# Travelling alone



## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

I have no idea if anyone will take anything from this, but if even one person does, then all well and good.

Whilst it may be many people's worst nightmare, I took the plunge this year and visited Prague and Krakow on my own. It was unbelievably liberating. You lose some of the inhibitions you have back home, as you know that no one knows you out there. You can go where you want, when you want, get drunk, make a fool of yourself if you like...so what? it will never come back to bite you on the *** as you'll never see these people again.

Im not saying I went crazy, I didnt, but didnt feel at all weird going to a restaurant or bar on my own, starting a conversation with the bar staff, chatting to other pub-goers about the football on the tv, chatted to people in the street, even if only asking for directions.

I felt I could be the person I want to be.

If anyone wants their confidence boosted, I highly recommend it.


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## bigcat1967 (Apr 20, 2010)

*Good Story*

There is some truth to that. I remember when I was a teen and I drove my mother to a different town for something. We got lost, so she told me to pull over at a gas station and ask someone for directions. I told her I didn't want to - she said, "Mark - it's no big deal. You'll never see them again".

I guess my mother knew best.


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## freakamidget (Nov 25, 2013)

Hi urbancoyote.

I just wrote a post about this in the triumps section. I agree, travelling solo has helped me SO MUCH I can't recomend it enough to fellow anxiety sufferers! You get to be who you want to be, and it's so liberating and rewarding.


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

freakamidget said:


> Hi urbancoyote.
> 
> I just wrote a post about this in the triumps section. I agree, travelling solo has helped me SO MUCH I can't recomend it enough to fellow anxiety sufferers! You get to be who you want to be, and it's so liberating and rewarding.


So true. Actually looking forward to doing it again.


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## cmed (Oct 17, 2009)

It's also good because you can see whatever you want to see at any time you want, and move at your own pace.


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

Krakow is quality. Big ups.


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

cmed said:


> It's also good because you can see whatever you want to see at any time you want, and move at your own pace.


That is also true...you dont feel under pressure to go places you dont want to....which Im sure many SA suffferers often feel, just because they dont like speaking out amongst others.


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## dontwaitupforme (Feb 23, 2013)

I crave this so badly. Have never travelled solely on my own but would love to work up the nerve. Like others have said you can go where you want, do what you want at your own pace.. Not have to worry too much about whatever people think of you as you'll likely never see them again. Seems like absolute bliss :heart


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## ToughUnderdog (Jul 7, 2013)

No I think you're right on the money with this. Traveling to another country is one of the best experiences you can have. In fact, I'm planning on doing some time myself whether that's in South East Asia or Western Europe. You see yourself grow as a person and develop an appreciation for a different culture.


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## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

I love traveling solo. It's awesome. Too bad I never get to do it anymore due to my low amount of vacation time and expenses.


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## ew4055 (Nov 7, 2013)

So glad I stumbled across this thread and would love any advice people can give on how to do this  I love to travel and want to do it more often. I have figured out that if I want to travel, I have to be independent and do it myself. I have been to a lot of places myself. I am spending a few days in NYC for Christmas. 

I've traveled in lots of places in the US but haven't traveled abroad, which I would love to do. A bit scared to do it on my own, because it's so "unknown". I might be able to navigate the UK... but I would be completely lost if just dropped off in Krakow. Hearing others do it makes me want to though!


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## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

The UK is pretty easy. I've been to much more difficult places... The only thing I'd recommend for there is to avoid driving unless you absolutely must, particularly if you don't know how to drive a manual transmission (you will not be able to rent an automatic and you'll need to shift that transmission with your left hand). The public transit system is absolutely excellent, too. Read up on gestures, slang, and terminology differences, too, to avoid misunderstandings and offending people. George Bernard Shaw said (over 100 years ago) that we are “two nations separated by a common language.” It's a very accurate description. Though the base language is roughly similar, usage and terminology is so different that you could have absolutely no clue what someone was trying to convey to you.

The downside is that it's extremely expensive and food options can be a little rough, particularly if you're not fairly flexible and only eat American or Americanized food.


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

ew4055 said:


> So glad I stumbled across this thread and would love any advice people can give on how to do this  I love to travel and want to do it more often. I have figured out that if I want to travel, I have to be independent and do it myself. I have been to a lot of places myself. I am spending a few days in NYC for Christmas.
> 
> I've traveled in lots of places in the US but haven't traveled abroad, which I would love to do. A bit scared to do it on my own, because it's so "unknown". I might be able to navigate the UK... but I would be completely lost if just dropped off in Krakow. Hearing others do it makes me want to though!


For places like Krakow, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam...you dont need to speak any of their language. They all speak English...probably as well, if not better than you or I. You'd probably only have a language problem if you went off the beaten track. You could, as you say, literally get dropped off in Krakow and be fine.

