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Travel for One

Jhawk

By Jhawk
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Hook1997

Hook1997 5404

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, midtown said:

I've looked at them before. It's an expensive way to do something that you can do for free imo. Really designed for the inexperienced and those who can't or don't know what to do.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 

True I agree, but it’s kinda the setup.  You travel with like minded people.  The appealing thing is the excursions they have set up that are included look pretty awesome.  The Vietnam trip seems really well planned out to me and not too bad at 2k.  

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G650

G650 14278

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, Jhawk said:

Need to keep myself busy, don't really have much of a budget.  If you were single and wouldn't worry about spending anything from $3k-$5k on a trip, where would you go?  Extra points for multiple trips spending the same amount of money.  Would be travelling alone.

Appreciate the ideas, looking for September-November.

Budapest is the most cost effective awesome place I have ever been. Sub 100 per night 4* hotels and top meals are under 30 bucks including booze.

 

Gorgeous town, lots to do any see.

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RDCanecutter

RDCanecutter 26475

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Js1 said:

I agree.  Feels like you're overpaying for something sterile and inauthentic.  Plus it's not really "solo" traveling because you're being forced to socialize with other people.  To me, "solo" travel involves booking a plane ticket and then figuring it out when you get there.  Asking the locals, meeting people in a bar and making random friends,  spending time with yourself.

I cannot give more pos rep so please accept my agreement with this. Taxi drivers know all the best places.

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AnotherUTFan

AnotherUTFan 9791

Posted
Posted

OP, it sounds like we are in a similar situation. I've been struggling since about March to come up with a solo trip. I talked to a ton of people and finally settled on Nepal, with stops in Hong Kong (2 days on the way out) and Bangkok (tbd but likely 4 days in either Phuket or Chiang Mai on the way back).

Of everybody I spoke to, the people who had visited Nepal were the most varied, well traveled, and most passionate that I go there. I'm more than a little intimidated by it.

Other iteniraries that were strongly considered were:

Buenos Aires & Rio De Janeiro
Uraguay
Columbia - Peru - Equador (Galapagos Islands)
Mexico Mayan Ruins Tour
Thailand - Cambodia - Vietnam
Myanmar

I figured I was looking for more of an adventure than a vacation and the Himalayas will be an adventure. I'm going late Oct to mid Nov.

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mycox

mycox 582

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Posted

I did Columbia and Peru solo last year it and was a good trip. My espanol sucks, so it what hard to talk with the locals.

I was thinking Argentina and Uruguay later this year, but Argentina is a huge and it's difficult to travel within the country unless you have a lot of time. I'm thinking an 8-10 day trip. Maybe just Buenos Aires and Uruguay.

 

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Spankytoes

Spankytoes 1743

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, mycox said:

I did Columbia and Peru solo last year it and was a good trip. My espanol sucks, so it what hard to talk with the locals.

I was thinking Argentina and Uruguay later this year, but Argentina is a huge and it's difficult to travel within the country unless you have a lot of time. I'm thinking an 8-10 day trip. Maybe just Buenos Aires and Uruguay.

 

Can vouch for Peru. Did Lima and the Inca Trail to Macau Picchu last year and met a good group of solo travelers to party in Cusco. Great destination for solo traveling.

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Js1

Js1 85596

Posted
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6 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

I cannot give more pos rep so please accept my agreement with this. Taxi drivers know all the best places.

I've found a quick google of the expat bars gives you a decent starting point.  Also, my friends and I had great experience just catching anyone near our age speaking English and approaching them.  "Hey, I'm traveling too" - boom, drinking buddies.

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staboner

staboner 4988

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Spankytoes said:

Can vouch for Peru. Did Lima and the Inca Trail to Macau Picchu last year and met a good group of solo travelers to party in Cusco. Great destination for solo traveling.

just booked peru for 3 weeks in january. doing one week-ish in lima and two weeks + on the north coast surfing

i don't dig on the andes as much as i had hoped. elevation in Ecuador really F'ed me up. 

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gmr548

gmr548 16617

Posted
Posted

I was in Spain with my girlfriend in May. Madrid stuck me as a place one could have a really interesting time on a solo trip. For a city so big an grand it has a laid back vibe - plenty of day trips/overnight excursions to mix things up on a longer stay. 

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Bone3421

Bone3421 716

Posted
Posted
Done mexico a ton.  I'm thinking of hopping over to paris for the ryder cup.  Maybe hit Monaco.  Columbia seems like it would be cool if I wouldn't get killed.  I just don't know the great places to go that are cost prohibitive if you travel with more than 1 person but are great as a single.  The other thing is that if I'm going to be on a plane for 17 hours or something then I probably want to do business class or better.  I don't know if there are cheap destination places that allow for you to pay up for the airfare and still be in budget.
Piggy backing on the vietnam suggestions...was going to be my choice anyways
Went in december and had a ball...can eat everything you see have about 10 beers at end of day and you might spend 30$ total

Other option is europe and a eurail pass and go where ya feel but will need to be more reserved in daily spending to stay in budget
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RPM

RPM 26358

Posted
Posted
On 8/14/2018 at 4:35 PM, woohorn said:

How come nobody suggested a cruise outta Galveston yet?

