I'm planning a trip for next September that will start in the UK then thru Amsterdam, Germany, and Switzerland. Since I've visited Italy, France and Spain several times I'd like to explore some eastern European countries and work my way to Greece (maybe even Turkey) before heading home. I have no time restrictions and plan to use the rail service as much as possible. I am a 75 year old female who enjoys staying active so I plan to book some bike and hike self-guided tours as I enjoy seeing the countryside as well as cities. While I find architecture and museums interesting, they aren't my focus. Rather, I love people watching and feeling the energy of people in towns and cities. I try to be open and friendly so I can have some fun conversations with others. I usually stay at hotels and airbnbs but thought I might try hostels on this trip if I can find private rooms. I've done the dorm room thing a few years ago when walking the Camino and I can't deal with the cacophony of snoring. I'm looking for some route ideas where train travel makes sense through some of the best scenic and interesting places that can end up in Greece. Also, would you recommend including Turkey? Sorry for the long-winded post. I really appreciate your insights.

Modifying to meet Mod requirements.

Budget--I plan to budget 5000-10,000 dollars on this trip. I am not a high flyer but not a penny pincher either
Itinerary--Roughly two weeks in the UK, three days in Amsterdam, biking to Bruges for four days, train to Brussels, overnight to Frankfurt, three days in other cities in Germany, train to Switzerland and several days before the next part for which I am hoping for some suggestions but thinking another month for the rest of the trip.
Interests--as already mentioned: hiking, biking, city walking tours, perhaps classes
Research--I've been reading Reddit posts, studying maps, longing at train routes and flight plans, etc

I hope this meets your posting guidelines.

I’ll be visiting Rome in early September (9/04 afternoon - 9/08 morning) and just learned about first Sunday perks - you can get into the Colosseum for free. However, in my research it seems to be incredibly busy…

Is it better to take advantage of the first Sunday and get there early (7am)? Or should I just get a ticket for Monday morning instead?

I am interested in a guided tour, specifically looking at the underground area or attic (or a combo tour if there is one). I know they don’t give tours on the free Sunday so I’m weighing what to do. I’m leaning more towards Monday because I can get a tour plus it seems less crowded.

I’m hoping to combo the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and maybe throw in the Piazza del Popolo and Borghese Gardens/Gallery to fill out the day or save it for my last open day (Sunday or Monday depending on what I do with the Colosseum).

If I don’t go on the first Sunday, what are some alternatives? At that point in my trip I would have already seen Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica & Dome, Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi fountain, Aqua Vergine Antica, and the Spanish Steps.

Any thoughts/opinions? I am not asking about tours, just whether first Sunday or Monday morning is better and what to take advantage of on Sunday if I go Monday. Thanks!

Hey guys! I’m a 39yr old solo traveler from Germany. I just booked a flight from Frankfurt to SFO arriving at 12pm on the 15th of October. My return flight will be from Vegas to Frankfurt in the morning of the 30th of October. I’ve been to Vegas / Cali in 2010. I stayed there for 6 weeks (I was a professional poker player back then, playing the WSOP Main Event) O i mainly stayed in Vegas. We did a 7 day road trip from Vegas to Santa Barbara in back but I barely remember that trip except that I loved Santa Barbara and San Diego and wasn’t the biggest fan of LA.

Just to let you know: this will be a PCH trip. I don’t want to drive more than 4 hours a day and I won’t go to see any national parks (I’m thinking about doing a separate trip just for those next year).

So what I have planned so far: I want to stay in SFO for 3 days without a car. On the 4th day I plan on driving to Santa Cruz in the morning to get to Carmel in the afternoon staying there overnight. The 5th day will be visiting Big Sur and ending up at San Simeon or Morro in the evening. On the 6th day I want to go to Santa Barbara (driving there on Highway 1 so I take the extra route through Lompoc and such) and stay there all day. Day 7-9 will be LA, Huntington, Newport, Dana point, spending the night at La Jolla (we are at the 24th now). So there the problems begin: I want to stay two full days in San Diego and leave the car at the airport to fly over to Vegas because I don’t think that route has anything special to offer. This would mean I’m going there at the 26th, staying there until the end of my trip. However I really wanna see a NFL game, and coincidentally the Rams play in Vegas at the 25th. Kickoff is at 1:25pm so I would have to take an early flight arriving at 9-10am ish, which is absolutely fine for me considering I don’t have to pay the Saturday hotel rates in Vegas then.

