Is solo travel around mainland europe all its cracked up to be?

Posted by Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 12 comments

I want to get out and explore more of the continent this year since I have the money and no real commitments for the time being, and i'd really like to do some group trips with my friends or family. but the people i know are homebodies, already travelling with their partner this year, or just can't afford to. I know a lot of people solo travel but I'm a very extraverted person and I don't know if i'd enjoy a trip without sharing the experience. But at the same time I'd hate to just spend the summer at home letting time pass. (asking this here because the travel subs have a massive confirmation bias when you ask questions like this)

Reply to Post

12 Comments

[-]

PracticeNo8733@reddit

A lot of people will be solo travelling (or travelling in pairs/etc and happy to socialise). The main thing is to stay at the same sort of places other backpackers do - that makes it pretty easy to meet people. But for the time and money I'd probably head to SE Asia instead.

[-]

Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)

SEA doesn't interest me that much. mostly cause of the long haul flight and the massive spiders. It's a blessing to live in a part of the world where ryanair can just pack you up and ship you out for £40 return

[-]

SemiproRock@reddit

Unequivocally, yes.

[-]

MiserubleCant@reddit

> I'm a very extraverted person and I don't know if i'd enjoy a trip without sharing the experience I used to solo travel a lot as a very introverted person and enjoyed it when I was younger but now I feel like I can't be arsed without company to share it with. Based on my experience if you're that extraverted you will find people to share it with, easily. Even I did on most trips and I'm terrible at it and wasn't trying.

[-]

PsychologySpecific16@reddit

I prefer outside of europe to be honest but in a word....yes.

[-]

spy_bunny@reddit

It used to be great when they let you sleep on platform benches back in the 80s. Formative experience for me, learnt alot en route :) and did my best to embrace all the cultures. Fun times. Back when you had 20 different currencies and slept with it all in your socks still attached to your feet. Naturally i didnt wave my money at people ... No mobile phones then, so it was easier to lose yourself in a city, and stay lost, the dodgy tap water in spain and greece... now i'm all nolstalgic for doing something stupid like camping out a week in the cairngorms at 50+ I did promise myself i'd catch that brown trout one day, it'd be awful bad if i didnt fulfil that fish supper.

[-]

cgknight1@reddit

It is amazing - I have a lot of fun on solo trips.

[-]

elgrn1@reddit

I've been away with tour operators who organise group trips for solo travellers. Travel talk tours are good but there are others you can find on tourradar.com. Be sure to check out their reviews and ensure the 4 and 5 star ones are recent and not years old! I've had some amazing times and done loads of great things without having to plan or organise everything, and I've met great people.

[-]

Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit (OP)

oh that sounds fun!

[-]

dannoutt@reddit

I’d argue being extraverted makes it easier to travel solo because you can more easily meet other travellers in bars/ restaurants. Not all Europe is the same and some places might be easier than others - cities will be easier to find likeminded people and northern countries are in general more reserved. I’d maybe start easy and go somewhere like northern Italy. Also if you want to do things with the people you know you could always propose a day trip/ overnight trip a few hours around where you stay. Back in the day when I was new to the UK I used to go to the main bus station with a friend and just hop on a megabus heading somewhere I liked the name of.

[-]

CrossCityLine@reddit

Yes, I fucking loved it. Though it was 15 years ago now. Travelled on my own, overland from my home in Birmingham to my Auntie’s home in southern Turkey, saw places I’d never go otherwise, met some great people and had some experiences I’ll likely never repeat.

[-]

AutoModerator@reddit

**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - When replying to submission/post please **make genuine efforts to answer the question given**. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' **you may receive a ban for violating this rule**. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*