Your hotel will often send a taxi for you, for a set fee, so there's no having to haggle with taxi drivers, or explain where you are going. You get dropped off at your hotel, then go for a walk about town. Capital cities are tourist hubs, and your bar-tenders, waiters, shop-assistants will invariably speak English, German and naturally their own language. Its second nature. Ive never had one single problem just walking in and asking for a table at a restaurant. You'll also get an English menu.


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

urbancoyote said:


> For places like Krakow, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam...you dont need to speak any of their language. They all speak English...probably as well, if not better than you or I. You'd probably only have a language problem if you went off the beaten track. You could, as you say, literally get dropped off in Krakow and be fine.
> 
> Your hotel will often send a taxi for you, for a set fee, so there's no having to haggle with taxi drivers, or explain where you are going. You get dropped off at your hotel, then go for a walk about town. Capital cities are tourist hubs, and your bar-tenders, waiters, shop-assistants will invariably speak English, German and naturally their own language. Its second nature. Ive never had one single problem just walking in and asking for a table at a restaurant. You'll also get an English menu.


Also Warsaw, quite a community of expats there. Forget about it just about anywhere else in Poland though. I think about 6% of the population speaks English, but that might be an old statistic. I find that a fairly high percentage of the younger generation speak some English and also reasonable German, depending on what side you're on. Good food, despite the lack of decent dairy products and great history. Highly recommended.


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

ericj said:


> The UK is pretty easy. I've been to much more difficult places... The only thing I'd recommend for there is to avoid driving unless you absolutely must, particularly if you don't know how to drive a manual transmission (you will not be able to rent an automatic and you'll need to shift that transmission with your left hand). The public transit system is absolutely excellent, too. Read up on gestures, slang, and terminology differences, too, to avoid misunderstandings and offending people. George Bernard Shaw said (over 100 years ago) that we are "two nations separated by a common language." It's a very accurate description. Though the base language is roughly similar, usage and terminology is so different that you could have absolutely no clue what someone was trying to convey to you.
> 
> The downside is that it's extremely expensive and food options can be a little rough, particularly if you're not fairly flexible and only eat American or Americanized food.


Most things here are expensive to be honest, especially in London, but there are ways around it, it just depends on what you're used to and if you don't mind roughing it a little. When I travel, I either camp or use hostels.

I'm not totally sure, but I think some car rental companies have autos, but they're more expensive and obviously more thirsty. Fuel is retardedly expensive here remember. Public transport will only get you so far and is also retardedly expensive, particularly the trains, which are cramped because of our stupid narrow gauge railways.

Language wise, I think outsiders are just confused by the idioms only - down South anyway. Accents vary and can be very difficult to understand in rural areas. I was in mid Wales in Summer and struggled to understand at times...


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## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

JimS90 said:


> Most things here are expensive to be honest, especially in London, but there are ways around it, it just depends on what you're used to and if you don't mind roughing it a little. When I travel, I either camp or use hostels.


I didn't consider hostels because I had no clue how to find them (and might have been too old anyhow). Most hotels are extremely expensive there. I later heard that Bed-And-Breakfasts were the way to go, but I didn't know how to find those, either.

I left on 12 hours notice, so it was really throwing myself head-first into the fire.

Food was the big killer. Restaurants are simply ludicrous. Luckily I was informed by the nice bartender at my first hotel that tipping is much lower there than in the US (I saw mention of it, but he filled me in on the nuances). I still felt weird leaving one or two pounds at most meals (which are coins, for the uninformed - their notes start at 5), but gave him a large (even for the US) tip. 



> I'm not totally sure, but I think some car rental companies have autos, but they're more expensive and obviously more thirsty.


True, but the only places I saw with them were at airports. They account for under 1% of the cars in the UK I was told. A car rental place at any random station outside London will not have a single automatic in their fleet (I asked, out of curiosity, at each one). They're not very useful most of the time, anyhow, which is why I recommend utilizing public transportation whenever possible (which is both reliable and extensive).



> Fuel is retardedly expensive here remember.


It was pretty pricey, but not as much higher as I expected coming from experiences in other countries in Europe. Cars there do get unusually-good mileage in comparison to average US cars, though (the SUV I had in the Lake District and SW Scotland got over 10MPG better (in spite of taking petrol) than my tiny little economy car in the US and it was distinctly more advanced in every way). Most cars are diesel as well, which is another major difference from the US.



> Public transport will only get you so far and is also retardedly expensive, particularly the trains, which are cramped because of our stupid narrow gauge railways.


Eh, they weren't killer when you consider the gas prices. My problem was breaking my journey without paying repeatedly. If you are from over here and planning in advance, get one of the BritRail Passes, which will save you a lot of money (I wish I could have got one before my trip).