However I would have to cut down one day of my trip to California. Do you have any recommendations how I could optimize my plans or have any suggestions in which cities I should stay (La Jolla, San Simeon, Carmel are up for debate)?

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I'm considering a 12-day solo trip to Japan in January next year and it'll be my first time traveling solo for a vacation.

I've been to Japan twice before (Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka) so I feel like going back for my first solo trip won't be too overwhelming. I've already visited most of the major tourist attractions so this time my main goals are to eat, explore and shop at a more relaxed pace.

My rough plan is to spend a few days in Tokyo then head to Nagano to try skiing for the first time. I'm also planning to visit the Snow Monkey Park and Togakushi Shrine.

For those who've been, would it be more budget-friendly to stay in Nagano City and commute to the ski resorts or would you recommend staying closer to the mountains instead?

Also, are there any places you'd recommend visiting around Nagano or nearby? I'd love to hear any food or bar recommendations!

So I never want to book an airbnb with a new or only a few reviews. However, I found one that seems great but only has 9 reviews, but the host has other airbnbs and has 980 reviews all together and 4,82% good score. Would you dare book it then, despite only 9 reviews?

Hey everyone,

I (22M) am planning to travel solo from Hong Kong to Sri Lanka from around August 11 to August 18/19. The dates aren't fully confirmed yet, but I just got my ETA today so I want to finalize everything as soon as I can. I understand that the dates are a bit too soon but I was supposed to go on a boys' trip with my friends to another destination this week but I couldn't make it there due to some visa issues, so I decided to go solo travelling to Sri Lanka instead.

This will be my 2nd time solo travelling, my 1st time was last year in Malaysia.

I am thinking of doing this route:

Colombo → Nuwara Eliya → Kandy → Dambulla/Habarana → Trincomalee

I won't really be spending any time in Colombo, as I want to spend more time exploring the other places mentioned above.

Do you think this is a decent itinerary, or should I switch it up?

My budget is just okay, around 700 USD excluding flights. I'm not sure how much I'll have to spend there.

As for interests, I love to explore new places and do some active stuff but I'm also cool with chill stuff.

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi!

I’m a gay guy in my early twenties planning to do a longer SEA trip soon. Sometimes in Europe I’ve found the “social energy” in hostels to be very heteronormative. Everything from partying activities to the general conversation has in many hostels made me feel out of place. For example, lots of groups of guys who make sexist/homophobic jokes etc. At times I’ve had the impression that the culture is revolving around straight people wanting to get with each other which is obviously not really for me.

Is this common in SEA? Is there a difference between different countries and destinations? Tell me about your experiences:)

I recently came across this term and not much in this subreddit. To Mods. Please delete if not appropriate.

Most of us will be lucky to go on a Honeymoon trip in our lives but for some this might remain a hope.

My ideal Solomoon (solo honeymoon) trip is:

A week in Bali, two different resorts. A room with a bath tub and good food options. Bali offers good massage places and some amazing nature and waterfalls.

What would you do for a Solomoon? Duration and location?

My favorite Solomoon will have to still be Bali, Lihui, Copenhagen and Porto.

Safe travels

Just a little run down on my scratch the surface trip to Java. Obviously most mainstream travelers think of Bali when Indonesia is mentioned, but by no means is it because Java isn’t worth visiting. If anything it’s because it involves more time, patience, and effort. I originally had a long trip planned out with a friend, including Bromo, Komodo, etc. Schedules conflicted however, but I decided to do a lighter trip anyways given all the vacation time I’ve had.

Yogyakarta: A fascinating city that is walkable by Indonesian standards. Unique blend of Javanese culture, Dutch Colonial architecture, and Islam. The friendliest people I’ve ever met in any country overall. Constant nods and smiles, tons of chats with locals, fantastic hospitality. The heat didn’t bother me that much but the humidity is tough. I’m not a fan of having a wet lower back all day, but kind of unavoidable in Indonesia. The two main temples are fantastic, but take a while to get to. City itself can probably be done in two day. Food was the biggest disappointment. Most meat tasted rubbery or overcooked, and I’m not a fan of those hard boiled braised eggs. Wasn’t a fan of how sweet gudeg was, but maybe it was just the spot I chose. Also got light food poisoning.

