Do you ever solo travel? 2 weeks away and starting to have second thoughts about it

QuickEmail

• Nerves
• Second thoughts
• No huge enthusiasm for the trip anymore (or much less for it)
• Seems more like a "oh do I have to?" rather than a "I cant wait to!" it was upto recently

How do I push past this? Have many of you gone through this?

Do you solo travel much?

A voice saying "what the fúck are you doing?" is appearing in my head a couple of times a day now that the first month (of 3-6 months) is booked and the first flight is getting closer

coffeepls

So you’re heading up to Dublin for the bogger Christmas shopping day? Awww

QuickEmail

coffeepls wrote: »

So you’re heading up to Dublin for the bogger Christmas shopping day? Awww

I wouldn't expect anything less from an AH reply :pac:

Noveight

Go for it t'fúck.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

coffeepls

Well where are you actually going? I mean is it in Europe or backpacking in the Himalayas type of thing? Give us an idea!

Best thing I ever did was travel solo.

Now I’ll happily do anything solo and it’s such a liberating feeling.

That “what am I doing” thought is totally normal, I was the same. Ignore it and push past it and go travel.

You have nothing to lose, but you will likely regret not trying!

CinemaGuy45

QuickEmail wrote: »

I wouldn't expect anything less from an AH reply :pac:

We aim to please.

Esse85

OP is looking for a travel buddy.

QuickEmail

QuickEmail wrote: »

• Nerves
• Second thoughts
• No huge enthusiasm for the trip anymore (or much less for it)
• Seems more like a "oh do I have to?" rather than a "I cant wait to!" it was upto recently

How do I push past this? Have many of you gone through this?

Do you solo travel much?

A voice saying "what the fúck are you doing?" is appearing in my head a couple of times a day now that the first month (of 3-6 months) is booked and the first flight is getting closer

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You've made preparation, now commit to it. Life is too short for "coulda, woulda, shoulda". From a personal standpoint, travelling solo has been always rewarding...you can't put a price on new experiences.

Kevin Finnerty

Last thing you need is someone hanging off you every decision you make. Go and do it, those threesomes will remain anonymous at least.

mammajamma

Try to get in with a few other travellers, make some fair weather friends and have a laugh. Hostels, although crap, are good for starting adventures

QuickEmail

Deleted User wrote: »

Best thing I ever did was travel solo.

Now I’ll happily do anything solo and it’s such a liberating feeling.

That “what am I doing” thought is totally normal, I was the same. Ignore it and push past it and go travel.

You have nothing to lose, but you will likely regret not trying!

Great reply. Thanks.

"That “what am I doing” thought is totally normal"

Good to hear!

CinemaGuy45

Deleted User wrote: »

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You've put in preparation, now commit to it. Life is too short for "coulda, woulda, shoulda". From a personal standpoint, travelling solo has been always enriching...you can't put a price on new experiences.

Just watching that banged up abroad on Discovery or trips from hell on Netflix sure what could go wrong.

jetsonx

Actually, the most amazing travel experiences I've had were outside my comfort zone. Really just go for it...

CinemaGuy45

CinemaGuy45 wrote: »

Just watching that banged up abroad on Discovery or trips from hell on Netflix sure what could go wrong.

A basic degree of cop on/not becoming a drug mule generally suffices.

QuickEmail

I suppose it's the fear of the unknown.



Routine in your home city is easy .... but it's also boring

Sheeps

QuickEmail wrote: »

• Nerves
• Second thoughts
• No huge enthusiasm for the trip anymore (or much less for it)
• Seems more like a "oh do I have to?" rather than a "I cant wait to!" it was upto recently

How do I push past this? Have many of you gone through this?

Do you solo travel much?

A voice saying "what the fúck are you doing?" is appearing in my head a couple of times a day now that the first month (of 3-6 months) is booked and the first flight is getting closer

It's a new experience. Of course you're going to have doubts and be nervous. You're purposefully heading outside of your comfort zone, and when it happens you'll feel liberated. You can do the things you want to do in your own time. It forces you to play a certain hand and meet new people. Honestly my favourite way to travel.

