Author: The Traveling Professor/Friday, September 20, 2013/Categories: General Travel
The obvious advantage of traveling alone is that you and only you determine the daily schedule. There are no compromises to be made and no adjustments for anyone else. I can remember traveling in Paris and Italy and covering a tremendous amount of ground in just a few days that would have taken me much longer if I had been traveling with a partner. I also enjoy the sense of anonymity and freedom.
In terms of safety, I think risks increase a bit when traveling alone in Europe. Let's face it, there are some bad people out there and I get the feeling they will target someone traveling without a partner before an accompanied traveler. Therefore I would tend to always stay with a crowd, be ultra careful at night doing things like eating at the hotel restaurant instead of scooting across town. I am hesitant to enter a public restroom unless there is an attendant or other people in it. Unfortunately, women traveling alone must be even more careful.
The other issue that bothers me when traveling without a partner is dining. To solve that, I would go to the well-known Jim Haynes dinner in Paris to meet other travelers. See: http://www.jim-haynes.com/
I have also posted on sites like TripAdvisor and craigslist to look for dining companions when traveling alone. However, I urge caution when doing so - only meet in a public place with a group of people.
Churches and other similar organization often sponsor meetings and group dinners. I have always felt welcome there.
I think the reason my travelers like my small group tours is that the itinerary is flexible and we always plan a group dinner every night. Lots of people say a touring situation like that is just what they were looking for.
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