Lone female

FBaby

Maybe you want a conventional hotel and pool for this first solo trip, but if it's the conventional hotel where you'd feel uncomfortable, consider alternatives like student accommodation.

Thank you so much Tuesday Tenor, for that link. I am considering taking my teenage kids to Paris for a couple of days this summer and this is perfect alternative to hotel. I would have to book two rooms in a hotel, making it a very expensive short stay.

The Uni accommodation is ideal, a nice comfy room, nice bathroom facilities AND breakfast included for £160 for two nights. That's ideal and they'll enjoy being on a campus!

I'm used to 4 star hotels, but I am actually looking forward to this!

duchy

I stayed in uni accomadation in a couple of places in the UK -both were historic buildings and quite unique. I'm sure some aren't nearly so nice though.

Tuesday_Tenor

FBaby wrote: »

Thank you so much Tuesday Tenor, for that link. I am considering taking my teenage kids to Paris for a couple of days this summer and this is perfect alternative to hotel. I would have to book two rooms in a hotel, making it a very expensive short stay.

The Uni accommodation is ideal, a nice comfy room, nice bathroom facilities AND breakfast included for £160 for two nights. That's ideal and they'll enjoy being on a campus!

I'm used to 4 star hotels, but I am actually looking forward to this!

I hope it works out well.

Just don't let them continue to think that university = holiday
or they might have problems later on ...!!!

Voyager2002

Jasmine81 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for being positive I'm quite open to which resort I stay at as long as its not too far from Malaga airport, so thanks Doshwater for recommending Fuengirola. I'll certainly look at what its like.

When I'm doing the activity holiday I plan to get out and about to visit the nearby villages. For some reason that doesn't make me anxious but going to the beach resorts does. Maybe its the thought that there will be couples and I might stand out?

Just a thought... the beaches near to Malaga are really not very nice, so for your final couple of days you might consider staying in Ronda. Ronda is not far from Malaga but is up in the mountains, and is an absolute gem. For that reason it gets plenty of visitors but still has its own atmosphere, so you could just relax there or if you are energetic there is lots to see and do.

See if you can learn a few greetings and phrases in Spanish. Spanish cafes are friendly places, and once you have visited the same place more than once the staff will get to know you and will do everything possible to make you feel comfortable and at home, particularly if you make some kind of effort to speak a couple of words in their language.

Voyager2002

Jasmine81 wrote: »

Thanks Tuesday Ten for your post. I'm tied to Malaga or the surrounding area for this trip as my three night activity holiday is in the countryside near Malaga and it is already booked. I did some research on Malaga last night and it is very tempting to book there. I spotted a Vegetarian restaurant so that has practically sold Malaga It looks like there is a good mix of things to do there as well as lay on the beach, I like to get out and about as well as sunbathe.

I must say... Malaga is far from being my favourite place in this part of Spain. I did a month-long language course there once, and while it was an OK sort of place everywhere that I visited for the weekends was outstanding in a way that Malaga was not. If you have three days available then it would be worth travelling as far as somewhere like Granada; Sevilla; Cordoba; Jaen; Ubuda... many more. If you particularly want to be beside the sea then consider Nerja, which has a very pleasant micro-climate (but be aware that if you need to get there by taxi, since bus times are not convenient, the ride will be very expensive). And I mentioned Ronda in my other post... the train ride there from Malaga is spectacularly beautiful (passing through a gorge where there is no road, so you can't see that view from a bus or car).

Note that the train to Malaga airport and other places along the coast leaves from a station that is some way from the city centre, so allow plenty of time for the airport transfer.

Voyager2002

Tuesday_Tenor wrote: »

University accommodation is also ideal for solo travellers as you don't have to pay for double rooms.

I've used universityrooms.com for some great visits to Oxford, but not yet used them abroad. I have my eye on historic Salamanca University ...

You have been fortunate. The guest rooms at Exeter University are really disgusting (when I was an academic there and arranged accommodation for visiting colleagues, I was really shocked and embarrassed by the filth they had to suffer). And judging by the reviews on Trip Advisor, the situation in London is similar...