Richard Hillman

Always do it. You'll feel strange at first, checking into a hotel or hostel and thinking they must think I'm a bit of a weirdo. Eventually that goes away after a little while. You'll get moments when you wish there was somebody with you to have the chats about what you're seeing, experiencing etc but overall you'll have a great time and will continue to do it over again.

cursai

**** thread. You haven't even got a passport. Otherwise join the other white vultures on their personal adventures.

Spook_ie

As long as the voice says what the fvck am I doing rather than what the fvck did I do you'll be grand

Witchie

I have been travelling solo most of my life and almost 2 years ago headed to Asia with my sister and her boyfriend but they wanted to go do their own thing after 3 days so it became a solo trip too.

Best thing I have ever done. Met the most amazing people, had so much fun and fell in love with my now home, Malaysia.

Go for it. It changed my life but even if it doesn't for you, you will still have fantastic memories and a sense of achievement.

Enjoy!

Oh and if you get to Kuala Lumpur, message me and I will show you around.

cbreeze

I've been solo travelling since I was 21. The notion of actually travelling non-solo seems a bit weird now. You find yourself looking outward rather than being enclosed, be it with one other person or a group.

IamtheWalrus

It's unlikely you'll be solo for much of it anyway. Solo travellers cling to other solo travelers for support and company, that's what I found. As another poster said, hostels are full of solo folk itching for buddies. Groups form very easily especially white ones in non-White countries.

Sam Quentin

I love checking into a hotel alone, ... I feel like a hit-man or government spy.... I even go out of my way to look suspicious...
In all seriousness you will only see what YOU want to see and do what YOU want to do if you travel alone.

Andrew00

Where do people get the money from to go travelling around the world like this ffs????

QuickEmail

Andrew00 wrote: »

Where do people get the money from to go travelling around the world like this ffs????

We work our bollix off and save







(not having kids definitely helps too)

Lyle Lanley

Andrew00 wrote: »

Where do people get the money from to go travelling around the world like this ffs????

It's really not that difficult, I've never had much money but I manage to get around the world.

NSAman

Arrived in New York, 19 no job no place to stay all alone... LOVED IT

Went to Africa .. travelled all alone.. HAD A BLAST for 2 years....

DO it... it is the best feeling to say I did it. It also gives you a fantastic sense of self reliance....

Witchie

Andrew00 wrote: »

Where do people get the money from to go travelling around the world like this ffs????

Or work while travelling like I do. My job is such that as long as I have my laptop and internet I can work.

This was after having kids, raising them alone and sending them to uni.

I don't have much money but it's cheaper to live and travel in Asia than live in Ireland right now.

Subcomandante Marcos

QuickEmail wrote: »

• Nerves
• Second thoughts
• No huge enthusiasm for the trip anymore (or much less for it)
• Seems more like a "oh do I have to?" rather than a "I cant wait to!" it was upto recently

How do I push past this? Have many of you gone through this?

Do you solo travel much?

A voice saying "what the fúck are you doing?" is appearing in my head a couple of times a day now that the first month (of 3-6 months) is booked and the first flight is getting closer

I love travelling alone tbh. I'm my younger days I'd try find hostels that did group activities for guests as it was usually a good way to meet people to hang out with or even just go for a pint with.
I also used couch surfing extensively while travelling around Europe. Did a few months in Porugal, Spain and italy and spent a total about €100 on hostels, couch surfing is a brilliant way to meet locals too, as well as people offering places to stay there's loads of meet up groups that do regular events you can pop along to.
I've joined a language exchange in Groningen, a board game night in prague and went on a pub crawl in reykjavik thanks to couch surfing (to name but 3 examples).

As I got older I started using AirBnB instead for a bit more comfort but still sometimes use couch surfing to meet locals for hikes or biking or even just a few drinks.

AirBnB hosts have often turned out to be great as well, whether for information of stuff to do, or for having a laught with. A few months ago in Lisbon my AirBnB host knocked on my door when they saw me come back from dinner and asked if I had plans and I said nah was gonna take it easy for the night and the just casually threw out that they were going for a drink with some frinds if I want to come, nothing hectic.

Cut to 3 hours later I'mwith 9 strangers drinking wine and port and listening to amazing local music in a Fado house in Barrio Alto, ended up changing my flights home to 3 days after my original flight so I could attend one of their birthdays that was on the night I was supposed to leave.


Basically, just ****ing do it, if you're looking for social outlets you'll find them with minimal effort in hostels, couch surfing,meetup, etc.

