Female solo travelling

zagfles

peachyprice wrote: »

Had to laugh at this, I can't say I've ever had a flight cancellation or a crisis, but the only time I've had a bad experience was on the rare occasion I used a travel company. Never again. :rotfl::rotfl:

Yes it's far easier to sort out problems if you've booked direct with the airline/hotel (or for hotels gone via an agent like booking.com where they just make the booking and you pay the hotel direct). Going direct usually has far better cancellation/alteration terms as well.

duchy

Likely to cost you more too/ Airport staff have more flexibility than the staff on the phones... and if they want to can cite "operational reasons" for all sorts of things that would cost on the phones.

I once had two seperate air tickets Las Vegas to NYC and NYC to London with two differant carriers.... I completely miscalculated the impact end of Rodeo would have on the airport and ended up at the end of a hopelessly long queue causing me to miss my flight -and subsequently my connection at NYC to London. AA would have been completely within their rights to charge me £150 to rebook me onto the next flight on my fare type...and had I rung that's what they would have done....however I simply went to the desk at NYC and explained nicely I'd missed my connection "No problem - next flight is in an hour...would you like a window or an aisle seat"

The issue was entirely my fault -but by not stressing and asking nicely I ended up not only with a new flight but extra miles earned.

An agent couldn't have achieved the same result (I know I used to be an agent)

zagfles

Southernman wrote: »

I mentioned it to my mum and she said how I'd be lonely and bored at night because I would have to go back to my hotel room for 8pm.

The location I'm looking at is quite safe and while I wouldn't go clubbing I may head to a bar or have a wander around the streets during the early evening. Doubt I'd be out any later than 10pm as I'd be shattered from walking all day!

If you want lively evenings hostels are brilliant, you'll meet new people every night, inc other solo travellers, share ideas about what to do/where to go, even go boozing or for a meal with them. On my last trip my problem was getting enough sleep as I met a group of younger Poles who managed to survive on about 3 hours sleep a night who kept trying to persuade me to stay up boozing with them!

I've never been lonely staying in a hostel - hotel, yes, you can get lonely in the evenings but you can always take advantage of the (usually) free wifi in the hotel bar or restaurant and chat with your friends or Mum, or do research on what you're going to do the next day.

Walking tours are great way to see cities and you'll meet loads of solo travellers on them.

mandragora_2

Southernman wrote: »

I mentioned it to my mum and she said how I'd be lonely and bored at night because I would have to go back to my hotel room for 8pm.

What does she think you do at 8pm in the UK most nights?

MothballsWallet

Disclaimer: I am male, now 39.

I first went solo travelling in 1996 to Russia (of all places) to meet (the now) Mrs MbW in her city and another girl I was writing to in another city.

I managed okay, a couple of minor incidents (nearly lost my wallet in the first city, but found it on the road outside the airport before check in, had to pay a bribe to police at Mrs MbW's city's airport to get back into the departure lounge to get my plane - they claimed to be foreign coin collectors, escaped after giving them 2p).