I’m single, not much of a family person (or don’t have much of a family) and I find that I need a break. Let’s say that I’m unable to find anyone to go on a vacation with, what’s an ideal program for a ‘one-person vacation’, and for those who have done it, how is it different from just staying at home?
I spent months on a solo road trip around the US. Granted, I knew people along the way here and there, but not everywhere. I knew nobody in the East, so I did New Orleans, DC, Philadelphia, NYC, and Boston very much on my own. I spent only a few days in each place. I picked a few things I wasted to see and went and saw them. I didn’t mind being solo and I met some interesting people along the way. I also tried to pick restaurants with bars so I could chat with people at the bar. I also stayed in Youth Hostels sometimes and met some people that way.
Depends what kind of person you are. I went solo backpacking in Europe for a month (at 25), and the best advice I could give is to stay in hostels and make an effort to chat to everyone you meet. You’ll meet all sorts of interesting people. Other travellers can tell you what to see and do, as well as what not to see and do (i.e. over hyped attractions), plus you might make some good friends and have someone to hang out with for day trips along your way.
Having said all of that, there were a few moments of loneliness for me when a particular stop along the way was boring, the hostel had less people or the people weren’t as friendly. But by and large it can be a good experience.
Ultimately you have to be comfortable spending time by yourself and meeting strangers.
I have a friend who loves cruises … her BF get seasick and hates vacations [he would rather take time off and hang out at home watching tv and drinking beer]
She goes on a 1 week long cruise alone every year. She gets the smallest balcony stateroom, and takes a stack of books. She sits on the balcony, reads and goes through pitchers of iced tea.
She loves it. She can enjoy the sea air and view, read her books and not be bothered by people trying to pick her up or hassle her about what she is reading, and she doesnt have to cook or clean. She will go shopping for tourist crap for christmas presents and hit a beach now and then but her main desire is to be left alone to read trashy novels:D
Sounds pretty damned good to me.
I use single vacations to do what I want to the level I like. You always have to compromise on joint vacations and restrict doing what your interested in. I experimented with different video speeds on waterfalls one vacation for a hour. I’ve sketched and logged in plants on on a 8 hour hike. I’ve walked a whole day joining spots I like together across unmarked areas, and found some places that hadn’t seen people for a number of years. I don’t know anybody I would have vacationed with that would have stayed with me and not complained if they did. This is how it is for cities you go to also. You can go to new places and immerse in the happenings which you can’t always do if somebody else is along.
Oh yes, I have forgotten to mention I am somewhat of an introvert. I don’t think I would go solo back-packing…
I’ve gone on solo holidays to pursue my interests (e.g. chess tournament / roleplaying convention).
You could go to a Dopefest!
I’m pretty asocial and a morning person.
Being on a vacation with me, myself and I means I get to pick which town to visit, how to reach it, where to stay, what places to see, what time to go where, where to eat and what.
Being on one with my mother means I won’t be able to see anything unless she also wants to see it (this is the same whether there’s other people along or not), we eat at her hours, have bathroom breaks at her hours, etc.
Being on one with reasonable people means we have to agree on where to go and when, and we actually do it without one person imposing his will on everybody else.
I wouldn’t mind that, but I’m in Singapore. In fact I’ve been wandering to just go over and see the sights and sounds of other countries, but it does mean I have to save up. Always wanted to see what DragonCon is like too…
Now you gave me an idea! The air-fare from here to there isn’t cheap though.
I tend to just walk around cities all day with no particular destination in mind. I like to stumble across interesting neighborhoods and walk as far away from my starting location as possible, then take a subway or bus back. You get to see much more going solo than you would if you had other people to wait for and make compromises with.
I’ll be doing Moscow and St. Petersburg in a couple of weeks and don’t have any schedule planned except for what days I will be in each city. For lodging, hostels are a good deal and for food it is inexpensive restaurants or grocery stores.
An organized trip for singles?
An volunteer camp?
Couch-surfing?
Placing an ad for a travelcompanion in about the same situation as you are?