I thought they were pretty comfortable. It wasn't like any trip was more than a few hours, anyway. London to Newcastle was roughly 3 hours with stops and it was the longest single leg I had. The only really long ones with multiple transfers are coming from somewhere south-west of Bristol to somewhere north of Edinburgh or Glasgow. One of the slower and more entertaining trips was across the north in what I could only describe as a diesel bus on rails...



> Language wise, I think outsiders are just confused by the idioms only - down South anyway. Accents vary and can be very difficult to understand in rural areas. I was in mid Wales in Summer and struggled to understand at times...


Some terms really are distinctly different.

Some random conversions:
American term -> English term
Pants -> Trousers
Underwear -> Pants
Line (that you wait in) -> Queue
Sandwich -> Sarnie
Baked potato -> Jacket
Jacket -> ??? Coat? It's a specific type in the US.
Counterclockwise -> Anticlockwise
Yard sale -> Boot sale
Car trunk -> Boot
Car hood -> Bonnet
Toilet -> Bog (we found this one funny and use it in my family)
Toilet paper -> Bog-roll (which we found even funnier and therefore also use)
Z -> Zed
Gas -> Petrol
Pot pie -> Pasty (Past-ee)
Blood sausage -> Black pudding (in fact, a number of ground/minced meats cooked in casings are some type of "pudding")
Asphalt -> Tarmac (short for tar-coated macadam)

There are like 4 or 5 different names for bathrooms. I can't even remember all of them. Water closet, WC, Loo... I know there's at least one more.

The main gesture to watch for is flashing a "peace sign" with the back of your hand to someone there. It's the same as the middle finger in the US.

If you do extensive research (and practice), you can usually avoid too much misunderstanding.


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## ew4055 (Nov 7, 2013)

urbancoyote said:


> For places like Krakow, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam...you dont need to speak any of their language. They all speak English...probably as well, if not better than you or I. You'd probably only have a language problem if you went off the beaten track. You could, as you say, literally get dropped off in Krakow and be fine.
> 
> Your hotel will often send a taxi for you, for a set fee, so there's no having to haggle with taxi drivers, or explain where you are going. You get dropped off at your hotel, then go for a walk about town. Capital cities are tourist hubs, and your bar-tenders, waiters, shop-assistants will invariably speak English, German and naturally their own language. Its second nature. Ive never had one single problem just walking in and asking for a table at a restaurant. You'll also get an English menu.


That all sounds great, thanks for sharing 

I feel pretty uncomfortable "expecting" people to speak English. I don't know about Scotland, but in the US there is very much an attitude of "This is America, we expect you to speak English", and if you can only speak a foreign language and come here visiting, you are out of luck. But there is very much a double standard, that as Americans we expect for others to understand English and accommodate us, which I don't like. If I was traveling abroad I would want to know the language and communicate with others. That's just how I feel.


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

ew4055 said:


> That all sounds great, thanks for sharing
> 
> I feel pretty uncomfortable "expecting" people to speak English. I don't know about Scotland, but in the US there is very much an attitude of "This is America, we expect you to speak English", and if you can only speak a foreign language and come here visiting, you are out of luck. But there is very much a double standard, that as Americans we expect for others to understand English and accommodate us, which I don't like. If I was traveling abroad I would want to know the language and communicate with others. That's just how I feel.


I know what you mean, however many Czechs, Dutch and Poles accept their language is mental, and dont expect people to know it. You could do a little bit of homework and learn some basic words. German is a lot easier than the 3 languages I just mentioned. Just learn the phrases for "I'm sorry I dont speak German/Polish/Czech/Dutch" and you'll be fine 

Ive only heard that some French expect you to give their language an attempt. Thats why Ive not been there!!


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

ericj said:


> I didn't consider hostels because I had no clue how to find them (and might have been too old anyhow). Most hotels are extremely expensive there. I later heard that Bed-And-Breakfasts were the way to go, but I didn't know how to find those, either.
> 
> I left on 12 hours notice, so it was really throwing myself head-first into the fire.
> 
> ...


Yeah it's true, B&Bs can be cheap, certainly cheaper than hotels which are on average £70 a night for the most basic accommodation. I paid £75 for a tiny double in Rye earlier this year and didn't even get a bowl of cereal in the morning! My brother said there are B&Bs outside Edinburgh for £40 a night with a cooked breakfast in the morning. Youth Hostels cater to any age. I've seen people of 60+ in a Jugendherberge. You join the YHA (Youth Hostle Association), paying a small fee and they vary from £8-40 a night, depending on where you go and what type of room you have.

