File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Dear /trv/, this is my predicament. I want to travel but I don't have anyone to travel with. What should I do?
>> Anonymous
never travel alone. send me all the money you were going to use.
>> Anonymous
Travelling alone is awesome, depending on where you're going. If you're just doing weekend city breaks then it's no fun, but if you're talking about backpacking it's often the best way to travel.

Otherwise you could go on an escorted tour with other single people or look on gumtree/craigslist type sites for people looking for travel buddies.

I've travelled alone a number of times and always had a better time than when I've gone with friends and had to compromise on things because of them. Going solo gives you freedom to do what you want and makes you a better person. When you're with someone you usually just hang out together all the time, but when you're alone you're much more likely to meet new people and have great adventures.
>> Anonymous
>>81480
Doesn't everyone approach you with a dose of suspicion when you travel alone? I know I'd think something is not right.
>> Anonymous
>>81481
That depends on you and your appearance, as well as where you are.

If you're on your own in a red light district, hanging around nudist resorts or on your own in a 5 star hotel surrounded by honeymooning couples, then people may be suspicious.

From my experience, people act a lot nicer to you if you look like a traveller, than if you look like a tourist.

I'm not usually a particularly outgoing person, I can talk to anyone if I have something to talk about, but I'm not great at small talk with strangers. But when you're travelling, you've got so much to talk about... you can talk to any locals about the area you're in, about their country etc. and you can talk to any other travellers (whether they're alone or not) about travelling (where they're from, what they've been up to etc.).

More than 9/10 times you'll get a friendly response, because almost all people that travel (travel, rather than 'holiday') are interesting, down to earth people who want to see the world and meet new people, just like you. So unlike going out on your own where you live and talking to someone, you know that you've already got something in common.
>> Anonymous
scrubs who've never traveled alone are the cancer killing /trv/

PROTIP: While traveling in earnest, your friends are a liability.
>> Anonymous
A lonely loser will be a lonely loser in another country, and will be a lonely loser when he gets back. Fix your life first, then travel with your friends.
>> Anonymous
>>81490
not always, I've seen people completely change their lives for the better after travelling. Usually people who lived in a bubble, always hanging out with the same people and going out to the same places week in week out.
>> Anonymous
>>81490
Traveling along =/= lonely loser

My most valuable travel experiences have been alone.
>> Anonymous
>>81492
Where? Why? How? Do tell.
>> Anonymous
>>81488
>>81492
These. Travel alone. Fuck you friends. They'll almost always just slow you down.
>> Anonymous
But how safe is it for, lets say, a 22 year old woman, to travel alone?
>> Anonymous
>>81579
There is no place for you to go on Earth where you won't get raped. That's why all 3 billion women on the planet have been raped. You fucking moron, go do it. As long as you're not stupid and you stay out of 3rd world countries, nothing bad will happen.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I am a female in my early 20's for my birthda a couple years back I went to Amsterdam alone, a bunch of friends had planned to go with me but they all fell through, and so I was like FUCK IT.

some of my friends thought I was Crazy, but oddly enough my mom was very supportive about it (i thought she would flip when i told her)

It was one of the best expiriences of my life. and I almost kind of prefer it now. you can go at your own pace and do whatever you want if you're smart about it. I didn't hang about in the Red light District after dark alone, and I stayed in a hostel and met a surprising number of other young females traveling alone like myself, and so found a friend to hang out with and swap stories here and there.

and when I got back, I was so surprised at girlfriends of mine who told me how much they admired and respected my decision, saying "I could never do that" but they could! I mean I wouldnt go to russia, or south africa alone, and I didnt go out to bars and get trashed on my own, you have to be smart. but I say go for it, do alot of research beforehand though.
>> Anonymous
yeah, mostly if you look like a victim, you will be victimized, certian people just look like "a mark" if you look scared, if your clutching your purse, if you look lost in the middle of the night, the thug in the corner probably thinks he can jack your purse, but if you look confident, and keep your head up and your wits about you, you'll be fine.
>> Anonymous
Don't mean to derail OP's thread, but...

I want to travel alone. But I'm not an experienced traveller. Last time I went to a foreign country, was 3 times as a kid to Germany, with my parents.

I want to visit Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK alone. But I don't know:

1) How I should handle money. Last time I ordered something from a store online in Japan and Germany, my bank charged me like $5 additional foreign exchange fee... nigger piss. So how do I travel without my Jew bank Jewing me every time I buy something?