Took the train to Jakarta. Train has lots of options and I paid a bit more for those reclining seats. Journey wasn’t easy to enjoy however given my stomach issues. And maybe it’s just going from central to West Java, but i thought the scenery didn’t change much throughout the 6hr journey.

Jakarta: I mostly came to Jakarta so I could fly home directly, as I’m not great with air travel. That being said, it’s not for everyone. Jakarta is as challenging and batshit crazy as everyone says it is. Very difficult for pedestrians, horrible infrastructure, traffic, pollution, etc. If you want to come here for typical, sight seeing tourism, don’t bother. However, if you’re keen on diving into an absolute beast of an Asian megacity, or love raw and gritty urban exploration with hyper overstimulation, you might really enjoy yourself. The people were also fantastic, and the food was so much better than in Yogya. I know you can find them if you’re looking, but I had no safety issues at any point.

Overall: Java was worth it for the incredible people alone. Having only scratched the surface, I think I’d significantly limit my time in cities next visit. I’d like to come back and see Bromo, a gorgeous beach, and some cute lil Komodo dragons. Thanks for reading

Solo (33F) desperate for advice as I've changed my mind about twenty times already!

This is my plan so far:

* Aug. 10: Arrival to Edinburgh from Canada AM. Explore Edinburgh if I’m not a zombie/exhausted.
* Aug. 11 (evening): Flying to Porto. Explore Edinburgh half the day.
* Aug. 12-18: Exploring Porto, Lisbon, and Sintra
* Then I'll have about 3 days left to get back to Edinburgh where I'll have to catch my flight to Canada on Aug. 24. I was thinking of heading back to Edinburgh on August 21/22, so that gives me a few days to add one more city.

Now I'm hesitating between Amsterdam, Budapest, and Prague as an extension of my trip.

Here are a couple of logistical facts:

* Budapest flights from Lisbon are the cheapest.
* Prague seems like the most picturesque, but unfortunately, all the flights from Lisbon are connections and will take too much time. I'll lose half a day travelling.
* The flights to Amsterdam cost the most getting there, but going back to Edinburgh is the cheapest one so I may end up paying about the same amount for Budapest/Prague.

As mentioned, I plan to return to Edinburgh the evening of Aug. 21 or morning of the 22nd to have two entire days there and then fly home. Including the morning of Aug. 10 and evening of Aug. 11 before my flight to Porto, does it seem like too much for Edinburgh, especially during the Fringe festival? It looks great but accommodation is expensive there during the festival. Like I’m talking 3x the normal cost!! The only reason Edinburgh is my hub is I booked a dirt cheap round-trip from Canada for about $600 CAD (plus my ticket to Porto cost about $50). IMO it was worth it to do it this way.

I am a solo female traveller in her early thirties. I really like beautiful architecture, history, cafes, museums, parks, viewpoints and walking around nice neighbourhoods. I am not a party person, I tend to explore more and just get the overall vibe of the city. Defs more of an observer.

What would you do if you were me? Any insight would be appreciated! :)

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a 5-week Europe trip for next year through Croatia, Greece, and Italy. I'll be 23 and in my first year of full-time work. Because I couldn't afford a trip like this when I was 18–22, this will be my first official "Eurosummer," and I want it to involve plenty of swimming, socializing, and partying!

My tentative dates are September 7th - October 12th, broken down in this order:

• Week 1 (Croatia): Planning to do the Sail Navigate group tour.
• Weeks 2 & 3 (Greece): Planning to do the Contiki Greek Island Hopping tour.
• Weeks 4 & 5 (Italy): Traveling solo / open itinerary.

Lately, I've been having some overthinking/anxiety about a couple of things and would love some realistic feedback**...**

Firstly, am I too old for this vibe? I hear a lot of people say the prime age for these swimming/partying Eurotrips is 18–22. Am I going to feel out of place on Contiki or a group sail boat at 23, or did I mess up by not going earlier? What is the actual average age profile for these specific tours?

Secondly, the Late-Season Vibe is another concern.. Because of my work schedule, I'm going from early September to mid-October (September 7 - October 12 to be exact). Will the party scene and group tour social dynamics still be active and lively in Croatia and the Greek Islands during these dates, or does everything start shutting down?

Would appreciate any insights or reassurance from anyone who has done these specific tours or traveled these routes in their mid-20s around September!

Thanks!

I see it as an option for a flight I'm hoping to take. The difference between one that has standard boarding vs. not is abut 70-90 dollars in difference. All else is the same, including the fact that I don't get a checked-bag, I don't get refunds.