Tuesday_Tenor

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I must say... Malaga is far from being my favourite place in this part of Spain. I did a month-long language course there once, and while it was an OK sort of place everywhere that I visited for the weekends was outstanding in a way that Malaga was not. If you have three days available then it would be worth travelling as far as somewhere like Granada; Sevilla; Cordoba; Jaen; Ubuda... many more. If you particularly want to be beside the sea then consider Nerja, which has a very pleasant micro-climate (but be aware that if you need to get there by taxi, since bus times are not convenient, the ride will be very expensive). And I mentioned Ronda in my other post... the train ride there from Malaga is spectacularly beautiful (passing through a gorge where there is no road, so you can't see that view from a bus or car).

Note that the train to Malaga airport and other places along the coast leaves from a station that is some way from the city centre, so allow plenty of time for the airport transfer.

Jasmine, picking up on some of Voyagers points:

I love Nerja, and the next village, Maro, even more. It's over an hour from Malaga. (Less by car; bus journeys vary considerably, depending how many stops).
I'm interested in Malaga as I know it has delights that are often overlooked by tourists who only know Malaga as an airport.
Buses between Nerja and Malaga are actually quite frequent, I'd say on average hourly, but more frequent at peak times and less frequent at others. There are timetables online, but I never trust them completely, exact times always seem to change a bit before I get there!

I think people were suggesting Malaga as being easier for you in several respects: closer to airport, not standing out as a single person, beach, other things to do. It won't be the most wonderful place you'll ever stay, but it could work well for your first solo holiday.

I've just been looking at accommodation in Malaga, though, and it seems VERY expensive: maybe because Spain is generally reported to be expensive this year, maybe because I'm having to look at Oct half-term for a young relative, and the cheaper places have already gone. But I can find places in Nerja and Maro MUCH cheaper. There are also some nice AirBnB places in both Malaga and Nerja.

I would certainly recommend all the other places Voyager suggests (Grenada etc) as I've been to all, but I think they're all so special that they merit a separate trip with more time, and they don't meet your need for a beach!

Just an extra bit of info ....

Jasmine81

Thanks Tuesday Ten. Yes Nerja looks lovely and my sort of place but I would worry that I would stand out as a single person. As you said, somewhere like Malaga would be easier for a first trip. I will be hiring a car for the activity break part as it is working out cheaper than their transfer service plus I want to explore the neighbouring villages

Yes the accommodation is very expensive! I'm looking at for 7-9th October so not half-term.

melanzana

Jasmine81 wrote: »

Thanks Tuesday Ten. Yes Nerja looks lovely and my sort of place but I would worry that I would stand out as a single person. As you said, somewhere like Malaga would be easier for a first trip. I will be hiring a car for the activity break part as it is working out cheaper than their transfer service plus I want to explore the neighbouring villages

Yes the accommodation is very expensive! I'm looking at for 7-9th October so not half-term.

Hi Jasmine,

This hotel is in a great location, close to absolutely everything, apart from the Train back to the Airport, but that's about a fifteen minute walk away so very doable!

HOTEL CARLOS V MALAGA. Look it up on Bookings.com.

And it's only €94 for the two nights. What a bargain!!

I'll be bookmarking this myself for the next time I'm down that way.

Great reviews on the booking.com website and Tripadvisor anyway.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotel_Review-g187438-d239238-Reviews-Hotel_Carlos_V-Malaga_Costa_del_Sol_Province_of_Malaga_Andalucia.html

missbiggles1

Doshwaster wrote: »

<<shudder>> I spent 3 years in University accommodation as a student and I've got no desire to do it again. I recently found myself having to use one at a conference and it was like being in a prison cell.

One of my most basic requirements as a solo traveller is a double bed.

I've just booked university accommodation in London for the summer - cheap and with fantastic facilities. As I'm on my own, I couldn't care less about having a double bed - you frequently don't get them in single hotel rooms anyway, I didn't on my recent stay in London.