2) What to do if I get lost. I'm a horrible navigator, a genuine bona fide slowpoke with road signs. I once tried to drive to Bellevue, WA and ended up on the border of Idaho.
>> Anonymous
>>81686
>So how do I travel without my Jew bank Jewing me every time I buy something?
Cash. Go to an ATM every few days and take out a certain amount to spend.
>> Anonymous
>>81639
>>81639
Hey, I've seen you post with another pic of Amsterdam in another thread. Could you please write up a travel review in a fashion similar to this? [http://4chana r chive.org/brchive/dspl_thread.php5?thread_id=45096&x=Anon+in+China]

I've been interested in travelling to Amsterdam solo and it seems a few other anons would like to have an in depth review on travelling without companions.
>> Anonymous
>>81686
>I once tried to drive to Bellevue, WA and ended up on the border of Idaho

that's a serious mistake right there, lol. Like eight hours the wrong way haha

anyhow, 1: you're fucked unless you cash all your money before you leave and even then you're fucked with fees. ATMs are probably the fairest way of getting money though, and by far the simplest.

2. You're fucked pretty hard too, if you forget to pay attn where you are and shit, especially if you can't read signs and shit. That being said, its not that hard to ASK people (in europe everyone fucking speaks english practically, dunno about japan) and keep yourself oriented. I once got fuck-ass lost in Munich; the bus from prague dropped me off somewhere out in the suburbs, but a very friendly german couple showed me how to take the bus system to the metro system and then walk and find a hostel. They were awesome, and there's tons of nice people out there. I've sworn myself to go out of my way to help foreigners here in America find their way around as much as possible.
>> Anonymous
oh and OP: traveling alone is okay but not as much fun. I've done a bit of it, and met some very nice people along the way, so its not that lonely. But you have to keep your wits about you and do all your keeping track of shit and etc yourself.

also listen to her, she sounds smart -->>>81639
>> Anonymous
>>81721
>That being said, its not that hard to ASK people (in europe everyone fucking speaks english practically, dunno about japan) and keep yourself oriented.
Even if you can't speak a word of the language (but you of course carry a map and have your destinations marked/written somewhere), it's not that difficult, you just have to point at your destination, listen to the guy desperately try to explain where you need go for 10 minutes, and ignore everything except his first directional instruction, then go in that direction and ask the next person you see there.
>> Anonymous
>>81709
I actually wrote a really extensive blog with pictures and a full account of my trip. Problem is it's on my Myspace. Since anon is a scry beast I wont give it out here. do you have skype or yahoo?
>> Anonymous
>>81721
www.travelwiki.org

can be very useful. I always try to get a map of where I'll be staying first, and get the low-down on the public transit. generally if you know the way from the train or bus station to wherever youre staying you cant go wrong. I enev looked up the rout from the train-station to my hostel on google earth before I left, that way I knew what to expect and wasnt overwhelemed by the city.
>> Anonymous
>>81815
I have a gmail: bluelight42@gmail.com
>> Anonymous
When you're alone you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. I would've hated someone having an impact on the time I spent wandering around Tokyo.
>> Anonymous
Is there a decent site you can find people to backpack with or something?
>> Anonymous
bootsnall.com
>> Anonymous
heh there was a special offer to japan recently, I really wanted to use that chance because the flight was so cheap, but my usual travel companion wasn't available due to a fuckload of work and stuff.
so I didn't book the flight at first...
... then I was like ... FUCK IT as well, and booked the flight, return trip 40 days later.
another friend decided to join me for like 10 days though.

first 2 weeks I stayed with a former school colleague who lives in japan, but spent most of the daytime traveling alone as he was busy too, but that was great because I got a little more "into japan" for this time, meeting his japanese friends, going to izakaya and stuff like that and I saved 2 weeks accommodation.
then there came an intensive trip around the country when my other friend joined, and now I'm sitting here in tokyo, alone, and I like it.
>> Anonymous
Traveling alone can be a worthwhile experience. My advice is to take the trip alone and make friends early on wherever you are. You never know when you'll find yourself in an unfriendly environment or come into a town where nobody speaks your language.

I made friends when I could and for a few weeks I couldn't meet anyone and got a little lonely as the weeks wore on. If I had made no effort from the beginning and THEN had the unintentional dry spell, I'd probably have been pushed past my limit.
>> Anonymous
Not OP but thank you for all the info guys.
>> Anonymous
>>82078
Err, how do you make friends?
>> Anonymous
>>82664
"got a light?"
"where you from?"
"how long you been traveling?"
"what cha drinkin'?"
"is that any good?"
"where'd you get that backpack?"

etc etc.
when you recognize that someone speaks your language in a foreign country, the icebreakers are pretty easy.
>> Anonymous
So ronery
>> Anonymous
>>81481
The US does not like single male travelers returning from Asia.

>>81490
I'm actually more social abroad I am at home because people here are fucking parasitic worthless impossible-to-talk-to uppity cunts, and I actually speak their language.
>> Anonymous
>>81487
> almost all people that travel (travel, rather than 'holiday') are interesting, down to earth people who want to see the world and meet new people, just like you. So unlike going out on your own where you live and talking to someone, you know that you've already got something in common.

This.