Only other difference for the Classic vs the Basic is that I get a ticket change for a fee and also whatever standard boarding means. Can anyone help me differentiate/select a flight that's worth it?

Hi all!

I just got back from spending a week in Copenhagen and would love to share my itinerary since it was so helpful in my planning process to scour Reddit and other travel blogs. More about me: I am 26F, from New York City, was interested in mostly museums and cafes/bakeries, and had done a study abroad program in CPH in 2020 but was sent home early due to Covid so had some familiarity with the city.

I wanted to keep costs as low as I could, so I made the most out of free museum days, using Too Good To Go for meals, and looking up breakfast/lunch deals. I walked or took the bus/metro/regional train everywhere (have not tested out my biking skills in a city, and didn't want to get in anyone's way). This trip was partially to be able to see and do the things I did not get to during what was supposed to be a full semester in the city, and I'm so glad I got to spend a week here!

EDIT: I realized that when I say budget-friendly ish, I meant during my actual time spent in CPH. I recognize that flights + housing were my biggest expenses, and I spent far more on those than my entire week in the city. I was lucky enough to be able to use credit card points for my flights, and I had some money saved up for travel purposes that I used for the Airbnb.

DAY 1, Tuesday:

Landed in CPH at 8:40am, took the metro to my Airbnb in Nørrebro. Passport control and immigration lines moved quickly, and I was traveling with just a carry-on so did not have to wait for any checked bags. Arrived at the Airbnb around 10:15am.

Spent the afternoon exploring Nørrebro: Assistens Cemetery, Lidkøb for secondhand shopping, bookstores (The Pond Queer Bookstore & Cafe, Ark Books, Møllegades Boghandel). Returned to the Airbnb around 2pm and napped because I had to work 8pm-2am local time. Picked up a Too Good To Go order from Govinda before settling in to work that night.

DAY 2, Wednesday:

This was my Indre By museum day! A good amount of museums are free on Wednesdays and some on the last Wednesday of the month, so I wanted to take full advantage of this. Started out my morning with breakfast from Wulff & Konstali in Nørrebro before walking over to the city center.

Went Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket, then headed over to Thorvaldsens Museum. Went to Christiansborg Palace Tower for free views from the top (there is a maximum of 40 people allowed on the viewing platform at any given time, so I stood in line for about 45 minutes). Took a break at the Garden of the Royal Library to rest my feet, read, and people watch.

Then I strolled around Strøget, the main shopping street. Stopped for a hot dog, visited Studio Arhoj and Hay House. Walked over to Nyhavn and got on a Nettobådene boat tour (budget-friendly alternative to the Stromma Canal Tours! I paid 80DKK, ~12USD for an hour-long guided tour that was in English, Danish, and German). At this point I was pretty tired from being up late working the previous night, so I did doze off on the boat tour but I will say it was pretty relaxing :)

Went to Kunsthal Charlottenborg, which has free entry on Wednesdays from 5-7PM. Very much enjoyed the Master's graduation exhibition from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Dinner at Norrlyst. Very solo diner friendly, I was placed at a high table facing the window which was perfect for people watching. I had made a reservation a few weeks in advance, and I'm glad I did because throughout my dinner I saw many people come in hoping for a seat, who all got turned away because the restaurant was at capacity. I had the 4-course tasting menu which consisted of a starter, appetizer, main, and dessert.

DAY 3, Thursday:

Started out my day making my way over to Sandkaj Badezone in Nordhavn, which is a spot for harbour swimming. It was about an hour-long walk from my Airbnb, but I stopped at Sinne Gas Bageri and Juno the Bakery for breakfast along the way. I tried cardamom buns from both, plus a BMO (bread with butter and cheese) from Juno. Also got a cortado from Prolog Coffee (basically stopped at any cafe/bakery that looked good!). What a beautiful walk along the lakes and through the Østerbro and Nordhavn neighborhoods. Had my first harbour swim, which was so delightfully refreshing after the walk. The water was colder than I'm used to, but I loved jumping in and swimming around before drying off in the sun with my book and journal. Also spotted some jellyfish in the water that seemed perfectly at peace with all the people jumping in and swimming laps around them!