I agree that food is a big killer. You pay a high price in restaurants, for poor quality food. I find restaurants in the UK are never consistent. Subsequently families don't really eat out here very often. I found the eating out experience in the U.S. to be much different. People keep telling me the food in the U.S. is terrible...but I really liked it. It's wholesome, cheap and there's big portions. I'm not into foie gras and fine dining, I just want something simple.

The Lake District - nice if it doesn't rain...which is like 2 weeks of the year  Yeah lots of small engined, economical cars here and on the continent. Car manufacturing is getting more environmentally conscious now. You'd be surprised the power they're getting out of little petrol engines and diesels with all sorts of crazy fuel injection systems, etc. Got to love the cars over your end though. I was in the States a fistful of times with my family, most recently about 8 years ago and I remember having a Pontiac Grand AM and a GMC minivan. My parents described it as just literally resting your food on the accelerator and it took off! Fantastic place, love it, but you need a car to see it. Going to give it a few more years before I attempt it myself 

Trains I can't get on with. I find them more tolerable on the continent, where the rail gauge is bigger and there's more leg room. I'm 6'1", but my legs are very long and my knees hit the seat in front of me here. I only use the train to get into London, which is a very rare thing that I go there and that's it.

Haha, small differences though. As soon as people realise you're from another country, they'll know and they'll often say things in a more understandable way. My girlfriend is from the Continent originally and is tri-lingual and likes to make fun of our idoms.

Erm bog, lav, karzie...you might hear people say "I'm going for a 'gypsie's kiss'" or "Just going for a 'jimmy riddle'". My Dad is old school 'London-on-Sea' and uses those a lot, which is quite funny, but rhyming slang has died out mostly. Calling it a restroom is odd for me though, but I think it's a nicer way of saying it.

Ah yes, that gesture has it's origins with wars against the French. It's something like when they used to capture our bowmen, they'd cut their fingers off to stop them from using a bow. So before the battle, the English bowyers used to show them their fingers like that. People are more touchy about aggressive driving here, it's not like Italy or Poland where you can cut everyone up and it's considered normal.

Sounds like you got a pretty good trip out of it regardless though


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## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

JimS90 said:


> Yeah it's true, B&Bs can be cheap, certainly cheaper than hotels which are on average £70 a night for the most basic accommodation. I paid £75 for a tiny double in Rye earlier this year and didn't even get a bowl of cereal in the morning! My brother said there are B&Bs outside Edinburgh for £40 a night with a cooked breakfast in the morning. Youth Hostels cater to any age. I've seen people of 60+ in a Jugendherberge. You join the YHA (Youth Hostle Association), paying a small fee and they vary from £8-40 a night, depending on where you go and what type of room you have.


The only area with decent-priced hotel accommodation was far to the north and in Scotland. My two nights _near_ London accounted for almost a third of the total I spent on hotels (I'd prefer not to think about how much I paid).

Edinburgh was the cheapest city I stayed in by quite a margin. £50 a night for a very nice place that included breakfast and wifi (one of the two nicest I stayed in, and the cheapest, plus the included breakfasts were the best I had while there). That reminds me of the internet access problem... Everywhere else was charging £10-12 for 24 hours of mediocre internet access?! Next time, I'll get a mifi device and a flat-rate prepaid plan and just turn cell service off on my phone, using the device for all internet access and communication.

Will definitely check out the YHA before my next trip. I'll admit that it's a bit out of my comfort zone, but that's a constant in international travel until I've been somewhere at least a week or so.



> I agree that food is a big killer. You pay a high price in restaurants, for poor quality food. I find restaurants in the UK are never consistent. Subsequently families don't really eat out here very often. I found the eating out experience in the U.S. to be much different. People keep telling me the food in the U.S. is terrible...but I really liked it. It's wholesome, cheap and there's big portions. I'm not into foie gras and fine dining, I just want something simple.


Totally agree on the food quality, but I didn't want to be insulting. Coming from the US and experiences elsewhere in Europe, I was shocked by how mediocre the food tended to be, particularly for the price. Edinburgh was, again, the only place that bucked this trend. I didn't have a single meal there that I wasn't happy with, both in price and quality. It was not only _cheaper_, but reminded me more of food I'd come to expect in the rest of Europe. Since then, I have always told people that it was the _most European_ place I found in GB. It was also easy to navigate and small enough to walk from one end to the other if you wanted. The wind was cold, so a jacket or better would be a good idea.

Our food is really cheap, simple, and abundant. It follows the style people cook at home and I'm pretty sure people eat out more often here, so there are a lot more restaurants. I've heard many people from the UK say that they were amazed by the big portions and buffets here. Our food is definitely on the bland side, though.