Cruises are double occupancy. You can book as single but you pay a heavy penalty. They want that extra money the 2nd person would have spent. I think NCL has some ships with singles cabins that are moderately priced.

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Js1

Js1 85596

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Sleepygrad said:

subscribed, I definitely plan on a solo trip....only problem, if I tell anyone I'm traveling to Asia solo then I'll get a bunch of rolled eyes as they'll immediately assume I'm going to bang asian hooks. But whatever

In Thailand right now. So many solo travelers. Met a bunch at an elephant sanctuary. No hookers

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G650

G650 14278

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Sleepygrad said:

subscribed, I definitely plan on a solo trip....only problem, if I tell anyone I'm traveling to Asia solo then I'll get a bunch of rolled eyes as they'll immediately assume I'm going to bang asian hooks. But whatever

Of course you're gonna bang Asian hookers.

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PenelopeWitherspoon

PenelopeWitherspoon 19146

Posted
Posted

Was about to post this in my travel thread as well.  I know I want to do two trips next year.  Playing around with three trips in the Spring.  First is more than I want to spend, but it is Lisbon/Morocco/AMS for King's Day.  The second possibililty is a nice swing through Eastern Europe.  Starting in Copenhagen, then to Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Budapest, and Vienna.  The third possiblity is Bali.  The first trip, all in, including spending is about 6500.  The third, is about 3500 not including spending money (just flight in Premium Economy on Singapore Air and 10 nts in Bali).  The third, I am still figuring out.  The flight at this point is pricing at 1500 if I go Premium Economy on BA.  

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PenelopeWitherspoon

PenelopeWitherspoon 19146

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Spankytoes said:

I was scratching my head on that one too. I stay at nice places, but that seems a little high.

Because as a single female, I was going to do the Intrepid Travel Solo Traveller through Northern Morocco for 9 days.  That itself is only 1200, but the flight is about 1500, then AMS is where you spend the $$ on AirBnB.  Ultimately, that also includes a budget for spending money, which still isn't bad.  But I spent about 15k on my big trip this summer (which was for my 40th, so totally worth it, including some big purchases while abroad), so really trying to dial things back down next year.

I have really nailed it down now.  A week in Lisbon and Porto, coming in around 1500 provided I can get a good flight deal.  So that is totally doable.  Not including spending $$ in that figure, but I imagine that 100-150 a day is probably appropriate.  That is going to happen in March.

Then planning on a long weekend in Copenhagen around Memorial Day.  I have found a boutique hotel, that actually comes in cheaper than most AirBnBs, so I am probably going to go ahead and get my reservation locked in.  

Then in November 2019, is the Lumiere Festival in Durham (UK, not NC), so I am going to go to that.

That still leaves me with a trip in August/September I need to plan. Thinking Bali.  The issue with Bali is that I really would want to splurge for at least Premium Economy due to how long that flight is, but it looks like I can do that on Singapore for something like 1500-2000.  I have also thought about Colombia or Buenos Aires as well.  However, that being said, I think this trip would be all about relaxation, so a beach would make the most sense.  

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PenelopeWitherspoon

PenelopeWitherspoon 19146

Posted
Posted
44 minutes ago, G650 said:

I can barely do a weekend in Chicago for 6500 bucks, so it's all relative. Depends on what you want for flight, hotel etc...

That is my attitude on Paris and London.  Both of those end up being incredibly expensive for me, but that tends to be due to stops at places like Goyard, Hermes, Alexander McQueen, etc... :D

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Spankytoes

Spankytoes 1743

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, G650 said:

I can barely do a weekend in Chicago for 6500 bucks, so it's all relative. Depends on what you want for flight, hotel etc...

I guess my perception is skewed by travel hacking. I always fly Business/First, stay in the nicest hotels and have a fantastic time for a fraction of that. I'm not much of a foodie though. I'd be perfectly fine with Al's Beef, a hotdog dragged through the garden or Lou Malnati's in Chicago. Paying $500 to eat tapas and drink a fancy bottle of wine that I couldn't differentiate from a Two Buck Chuck isn't my cup of tea. Neither is joining a tour. 

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midtown

midtown 3348

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Posted
23 minutes ago, Spankytoes said:

I guess my perception is skewed by travel hacking. I always fly Business/First, stay in the nicest hotels and have a fantastic time for a fraction of that.

Well you also generate a ton of miles and points through work travel right?     Clearly everyone has different travel prefs.  I am generally of the opinion that by saving on hotels or fancy meal that you can double or triple your travel budget and more economical travel is better than less travel.

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G650

G650 14278

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Spankytoes said:

I guess my perception is skewed by travel hacking. I always fly Business/First, stay in the nicest hotels and have a fantastic time for a fraction of that. I'm not much of a foodie though. I'd be perfectly fine with Al's Beef, a hotdog dragged through the garden or Lou Malnati's in Chicago. Paying $500 to eat tapas and drink a fancy bottle of wine that I couldn't differentiate from a Two Buck Chuck isn't my cup of tea. Neither is joining a tour. 