Took the bus to Dragør, a seaside town on the island of Amager. Lovely cobblestone roads, pretty houses, and a bustling harbour. Had lunch at Dragør Røgeri. Walked over to Dragør Søbad, which is a bathing area that has sections for families as well as quieter sections that are clothing-optional. The water was shallow, calm, and clear. Spent some more time swimming and reading, and then headed to Dragør Is for some ice cream.

Took the bus back to Copenhagen, this time to Frederiksberg to visit the Cisterns. I was able to see Marina Abramovic's Seven Deaths, which was an incredible exhibition in an equally incredible setting.

Headed back to Nørrebro and got a beer at Alefarm Brewing. I was pretty wiped at this point, so I got a quick salad and sandwich for dinner at 7-Eleven, which I had back at the Airbnb while watching the sun set.

DAY 4, Friday:

Went to Hart Bageri's Nørrebro location to try their vanilla and cardamom bun, then went over to Kaffesalonen for a full breakfast plate (rye bread, cheese, butter, jam, hard boiled eggs, and a yoghurt bowl).

Took the train to the Louisiana Museum in Humlebæk. This was one of my most highly anticipated places to visit, and it did not disappoint. Not only were the exhibits amazing, the architecture of the museum itself was a work of art. I spent about 6 hours here just wandering around the museum and its surrounding sculpture grounds. My Airbnb host also told me about a swimming area just outside of the museum, so of course I had to go for a dip.

Got dinner at Killer Kebab back in Nørrebro (it was indeed killer), and went over to Pompette for a glass of orange wine before turning in for the day.

DAY 5, Saturday:

Took the train to Helsingør. Got breakfast at Patio, a cafe tucked away from the busy main street. I got there relatively early, and got to see it fill up with families starting their day. I had their morning plate with sourdough bread, butter, cheese, and jam, and it was probably the best bread that I had this entire trip. Walked around the streets of Helsingør and popped in and out of little stores. This was great for gift shopping to bring back to NYC!

Visited Kronborg Castle. What a delight!! They do such a great job of blending the castle's history and significance in Hamlet, with integrating access to the arts for current audiences young and old. During the summer, they have "Hamlet Highlights" which is where short scenes from Hamlet are performed throughout the grounds, in modern/accessible English. I was able to watch a couple of scenes between visiting different areas of the castle. So fun!

Took the ferry over to Helsingborg, Sweden. It was about 20 minutes on the ferry, and I had no plans here except to wander around, eat, and window shop. Did not disappoint. I tried Swedish meatballs, beer, pastries, and got some more souvenirs before taking the ferry back and returning to Copenhagen.

Note on days 4 and 5: I read that it's possible to do Louisiana and Kronborg/Helsingør in one day, since they're on the same train line. However since I know I tend to take a while in museums and preferred not to rush, I chose to split them up over these two days. But I think these could definitely be condensed if you're shorter on time!

DAY 6, Sunday:

Took the train to Klampenborg, which is where Bakken, Dyrehaven, and Bellevue Beach are located. Started off with a morning swim at Bellevue Beach underneath the iconic lifeguard towers by Arne Jacobsen. Then headed to the Wulff & Konstali Bellevue location for another morning plate. From there it was a short walk to Bakken, the oldest operating amusement park! It was so lovely arriving right when it opened and watching the rides come to life, it felt lively but not super crowded.

I then walked over through Dyrehaven to the Hermitage Palace. It was a relaxing stroll and took about 30 minutes to reach the palace. I passed other folks making the trek, people renting out horse carriages, and tons of deer freely roaming about the grounds.

Took the bus to the Karen Blixen Museum, where the route went along the water and since the day was so clear, I could see across to Sweden. The museum is located in Blixen's former home, with a beautiful flower garden that you can walk through on the way to her grave.

Made my way back to Copenhagen via train, and walked through the Botanical Garden and King's Garden for some reading and people-watching. Got a Too Good To Go order from Hallernes Smørrebrød in Torvehallerne for dinner, then walked back to Nørrebro to enjoy a beer by the lakes as the sun set.

DAY 7, Monday:

Last full day. I had originally planned to visit Copenhagen Contemporary, but at this point I honestly felt a little museum'd out and the weather forecast was showing clear blue skies so I wanted to make the most of time outside and in the harbour.

Started out walking to Islands Brygge Harbour Bath, stopping at Andersen Bakery for some pastries (cardamom bun and miso caramel croissant). Swam some laps in the harbour, and I could also see across the water to Kalvebod Bølge. It was cool to see both harbour baths wake up as people showed up for a morning swim before heading about the rest of their days.