> The Lake District - nice if it doesn't rain...which is like 2 weeks of the year


I really enjoyed my time there. It was more by serendipity than plan, too. It was mixed partly-cloudy and misty, with some rain heavy enough that it detracted from the option of a hike when I went over the highest pass I recall on the trip (but I don't recall exactly where it was). Personally, I prefer cloud cover, cool temperatures, and something between a light mist and light rain, so that was a bonus for me.



> Yeah lots of small engined, economical cars here and on the continent. Car manufacturing is getting more environmentally conscious now. You'd be surprised the power they're getting out of little petrol engines and diesels with all sorts of crazy fuel injection systems, etc.


I was quite surprised. That car wasn't lacking in anything I'd expect out of a car. Good power, great ride, maneuverable, quiet, flexible... I also really love your traffic lights there, with the yellow that lets you know when to depress your clutch.



> Got to love the cars over your end though. I was in the States a fistful of times with my family, most recently about 8 years ago and I remember having a Pontiac Grand AM and a GMC minivan. My parents described it as just literally resting your food on the accelerator and it took off! Fantastic place, love it, but you need a car to see it. Going to give it a few more years before I attempt it myself


You definitely need one to see it... Our cars are going even more extreme in that direction, too, with the exception of economy cars (but even they're getting more power). The other fun thing here is that we have so many roads comparable to M roads there. Ones that would be A roads there are built to M standards here, so going vast distances is fairly easy.



> Trains I can't get on with. I find them more tolerable on the continent, where the rail gauge is bigger and there's more leg room. I'm 6'1", but my legs are very long and my knees hit the seat in front of me here. I only use the train to get into London, which is a very rare thing that I go there and that's it.


I could see that. I'm rather short for a male, so they didn't seem tiny to me. I guess, retrospectively, they were smaller than US trains, which, like everything in the US, are huge. But unlike the US, trains are rarely late there and as I said, the system is extensive (for comparison, if I could get within 100 miles of my parents by passenger train (impossible), it'd take at least 2 days here, while it'd be probably 6-8 hours worth of distance there, they're that poorly thought-out and go so few places here...you take planes or cars for long distance travel in the US). At least one in four or five here are late and the process of riding them is very archaic. There it feels more like a long-distance light rail ride than some kind of grand travel event.



> Haha, small differences though. As soon as people realise you're from another country, they'll know and they'll often say things in a more understandable way. My girlfriend is from the Continent originally and is tri-lingual and likes to make fun of our idoms.


Oh, but they're hilarious. I love using them. I also enjoy being very difficult to identify and I'm thankful that I don't seem like someone from the US... Apparently my non-rhotic pronunciations are pretty good, and I pick up accents readily.

The hardest communication problems I had were in some zones of London and with some Scots. In Carlisle the pronunciation of some non-English words were also difficult. The Scots are the worst, though - I don't know what some were speaking, but it definitely was not English.



> Erm bog, lav, karzie...you might hear people say "I'm going for a 'gypsie's kiss'" or "Just going for a 'jimmy riddle'". My Dad is old school 'London-on-Sea' and uses those a lot, which is quite funny, but rhyming slang has died out mostly. Calling it a restroom is odd for me though, but I think it's a nicer way of saying it.


These will always trip up a non-native... Surprisingly, Canada has a fairly large number of incompatible terms as well, in spite of sharing the longest land border the US has with another country.



> Ah yes, that gesture has it's origins with wars against the French. It's something like when they used to capture our bowmen, they'd cut their fingers off to stop them from using a bow. So before the battle, the English bowyers used to show them their fingers like that. People are more touchy about aggressive driving here, it's not like Italy or Poland where you can cut everyone up and it's considered normal.


I can't find a picture, but George Bush (Sr, in the early 90s) once flashed the V sign in the insulting way at a group in Australia as he left when he was on a visit. I though that was priceless.

The traffic was wonderful. I've never driven among a group of more courteous and conscientious drivers that consistently follow the rules than the ones I encountered there. I attribute it to the fact that people can simply opt out of driving if they don't want to do it (for whatever reason they choose) thanks to the excellent public transit system. I have known many people that live there that have never been behind the wheel of a car and have zero interest in doing so. Even among those that drive, they're far more likely to ride public transit than they are here, and many waited until they were well into their 30s or 40s before they learned to drive. This is unlike the US, where it's almost impossible to live without a car in over 95% of the country, sketchy in over 99%, and you get a license the moment it is possible.



> Sounds like you got a pretty good trip out of it regardless though


I did. Very enjoyable. I saw a lot and do like trying to blend and experience what things are like in other places. Definitely need to return sometime to nerd out in London, then visit some more of the national parks...