I’m trying to figure out what on earth you mean by this.
How is a trip to Paris different from just staying at home?
How is rafting down the Colorado different from just staying at home?
How is climbing an active volcano different from just staying at home?
I have done these things, and much much more, alone. In fact, as much as I love my partner, I much prefer traveling alone. I’m a photographer, and when I’m taking pictures it’s almost like my camera is my partner, and adding another person to the experience is almost like infidelity.
This summer, we went on a 3-week trip to France, mostly 11 towns in Provence and the Riviera. This was an exception to the rule, since I usually travel alone. Yes, I have wonderful memories of my partner and me sharing intimate moments, but I have equal memories captured in my pictures.
There are many tour agencies out there that cater to singles, just do a google search.
A friend of mine went solo backpacking in Scotland a couple of years ago and loved it. She loved that she could do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.
I would do the same thing too, but my husband and I travel similarly and have similar interests, so it’s all good.
I was single, no family, rather introverted and I vacationed a lot in the National Parks off season. Zion in winter is rather like it was designed for being alone. Try it during the year end holidays.
My husband and I often travel together, but we also travel separately in order to enjoy things that the other half doesn’t. For example, I like to spend several days near a beach and do absolutely nothing. He would be bored silly after the first day. Several years ago, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. No thanks, not for me.
When planning for my solo travels one of the first things I do is go over my Amazon wish list and order sufficient books for the trip. When the package arrives, I don’t open it, lest I read them all and have nothing left for the trip. I like being able to do what I want when I want to without having to be concerned about another person’s convenience or preferences.
Just decide what you like to do and then do it.
actually if i could still walk I would … I tend to take along a selection of books in my PDA, and bottled water and snacks so if I didnt feel like kibbitzing about the waterfall I would simply relax and enjoy reading in a nice spot until you got done, and I used to be an SCA herbalist and had quite a pressed herb collection at one time, so browsing plant life is very familiar to me as well =) and I dont mind nonprepared camp sites. have biodegradable soap, toilet paper and shelter half and will travel =)
but solo and introvert go well together … you can ignore everybody by traveling and hiking where they are not.
Dog backpacking is fun once your dog is conditioned up for the walking. If you need a hook up, I have a buddy who has a company that makes custom working dog gear [and caving gear, and rescue gear. He makes some killer custom backpack work too]
Join Hostelling International. You’ll get ideas of where to go, lower-cost accommodations, and meet people from a bunch of countries. I went hostelling in Europe, and it was a lot of fun. (There’s a hostel a couple miles away from my house. I’ve been thinking of spending a weekend there ‘just because’.)
Monty Python hijack:
Did he climb both peaks, or just one?
My singles vacations are the best. I pick something associated with a hobby, go to a destination where there’s something to see and/or do, and usually have a great time.
I’ve always been a space buff, so I once did a trip to DC with nothing planned other than a visit to the Air & Space Museum. This fall I’m planning a similar trip to the Kansas Cosmosphere.
The key to enjoying a vacation alone is to find some activity that you really want to do. I’m a history buff, so I like to plan my vacations around visiting historic sites. You might enjoy backpacking, lying on the beach, visiting art museums, or something entirely different.
I have twice been on a vacation with others and ended up abandoning them and continuing on my own. Once was on a bus tour of Scotland. I jumped ship (bus?) in Edinburgh and ended up traveling the Highlands by train. I still remember it as one of the greatest vacations of my life.
The other time I was on a cross-country drive with a friend. She was anxious to get home to D.C., while I still had things I wanted to see. I had her put me and my duffle by the side of the road in Atlanta, and got to make my way through the Southeast at a leisurely pace.
The thing about going on your own is that you can keep your own schedule. As others have mentioned, on this type of vacation I think it works best to have a general outline of where you’re going and what you’re doing, but not to schedule yourself down to the minute. That way you can spend as much or as little time as you like in an activity, or switch plans if something interesting comes up. After all, you don’t have to worry about what anyone else wants to do. That’s my kind of vacation.