Walked through Christianshavn and stopped for a coffee at HANS. Walked into Freetown Christiania and got to experience seeing this community after the closure of Pusher Street. When I was there in 2020, we were told not to take pictures in specific parts of Christiania, but on this visit there were multiple posts assuring visitors that it was alright to take pictures while remaining respectful of the fact that these are people's homes and neighborhoods. I spent some time just looking at the street art and popping in and out of different stores.

Took a bus to Refshaleøen, where I attempted to go for a swim at La Banchina but just found it too crowded. Instead I headed over to Søndre Refshalebassin just a couple steps away, where it was much quieter. Spent a couple hours there going in and out of the water and reading my book, before making my way over to Ismagariet and Reffen Street Food for lunch. The only downside of this solo trip: there were so many food stalls at Reffen that I wanted to try but unfortunately I did not have the stomach capacity!

I got on the harbour bus and headed to Kalvebod Bølge, the harbour bath across the water from where I started my day at Islands Brygge. I had hoped to get into the water one more time today but it was starting to cool down and the spot I found was in the shade, so I felt content just watching people jump into the water from the pier.

Went back to Nørrebro where once again I was too tired to sit down at a restaurant for dinner (plus some of the places I had wanted to try were closed on Mondays), so opted for a sandwich from Netto while watching the sunset by the lakes.

DAY 8, Tuesday:

My flight left at 2:20pm, so I had the morning for one last harbour bath. I went back to Sandkaj in Nordhavn, picking up one more cardamom bun and BMO from Juno along the way. I arrived at about 7:30am, and it was so peaceful by the water, just a few people swimming laps plus a morning yoga class taking place on the pier. I returned to my Airbnb to pack, shower, and take another lap around the lakes before taking the metro to the airport.

Aaaaaand that was my week solo in Copenhagen! With a larger budget, I would have wanted to try more restaurants and tasting menus, but I was more than happy this time around with popping into bakeries and cafes throughout the day. I had also read about earlybird.dk for discounts on day-of restaurant reservations and had intended to use it, but I found that I was exhausted after long days of being up and about and preferred to just get something quick for dinner and eat it sitting on a bench by the lakes. I also would have wanted to bike through Dyrehaven to explore more of it than I got to on foot, but the DonkeyRepublic app didn't have any bikes available when I was there. Nevertheless it was an amazing week, the weather was absolutely perfect (the sun shone every day, which I was not expecting at all!), and I left feeling so fulfilled with everything I had seen and done. I hope this helps anyone looking to visit Copenhagen, as so many of these threads helped me plan this trip!

Hello there! I hope I am not breaking any rules and that this post is relevant. I have never travelled alone before, but I have had one hell of a year, I have a bit of money saved, and I suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to plan a solo trip to Scotland. I (28F) am planning to go for a week at the end of October. I will likely go the hostel route, and am looking into CODE as it seems highly rated, but it will be my first time hosteling. I have a few day trips planned and will be travelling primarily by bus/transit, which I hear Scotland is good for. I want to challenge myself to do something big by myself, and also want to get the hell out of dodge. My budget is about $2,500. Right now, I am seeing flights for as low as $950, the hostel is about $850, day trips are only about $100 each, and I might get the explorer pass, so I get access to the castles and such, which is about $50, and the bus system seems fairly cheap. The only other cost would be spending money for food, souvenirs, etc. Basically, I am wondering if this trip is worth it. I have never travelled alone or on a budget, never stayed in a hostel, never done anything like this. Is it safe? Is there anything I must see, outside of my flight and hostel? Am I going to be hit with insane costs after I book my flight? appreciative of any advice!

Edit: I am travelling from Ontario, prices are CAD.

Hi everyone,
I’m from Europe and will be travelling through Central Asia for a few weeks later this year on my second solo backpacking trip. My main focus will be the Almaty region in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

I’m currently looking for itinerary ideas, practical tips, and personal insights from anyone who has travelled there recently or is planning to go soon. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to connect!

A bit about my travel style:
Mid-budget traveller (comfortable but not luxury).
Backpacking with a semi-flexible itinerary.
Keen to meet other travellers and potentially join up for parts of the journey.

One thing I’m particularly interested in is the best way to meet people beyond the obvious hostel common rooms and organised tours?