 

There's certainly ways to economize and maximize value. Back when I did about a quarter million miles a year I could spend a good bit less and still have nice accommodations and such. Never missed an upgrade then and could book decent commercial hotels on points. I also had a lot less money so I had to make it work.

You definitely can't stay in the nicest hotels though, those don't take points.

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Js1

Js1 85596

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Posted
10 minutes ago, midtown said:

Well you also generate a ton of miles and points through work travel right?     Clearly everyone has different travel prefs.  I am generally of the opinion that by saving on hotels or fancy meal that you can double or triple your travel budget and more economical travel is better than less travel.

Same. An economy flight, a three-star hotel that I just sleep, shower, and shit at and some bomb ass street food means I can take more trip for less amounts. Or longer trips because I'm not just bleeding money.

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G650

G650 14278

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Posted
11 minutes ago, midtown said:

I am generally of the opinion that by saving on hotels or fancy meal that you can double or triple your travel budget and more economical travel is better than less travel.

 

Yeah, there's all sorts of different strategies. If someone is constrained to only travel a couple times a year by life circumstance, then the calculus is totally different than someone who is a lot more wide open time wise.

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Spankytoes

Spankytoes 1743

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Posted
1 hour ago, midtown said:

Well you also generate a ton of miles and points through work travel right?     Clearly everyone has different travel prefs.  I am generally of the opinion that by saving on hotels or fancy meal that you can double or triple your travel budget and more economical travel is better than less travel.

Somewhat. I definitely have it better than the average bear as I book my staff's hotels under my account and they could not give a rat's ass about hotel points. Between normal flying, and credit card bonuses, I am flush with miles. Sometimes I use these to upgrade an economy ticket just to get the EQMs and benefits. 

But, having said that, I still struggle to comprehend the cost. Why wouldn't you purchase an economy fare and use miles to upgrade? Even if you have no status, that's less than $200.00 on top of the base fare. Unless you're flying a charter or small airline, miles are doled out like samples of Tide. I somewhat get it if you have a specific non-chain hotel that you are aiming for. But, it's pretty easy to get a Waldorf, Conrad, IC, Radisson Blu (Some are great), etc. through points, which are also relatively easy to accumulate. 

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Spankytoes

Spankytoes 1743

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Js1 said:

Same. An economy flight, a three-star hotel that I just sleep, shower, and shit at and some bomb ass street food means I can take more trip for less amounts. Or longer trips because I'm not just bleeding money.

I operate along the same principle, in general. But, if I can achieve an elevated trip for the same price, I might as well. My problem is not money, points or miles, it's time off work to take the trip. In my industry, there are only small windows where being out is less problematic. I have anxiety right now because I have a few work functions to close out the year and absolutely no direction of where/when I want to go. Earning a ton of points at a chain that has no presence in your final destination, or isn't a great option, is pointless. I like to take trips rather than vacations, so it's rare that I would sit still in one place. If I'm going to poke at my sciatica in an airline seat for 10 hours, I'm going to make it worth my while. 

I've visited McDonald's, Burger King and grocery stores on more than one occasion overseas. I usually only plan one sit down meal and rarely a fancy one. Part of that is not wanting to bring the required clothing to do it. I get ants in my pants if I'm not in and out of a restaurant in 30 minutes. 

Edited by Spankytoes
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PenelopeWitherspoon

PenelopeWitherspoon 19146

Posted
Posted (edited)
25 minutes ago, Spankytoes said:

I operate along the same principle, in general. But, if I can achieve an elevated trip for the same price, I might as well. My problem is not money, points or miles, it's time off work to take the trip. In my industry, there are only small windows where being out is less problematic. I have anxiety right now because I have a few work functions to close out the year and absolutely no direction of where/when I want to go. Earning a ton of points at a chain that has no presence in your final destination, or isn't a great option, is pointless. I like to take trips rather than vacations, so it's rare that I would sit still in one place. If I'm going to poke at my sciatica in an airline seat for 10 hours, I'm going to make it worth my while. 

I've visited McDonald's, Burger King and grocery stores on more than one occasion overseas. I usually only plan one sit down meal and rarely a fancy one. Part of that is not wanting to bring the required clothing to do it. I get ants in my pants if I'm not in and out of a restaurant in 30 minutes. 

Honestly, a lot of your travel hacks require time and effort that a lot of us do not have, or might require one to travel when it isn't convenient.

Also, when traveling at a very busy time of the year, it is almost impossible without status (which I have now lost) to get an upgrade using miles.  So sometimes, it is worth paying for business.  Also, I AirBnB rather than hotel now, but in certain cities, like Paris, even that isn't that might cheaper.  Sometimes, you want to travel at a specific time, and that will cost more.

At the end of the day, since I am a woman traveling alone, I prefer nicer hotels/AirBnB properties that I feel comfortable in.  I am willing to pay a bit more to have more space and a more comfy bed.  Becuase if the bed sucks, and I cannot sleep, the trip will be a complete waste.

However, I am all about spending money on the experiences.  I will not bat an eye at dropping money for a 3 star Michelin experience or to buy things that I enjoy while abroad.  I get joy from that.  

Edited by PenelopeWitherspoon
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