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## Lazarusx (Apr 14, 2013)

As another fellow solo traveler, welcome! It is most definitely one of the most liberating experience's one can imagine, and it really does help alleviate inhibitions in even the most challenged with social anxiety.

The only problem i have is it can become extremely addictive, that freedom is very alluring.. and if you don't get homesick like myself, then you may very well end up continuing for a long time.. 

I left in May 2012 and im still over-sea's heading into 2014. I did go back home for a couple of months this year, but collectively i've been traveling solo for about 16 months. It has been exclusively Europe because i can work here.. but i've seen a great deal and met some incredible people.

Krakow was definitely one of my favorite cities, Budapest comes out at number one though, and the entire eastern region of Europe is by far my preference for travel.

Glad to hear you had a great time! Travel really does open you upto aspects of yourself you never imagined existed, due to unpredictable circumstances or situations you find yourself in, even the people you meet can really surprise you


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## TicklemeRingo (Jan 11, 2013)

I had the same experience solo traveling. It was like pressing fast-forward in overcoming Social Anxiety. You grow so much in such a short space of time.


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

TicklemeRingo said:


> I had the same experience solo traveling. It was like pressing fast-forward in overcoming Social Anxiety. You grow so much in such a short space of time.


Deja vu


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

Anyone have any future travelling plans?

I'm hitting Poland after Christmas with mademoiselle. Also looking to visit Norway in the new year and do a few solo national trips in between. 

Would love to hitchike/get cheap trains on a Euro trip, but wouldn't dare do it alone or with the missus.


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## munchio (Feb 8, 2010)

urbancoyote said:


> I have no idea if anyone will take anything from this, but if even one person does, then all well and good.
> 
> Whilst it may be many people's worst nightmare, I took the plunge this year and visited Prague and Krakow on my own. It was unbelievably liberating. You lose some of the inhibitions you have back home, as you know that no one knows you out there. You can go where you want, when you want, get drunk, make a fool of yourself if you like...so what? it will never come back to bite you on the *** as you'll never see these people again.
> 
> ...


Damn this is really inspiring, would love to do this as well never had the confidence to...
Huge respect to anyone who has gone through with traveling alone


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

munchio said:


> Damn this is really inspiring, would love to do this as well never had the confidence to...
> Huge respect to anyone who has gone through with traveling alone


Just do it!!! Jump on an Easyjet flight and you're there for £100


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## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

Solo international travel puts you into a sink-or-swim situation that cannot be replicated in any other way, especially if you do it with very little planning (though planning can be done, there are usually snags, and that's what makes it so good for you).

I always have a severe "OMG, WTF HAVE I DONE?!" moment on my first or second day, then just accept my situation and work with it. Every time I debated paying a lot of money just to fly home because I was thrown so completely out of my comfort zone, but deciding to stick with it was the right decision. You can't hide, you have to do things (though you still have a choice of what to do and can do it at the pace you want/need), and with everything else that makes it more complex it is extremely difficult to overthink anything. It forces you to be social in a very uncomfortable situation where every little success not only feels really good, but the feedback is immediate (and the risks from failure are low). Eventually you have this moment where you think, "I've got this.", then go do something you haven't done yet and everything goes right. A great boost to your confidence right there.

The other cool thing is that you don't need to worry about rejection since it doesn't matter.


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

urbancoyote said:


> it will never come back to bite you on the *** as you'll never see these people again.


I think this is probably one of the golden quotes everyone with SA, or everyone in general should take to heart and live by.


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## malan (Jul 1, 2013)

Last summer I decided to travel alone; because I wanted to see the world, I booked my flight tickets (no hotel yet) and 2 weeks before my departure I cancelled my tickets (bye bye money). The thought of being in another country all alone made me sick and scared, very scared. I want to travel so badly, but not alone. But since I have not a single friend, I'm doomed to stay home for the rest of my life.


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

malan said:


> I'm doomed to stay home for the rest of my life.


Nah man....although I have a few friends I can travel with now and again, they are not always available, and sometimes dont want to go the same places I do. So are we just going to let other people decide where we travel to?? No we arent. We take control of our lives and just go. What the worst that could happen? What scares you? Personally, the only thing that would have scared me would have been if I had never been to an airport before, as they can be quite intimadating, knowing where to go, procedures etc. If you're ok with that, its just basically wandering about a town by yourself. No different than walking about a strange town in your own country...as long as you maybe choose a country where you can get by without having to speak a foreign language.


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## ericj (Jun 20, 2007)

malan said:


> Last summer I decided to travel alone; because I wanted to see the world, I booked my flight tickets (no hotel yet) and 2 weeks before my departure I cancelled my tickets (bye bye money). The thought of being in another country all alone made me sick and scared, very scared. I want to travel so badly, but not alone. But since I have not a single friend, I'm doomed to stay home for the rest of my life.