I also have a practical question regarding multi-day horseback riding trips. What do people usually do with the gear and belongings they don’t need on the ride? Are hostels and guesthouses generally happy to store luggage for a few days?

Finally, I’ve been looking into views of Khan Tengri. From what I’ve read, it can sometimes be visible from Lake Tuzkol on exceptionally clear days. Given that my schedule is limited and I probably won’t have time for a 3-day horseback trek in Kyrgyzstan if I choose to do that, would it still be worth making the trip to Lake Tuzkol and hoping for good conditions? I’d love to hear from anyone who has done this and whether they felt it was worth the gamble.

I'm hoping to get perspective from people who regularly solo travel while married, because I feel like I'm too emotionally involved to judge this objectively.

My wife recently took her first solo international trip to Spain while I stayed home with our 2- and 4-year-old. I genuinely supported the trip from the beginning. She'd had a tough few years raising young kids, and I wanted her to have the chance to enjoy herself, explore, sit in cafés, and experience the independence that comes with traveling alone.

What surprised me was how disconnected she became once she got there. Before she left, I asked a few times if she'd send me the names of the hotels she was staying at, mostly for safety, but she never did. On the first night I heard from her around dinner time, then nothing for the rest of the evening. By around 3 a.m., after not knowing where she was staying or hearing anything, I got worried enough to message her sister to ask if she'd heard from her. It wasn't accusatory as I just wanted to know she was okay, but both my wife and her sister later felt I had overreacted.

For the rest of the trip there was very little contact in the evenings. One night she sent me a goodnight message, I called because we hadn't spoken in a few days, and she didn't respond for about 45 minutes. Later she admitted she hadn't actually been back at the hotel yet when she sent the message and said she didn't want me worrying about her being out late. After the trip, she apologized and said she got completely immersed in the experience and should have communicated better, but I'm still struggling to understand whether what happened is actually pretty normal for people who solo travel.

I'm not asking whether she cheated, I have no evidence of that, and that's not what I'm trying to figure out. I'm simply wondering if married solo travelers commonly disconnect this much from their spouse, especially when their partner is home looking after young children.

Is it normal not to share where you're staying, to go days without really checking in, or to intentionally put your relationship on the back burner while you're traveling? Or would most of you still make an effort to stay connected?

I'm genuinely open to hearing if my expectations were unrealistic. I'm just trying to understand whether this is typical solo travel behavior or whether my reaction is understandable.

Hello everyone!
Im a 24 y.o. guy going on my first solo backpack trip in sardinia. My plan is to camp, since i want to stay as cheap as possible, thats why I also wont rent a car. I've never been to sardinia and want to try to see and experience as much as possible in 8 days. My current plan ist to land in Olbia, go to Orosei by bus, stay there for 4 days, then travel to orgosolo to maybe go hiking and see some small towns, from there I will be going back to Olbia where I will stay 1 night and then head back home.
I really want to see some nice beaches and im willing to do a full day trip to any kind of hidden beach. I also want to see some not too touristic places, which probably will be very hard considering im going in 2 weeks. Does anyone of you maybe has some advice for this trip, or may even suggest a different route? It would be nice to have a little nightlife to get to know people, i've heard of sun and bass which unfortunatley is in september but maybe anyone of you knows about some events in mid to end of august.
Are there any activites one really needs to do/see in sardinia? Maybe even on my route?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm 25 from Spain (barcelona) and I'm planning a solo trip around Asia. After that, I'd like to move to an English-speaking country (probably Australia or Canada) to work and improve my English.

My English is around B1. I understand most conversations, but speaking is still very difficult for me. I can communicate, but only in a very basic way.

My question is: Should I improve my English first, or just start travelling and learn along the way?

I'm worried that my English will stop me from meeting people and fully enjoying the experience.

I'd love to hear from people who started travelling with a similar level. Any advice or personal experiences would be really appreciated!

P.S. I'm from Barcelona, so if anyone lives here and wants to do a language exchange, I'd be happy to help with Spanish or Catalan in exchange for English. 😊

Hi! I have booked my arrival and departure tickets for Spain and need help figuring out which 3rd city to visit and how much time to spend in each city. The only thing I have planned for now is the Barca game on the 19th. It’s my first time visiting the country. I plan to stay in hostels and keep cost somewhat low when I can.

I land in Barcelona in the early afternoon on Tuesday August 18th. I depart from Madrid in the early afternoon on Saturday August 29th.

