1 stone, two stone?
    What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam

    I once traveling alone to the UK (Edinburgh) and it feels very lonely, for me traveling alone for sight seeing is not preferred choice. It should be enjoy with someone else or group.
    Yeah I think sightseeing is not as good solo...

    It is also dangerous when you're staying in a foreign country especially east european, well this is based on watching the movie Hostel & Hostel 2. So maybe its not true.
    Eastern Europe is more dangerous. I would not go there without a really capable friend.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

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    What about solo trips for photography purposes? I think for a girl..it's kind of unsafe to go wandering alone for long periods of time in a foreign city. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm scared to go alone =( But I find if I don't go w/ friends who appreciate photography, I don't get the opportunity to take great pics.

    I wonder if there's ..photography field trips haha.

    I think going alone is cool in the sense that I can pretend I'm one of those "lost characters" from WKW films...and try to "find meaning" through photographs, and so on (okay I'm daydreaming now).

  13. #13
    Senior Member PJ's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yearning View Post
    What about solo trips for photography purposes?
    I know someone who does that quite a bit. He is a serious photography hobbyist. Actually, all of his trips are photography trips. He embarks on ~8 each year.

    I think for a girl..it's kind of unsafe to go wandering alone for long periods of time in a foreign city.
    When I read this, my instinct was: don't even think about it.
    It IS too dangerous for girls to go alone.

    But of course, you don't have to go alone. It's good to have a photography pal who also enjoys photography. That way, you can take portrait pictures of each other, if that is your thing.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

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    Moderator CrazyT's Avatar
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    I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code.

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    Senior Member Azn Dude's Avatar
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    I do it quite often, almost a monthly ritual. I usually go on one or two day trip each month to take photographs. I find some nice area that I can bike or drive to and spend time there. I've gone solo camping and that turned out funnier than it sounds. Every year I go on big solo trips if I can't drag my friends to go. I've been to Japan, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Belgium, Denmark, Singapore, Moscow, Brazil and Portugal. I blow all my money on traveling.

    Japan - I spent a year living there and still didn't see anywhere near as much as I wanted too. Tokyo is huge, imagine if NYC and Los Angeles had a baby. The buildings might not be as tall as NYC but the crowd factor will make you fee like you're in a third world country.

    DC - Living there for a few years, all I can say is if you like museums and monuments, you'll like DC. If you want to see "chinatown" and go shopping crazy, DC is not really the place for that. The Chinatown you can walk around literally in 5min, its not a real chinatown.

    NYC - Too big to see in a day. Most of the tourist attractions are in Manhattan but the other boroughs are cool too!

    Solo travel isn't bad for short trips, but for trips that lasted longer than week. I think I'll go crazy alone.
    After Hours - Velvet Underground

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