You should have done it. Seriously, there's nothing more liberating. You'll be so concerned with living/surviving that you won't have time to worry about anything else. Eventually your stomach will growl.

What's the worst that could happen? You stay in your room and only come out for food? How different is that from staying home? The potential and draw of seeing more will be high, though, and if you don't resist it too much, you'll probably enjoy yourself.


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

ericj said:


> You should have done it. Seriously, there's nothing more liberating. You'll be so concerned with living/surviving that you won't have time to worry about anything else. Eventually your stomach will growl.
> 
> What's the worst that could happen? You stay in your room and only come out for food? How different is that from staying home? The potential and draw of seeing more will be high, though, and if you don't resist it too much, you'll probably enjoy yourself.


I got a buzz just being at the airport, knowing I was doing it!


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## freakamidget (Nov 25, 2013)

I really want to do another lengthy trip so bad. But I just don't think I can do it alone. On my 7 week solo trip, everything was amazing I felt amazing until the last 2 weeks and the lonliness was INTENSE. I wanted someone to talk to, talk about the things I am emotionally going through so bad. I remember biking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran, it was a beautiful day but inside I felt so empty. The loneliness made me hit rock bottom. I should of been enjoying myself and this amazing view but I just wasn't feeling it. 

And that was only 7 weeks solo travel, so sadly I don't think I could do 3-6 months solo travel even though a part of my heart yearns for it.

Even though it's so easy to meet people in hostels, it's always temporary, everyone leaves or you're leaving, I just want a permanent figure with me.

It's sad as I don't have many friends and the ones I have don't like travelling so I don't think I will ever be able to go on a long trip.

But AS THIS IS A POSITIVE THINKING THREAD. The first half of trip solo was INCREDIBLE. I learnt so much about myself, like someone else said it's literally like pressing fast forward on your social anxiety, as my confidence TRIPLED. Travelling alone was AMAZING!!!


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

freakamidget said:


> I really want to do another lengthy trip so bad. But I just don't think I can do it alone. On my 7 week solo trip, everything was amazing I felt amazing until the last 2 weeks and the lonliness was INTENSE. I wanted someone to talk to, talk about the things I am emotionally going through so bad. I remember biking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran, it was a beautiful day but inside I felt so empty. The loneliness made me hit rock bottom. I should of been enjoying myself and this amazing view but I just wasn't feeling it.
> 
> And that was only 7 weeks solo travel, so sadly I don't think I could do 3-6 months solo travel even though a part of my heart yearns for it.
> 
> ...


Dont think I could ever go away for 7 weeks...couldn't afford it for starters, and I'd miss home too much. I usually only go away for 3 days or so. Plenty time to do stuff, and not too long if you're not enjoying yourself.


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

freakamidget said:


> I really want to do another lengthy trip so bad. But I just don't think I can do it alone. On my 7 week solo trip, everything was amazing I felt amazing until the last 2 weeks and the lonliness was INTENSE. I wanted someone to talk to, talk about the things I am emotionally going through so bad. I remember biking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran, it was a beautiful day but inside I felt so empty. The loneliness made me hit rock bottom. I should of been enjoying myself and this amazing view but I just wasn't feeling it.
> 
> And that was only 7 weeks solo travel, so sadly I don't think I could do 3-6 months solo travel even though a part of my heart yearns for it.
> 
> ...


I agree there can be a certain emptiness to travelling solo at times. I find it difficult to settle down at night because of it. Sometimes seeing things is watered down by the fact I can't share the experience with someone else, namely my girlfriend. But you can't let a lack of people stop you from experiencing things and actually having a life.


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## mangogreentea (Dec 13, 2013)

Regarding eating in England: don't eat at restaurants a yes they are helka expensive. But pubs are cheap and can serve up some fantastic food. Or for not-so-fantastic food but dirt cheap find yr local Wethersoons... There are millions of that restaurant chain.. Ask anyone on the street and they can point ya to the nearest one haha.


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## mangogreentea (Dec 13, 2013)

Whoops that's "Wetherspoons". Don't know how to edit.


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## JimS90 (May 19, 2013)

mangogreentea said:


> Regarding eating in England: don't eat at restaurants a yes they are helka expensive. But pubs are cheap and can serve up some fantastic food. Or for not-so-fantastic food but dirt cheap find yr local Wethersoons... There are millions of that restaurant chain.. Ask anyone on the street and they can point ya to the nearest one haha.


Spoons isn't bad actually  It's mostly consistent with the food. Cheap pints in there too! If you're looking for atmosphere though, forget about it...the crowd gets a bit rough after dark I find. Toilets generally bear unspeakable horrors on par with Little Chef...