Subcomandante Marcos

Andrew00 wrote: »

Where do people get the money from to go travelling around the world like this ffs????

Work, save, go.

It's stupily cheap to backpack around Europe, Asia or Latin America if you're willing to stay in hostels or couch surf. Like €10 a night or less is very achiavable for accom, you can feed yourself on €5-10 per day if you're smart in Europe and eat like a king on the same budget in Asia or Latin America.
Flights, trains, and busses can be got for little money most of the time.

All in, including flights, you could easily do 3 months in South East Asia for €2000
if you're not shovling it up your nose when you consider you can get a bowl of Pho and 10 bai hoi (local fresh made beer) in Hanoi and still have change for your Bahn Mi in the morning from a fiver.

El Horseboxo

Travelled solo for 2 years straight back in mid 2000s. Started in México and next flight was over a year later from Buenos Aires. Then onto Oz/NZ and Asia.

I had that "what the ****" am i doing and maybe i should go home feeling lots of times. Strangely not in the beginning as I was moving around with different people I met in hostels. I mostly got the feeling when I'd spent a few days by myself and was in more quiet towns.

I mostly stayed in social type hostels. You'll know the ones from reviews. I used to go down to common area in evening time and grab a beer. Always met someone or a group of people doing something.

To me, solo travelling doesn't mean by yourself all the time. It's the freedom to be by yourself when you want and do what you want without considering anyone else. But out of the 700 odd days I was away. I'd say only about 40 of them were truly by myself. I was like a hermit crab bouncing from different people. So try meet some people and then feel the need to move on from them. Then you'll really see that you are cool with travelling by yourself. So just push on for now. But if it doesn't subside. Don't continue to waste money on something you may not be enjoying. At least you went and tried it.

Subcomandante Marcos

Witchie wrote: »

Or work while travelling like I do. My job is such that as long as I have my laptop and internet I can work.

This was after having kids, raising them alone and sending them to uni.

I don't have much money but it's cheaper to live and travel in Asia than live in Ireland right now.

I'm considering pivoting from my current role to being self employed and tendering for desk research contracts purely to allow myself to work from wherever I'd like. I currently spend a few months every year over seas for work but it's set locations and as much as I enjoy going to those places, it gets a little routine after a while.

Being able to set up in Baja Mexico for a while, finish a project and then go to Peru and then fly to SE Asia etc would be way more interesting.

Anesthetize

QuickEmail wrote: »

• Nerves
• Second thoughts
• No huge enthusiasm for the trip anymore (or much less for it)
• Seems more like a "oh do I have to?" rather than a "I cant wait to!" it was upto recently

How do I push past this? Have many of you gone through this?

Do you solo travel much?

A voice saying "what the fúck are you doing?" is appearing in my head a couple of times a day now that the first month (of 3-6 months) is booked and the first flight is getting closer

Nothing to be nervous about. Some of my best times were had while solo travelling, hanging out with other solo travellers in hostels, going to clubs, and seeing lots of cool stuff.

Planning on going somewhere again next summer by myself, just for a couple of weeks while on a break from work.

It's such a great feeling when you find your footing a couple of days in. Total freedom.

Blitzkrieger

I've done lots of solo travelling; if I waited for my friends to go on holiday I'd never leave the country.

I often joined a group tour like they offer on Gecko Adventures. They tend to offer a balance of group activities and time for you to do your own thing. In Vietnam for example, I found we got a lot more done having a private bus for our group, instead of wasting time trying to arrange transport on my own. We even had time in the evening to explore a bit on our own, where the group all went different ways.

If I'm not on a group tour, I tend to spend more time alone. Sometimes I'll do a day-tour and meet some nice people on that. Other than that I tend to hang around a bar and wait for someone to talk to me...

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

Work, save, go.


All in, including flights, you could easily do 3 months in South East Asia for €2000

It can be quite cheap but people should beware of not budgeting enough. In northern Thailand a German guy asked me how much the water was at a market stall, so I told him it worked out at around €0.75 for the two litre bottle. He responded : "Okay, we'll have to bargain them down." I don't know if he was genuinely that poor or just so used to bargaining for everything, but the guy looked worn out. Not having budgeted enough can be very stressful, and you don't want to spend your holiday missing out on things or worrying that something's too expensive.