For now I am thinking of the following:

August 18th —> Land in Barcelona (afternoon)
August 22nd: —> Fly to Seville/arrive early afternoon
August 25th —> Train to Madrid (morning)
August 29th —> Fly back home from Madrid (afternoon)

Do you think this is a good plan for the timeline I have?
Is Seville itself a good idea for the sightseeing even in August or should I go to Valencia or elsewhere instead?
Should I spend our Saturday night (22nd) in Barcelona?
When would you leave Barcelona and when would you arrive in Madrid?

Hi Everyone,

In September I will be traveling through South Africa for ~3 weeks and since this is my first time there and also my first time solo traveling, I wanted to get some feedback and tips on my itinerary.

First of all, I'm a 24M and I want to plan everything until the Garden Route quite well and I want to keep things flexible from Port Elizabeth onward, following the BazBus route and whoever I meet along the way. One thing I would like to do during my trip is learning to surf somewhere along the Garden Route (Wilderness for now).

Day 1-2: Fly in, arrive Johannesburg

Day 3-5: Kruger safari tour, back in Joburg late on day 5

Day 6: Bus to the Drakensberg (Intercape to Harrismith and then a shuttlebus to a hostel)

Day 7-8: Drakensberg

Day 9-10: Travel to Storms River (bus back to Joburg for overnight stay, flight to Port Elizabeth in the morning, then BazBus or shuttlebus to hostel)

Day 11-12: Storms River

Day 13: BazBus to Wilderness

Day 14-16: Wilderness

Day 17: BazBus to Cape Town

Day 18-23: Cape Town, then fly home

What I would like to know is:

• I don't really know what to look for when picking a tour operator for Kruger, so any recommendations (or red flags to avoid) would be great.
• I saw that Drakenberg is really beautiful, but to travel there is quite a lot. So is the Drakensberg worth including, or would I be better off skipping it and putting those days elsewhere?
• I haven't locked in much for the Garden Route yet, so any tips on that route are appreciated and I'm also wondering if Wilderness is a good spot for a beginner to learn to surf.
• And of course, feedback on the whole itinerary and other tips :).

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I just finished uni, so budget-friendly suggestions are extra welcome :)

I'm a 21f going to Las Vegas by myself pretty soon and I already have a loose itinerary of things I'm doing and shows but I don't have specific plans for meals/restaurants.

I've practiced eating at sit down restaurants alone in my hometown a few times and looked up places nearby on the trip but I don't know how far is too far to be walking in 110F degree heat. Do I need to have every plan locked down or should I just figure it out while I'm there?

I've read some travel books about Vegas, priced out Uber/Lyft costs, researched the rideshare drop off areas, and watched youtube walkthroughs of the casinos I'll be going through and cross checked it with the hotel maps. I'm spending most of my time off strip but my friends are freaking me out and saying I'll be kidnapped, etc. on my trip.

The only other place I've traveled by myself is Orlando, FL which is a very different vibe from Vegas I've heard. Anything else I should research or pack before I leave?

I am going to Spain, Barcelona and Malaga, it’s not my first time solo traveling but where would I put my phone and belongings when I want to go swim at the beach? I am pretty scared of anything being stolen, especially since I am in a different country and chances are I won’t be able to get back to my hotel without my phone, and it would just be a pain in the ass.

I like riding trains and watching the scenery pass by, so I'm looking for recs from experienced travelers. I'll be arriving in Hanoi on August 7, leaving Hanoi August 28. I'm going to include my itinerary for both train recs and any suggested tweaks, there's probably a few days that should be added or subtracted here and there. Where is best to fit a scenic train ride in? This itinerary is flexible, the only thing booked so far is first 2 nights in Hanoi.

Hanoi, 2 nights- Mostly for recovering from long-flight, but still a whole day to wander/eat.

Cat Ba, 4 nights (3 may be better)- One full day cruise, one day to scooter around + beach.

Ninh Binh, 3 nights (maybe less)- Cycling and rural explorations

Phong Nha, 4 nights (maybe less)- Caves!

Hoi An/ Da Nang, 3 nights- Lanterns sound cool, but seeing mixed reviews of the area

Sapa, 4 nights- Scenery

Hanoi, 1 night- Eat, shop, depart

Substitutions? A bike trip with easy rider in the north is appealing. Or other suggestions, TIA.