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## tasim (Dec 15, 2013)

This is an interesting thread.

Last summer I though that facing my fears and traveling solo would help me out. But unfortunately it didn't. I traveled to the netherlands for about 10 days and I couldn't make a single conversation with even the tourists. I've had many opportunities and some people tried to make contact with me, but my regular SA pushed them away.

I might be more self-conscious than others due to my origins.


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## freakamidget (Nov 25, 2013)

*URGENT* I need advice from people that have done the same thing. 

I miss travelling solo so much. I just looked through my old photos and I'm in bits. I miss it so much. When i was travelling I was anxiety free. Completely happy, and I miss being anxiety free so much. And this post travelling depression is f***ing me up. It's so annoying to keep thinking this time two months ago I was on my own, breaking through my anxiety walls and living the dream. FOR ONCE I HAD FRIENDS! I can't let go of my experience, someone help me. 

I really want to go to therapy but as it's christmas time they're all closed.


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

freakamidget said:


> *URGENT* I need advice from people that have done the same thing.
> 
> I miss travelling solo so much. I just looked through my old photos and I'm in bits. I miss it so much. When i was travelling I was anxiety free. Completely happy, and I miss being anxiety free so much. And this post travelling depression is f***ing me up. It's so annoying to keep thinking this time two months ago I was on my own, breaking through my anxiety walls and living the dream. FOR ONCE I HAD FRIENDS! I can't let go of my experience, someone help me.
> 
> I really want to go to therapy but as it's christmas time they're all closed.


Unless you've got pots of cash, no one can travel all the time. Start making plans for your next trip, that might take your mind off the fact that you're not there yet.


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## scooby (Jun 24, 2009)

I've had the sudden urge to try this for some reason since a week ago. I am really considering doing a bit of research and giving it a go since I have no relatives that are keen on going to the same places I want to go, or are too busy. Maybe next year or the year after that. It feels like it will be a difficult thing to overcome, the first step into the journey I mean.

I'll see how I feel about it when I actually put more thought into the idea. But it does sound super interesting.


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## Lazarusx (Apr 14, 2013)

freakamidget said:


> *URGENT* I need advice from people that have done the same thing.
> 
> I miss travelling solo so much. I just looked through my old photos and I'm in bits. I miss it so much. When i was travelling I was anxiety free. Completely happy, and I miss being anxiety free so much. And this post travelling depression is f***ing me up. It's so annoying to keep thinking this time two months ago I was on my own, breaking through my anxiety walls and living the dream. FOR ONCE I HAD FRIENDS! I can't let go of my experience, someone help me.
> 
> I really want to go to therapy but as it's christmas time they're all closed.


I don't have a solution for you freakamidget.. when i went home after 8 months of traveling, i was pretty depressed and stressed for two weeks.. i couldn't adjust and it was driving me insane, i made a decision after two weeks of been at home to go travel again.. so i worked like crazy for 6 months, living on staples, never went out.. all i did was work, sleep, repeat.

I almost lost my mind, but i had never been more determined in my life to get back out on the road again.. and it payed off, im back where i want to be.. going on 7 months now..

I don't travel in the conventional sense, i do a lot of work and volunteer work in countries for free accommodation, food and money. Then i move on to another place and do the same.. this allows me to see the place without hardly spending much money and meeting great people!

It depends on what you consider 'traveling' you can build a lifestyle around it.. you just have to know how to save and make money along the way..


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## Alfendi Layton (Dec 21, 2013)

i wanna visit Ireland someday


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## urbancoyote (Dec 10, 2013)

Just bringing this subject up again...going to Budapest on my own in March. Cant wait. Leave my Groundhog Day existence behind me for a few days, and maybe try speaking to a few strangers.


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## imwiththedj (Dec 16, 2011)

I hate traveling, I prefer staying home and google the place I want to go to


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## Silere (Oct 19, 2014)

I will do this...someday. Want to visit some beautiful places.


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## scubadiver007 (Dec 27, 2014)

thatsher said:


> I love traveling. I travel as much as I can. These past few months I went to tons of different cities and it feels great. You leave all the stress home and distract yourself. I am definitely going overseas this year. I havent decided yet if I want to go to NY or Vancouver.


In 2009 I went to Canada with Trek America. Flew to Seattle, up to Vancouver then all the way across to Ottawa and finished in New York.

http://www.trekamerica.com/tours/fs.html

I have been to Jordan alone and I will be going to Thailand for two weeks second half of February for a scuba diving trip.

I definitely would like to see more of the UK and Europe again. My paternal grandmother was Irish and I would like to visit Ireland.

If you don't want to do it on your own there are companies that specialise for solo travellers then you can mingle with a group of like-minded individuals. That will help to build your self-confidence.


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