Frequently the most expensive item by far for my trips are the flights. Book very, very early, or at a time like now when oil prices are low and get them cheap.

Mr.Plough

Went travelling solo in Asia for 6 months. I was like that at the start, mainly because I was staying in crap hostels that weren't very social. Once I started finding good ones it was grand.

18 months on and I'm still in Asia. Give me a shout if you're in Hanoi

namloc1980

Solo holidays are great. Affordable as you're just paying for yourself and the best part is you can do what YOU want to do. No rubbish of trying to please everyone or not doing something because others won't like it.

Grayson

I've been to 20 something countries and most of it was by myself. I've had some great times.

One thing to do if you're not too sure how you'll enjoy it is to keep a journal. Write down every fun thing you did that you wouldn't have been able to do at home.

Grayson

One more thing. You'll meet people and hang out and have a great time. Other nights you'll be by yourself. Bring a few books or a kindle and take that time to recharge and relax.

Subcomandante Marcos

Grayson wrote: »

One more thing. You'll meet people and hang out and have a great time. Other nights you'll be by yourself. Bring a few books or a kindle and take that time to recharge and relax.

Get a kindle HD or similar tablet, load it with books, audio books and tv shows.
You cna get 128gb or bigger micro SD cards for cheap enough these days, you could put months worth of good TV shows and books on a small tablet these days, adds very little weight and space and works as a backup plan if the weather is ****, flight get delayed, etc.

mzungu

Done a fair amount of solo travelling. Always great and would not do things any other way.

ancapailldorcha

Did a fortnight in Cuba earlier this year alone. Stressed loads about it beforehand but all of the worries were completely unfounded.

The advice about the Kindle is excellent. You'll definitely want a decent book for when you've some downtime.

suicide_circus

El Horseboxo wrote: »

Travelled solo for 2 years straight back in mid 2000s. Started in Mco and next flight was over a year later from Buenos Aires.

I'd say your septum took a hammering

Pyr0

I've never been on a holiday by myself before, not that the thought of it sat awkwardly with me or anything but i've always just preferred to experience wherever i was going with someone else.

I'm perfectly comfortable doing things on my own like going to the cinema, eating out in cafe/restaurants or sitting alone in a pub so it's something I could see myself enjoying.

giles lynchwood

Andrew00 wrote: »

Where do people get the money from to go travelling around the world like this ffs????

I buried both my parents within a year of each other.Not that its any of your business.

giles lynchwood

OP I traveled from 2004 to 2014 solo in se aisa and central america the only regret i have is i did not start traveling when i was much younger.I felt the same as you right up until my lift to the airport arrived,the rest is history. Go for it big time,"you won't be the first and you won't be the last".

sheesh

go away and do it !

haven't done much (couple of ski holidays) it was grand. you really don't have to do anything unless you want to bring books or a kindle and some games on your phone or laptop if you do get bored. having nothing to do in a new place is great you just wander around and look at all the different stuff. go and get a coffee. go for a nap! Naps are brilliant!

It is good to find.

QuickEmail

giles lynchwood wrote: »

OP I traveled from 2004 to 2014 solo in se aisa and central america

You solo traveled for 10 years non stop?

prunudo

Being a solo traveller you will find people will talk to you more. If you are in a group or 2 or 3 I always found people were less likely to come over as they think they might be interrupting.
I travelled a bit on my own with the motorbike, nothing mad but just travelling a few days at a time, choosing a vague route and making it up as I went. The freedom was/is great.
Only downside is that sometimes it would have been nice to talk over something that had happened during the day, discussing shared experiences but on the flip side meeting people along the way is a great way to find out other places to visit.

Richard Hillman

jvan wrote: »

Being a solo traveller you will find people will talk to you more. If you are in a group or 2 or 3 I always found people were less likely to come over as they think they might be interrupting.
I travelled a bit on my own with the motorbike, nothing mad but just travelling a few days at a time, choosing a vague route and making it up as I went. The freedom was/is great.
Only downside is that sometimes it would have been nice to talk over something that had happened during the day, discussing shared experiences but on the flip side meeting people along the way is a great way to find out other places to visit.

Yeah, on your first point, I notice that when I am in European cities that lots of people ask me for directions :pac: