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Posted on 03/12/2019 3:03:40 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The new survey of 2,000 Americans, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Travelex, confirmed that Americans are much more likely to give themselves over to their travel experience fully when they’re alone.
Specifically, half of the survey respondents (50 percent) said they’d be more willing to talk to locals while traveling alone, and another 46 percent said they’d be more spontaneous when unaccompanied.
Over half (57 percent) also said they are much more likely to go out of their comfort zone when traveling solo.
But it’s not without its drawbacks, it turns out. Safety is the chief concern Americans have with traveling alone, with 52 percent saying going by yourself is a lot less safe. Another 49 percent are also worried they’d get lonely.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Being a tourist traveling alone is pretty poor in my opinion. It is much less interesting when you have no one to share the experience with.
I imagine Thailand is a top venue, followed by Costa Rica and Cuba.
Really?
I traveled by myself for many years, starting back in the early 80’s. I’m a divorced female, now 71, but back then, I was very interested in the Civil War, and traveled alone, to most of the States where Civil War battlefields exist. I always preferred to travel alone, because I could get up when I wanted, go have breakfast where I wanted, and visit whatever I wanted, without having to cater to anyone else’s wants or needs. I also spent many years traveling alone to do research...Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, South Carolina, etc. On my first trip overseas in 2006, my oldest son flew over with me, but we then parted in Paris a couple of days later. He went on to Berlin, and I stayed in Paris for a few days, then headed to London, where I stayed for a week before embarking on a 3-week bus tour of the British Isles. There were two other women on the tour traveling alone. Having traveled alone for so many years in the U.S., it wasn’t a big issue for me to travel alone overseas. The only drawback to traveling alone on the bus tour was having to pay $1,000 extra to have a room to myself during the whole trip.
That's what they make cameras for. You share the trip with the people you want once you get home. I loved traveling by myself. The two times I traveled with a friend, I found it very unsatisfactory. Too confining, and too restricting. It didn't help that she was a scatterbrain. Screws up your whole schedule, and you don't get to do all the things you wanted to do.
It sounds like you’ve had some interesting adventures.
I haven’t done nearly as much traveling, or traveling alone.
I’m a baseball fan, and traveled to Cooperstown alone, and preferred to be there alone. None of my family and friends were as interested in seeing the Baseball Hall of Fame as I was. So not having them tag along, I had a better time than I would have had with them in tow.
I also have visited both Norman Rockwell museums alone, for the same reason. Nobody in my circle is as interested in Rockwell’s art as I am.
I travel alone most of the time, and I have great experiences because I have odd interests - like you, certain art and places - and I have actually never felt particularly afraid. To tell the truth, I’m more concerned when I’m with a group, which has happened a couple of times, or even with just one other person, because a lot of people are not as vigilant as I am.
But then, I grew up in NYC and lived there during some of its really bad times, so I’m tough! However, I always get trip insurance (because it’s expensive for your heirs to bring your body back) and I also stay on top of things and have cancelled trips because of “unrest.” That’s why I’ve never made it to the Holy Land...every time I get ready to go, the “Palestinians” attack.
There’s nothing worse than dragging someone along on a trip who really doesn’t want to be there. I remember one time taking my two sons in their mid and late teens to Plymouth, then the Cape, and on the way back hitting Fall River, Ma., to visit the historical society, along with some other spots related to Lizzie Borden. My oldest son’s girlfriend was with us. She and I visited the historical society. Both sons sat in the car and waited for us. It wasn’t until we stopped at Battleship Cove in Fall River, and toured the ships and sub there, that my oldest son got interested in getting out of the car. My two sons are now in their late 40’s and early 50’s, so our traveling days together ended a long time ago.
I worked for NY State Corrections for 25 years in uniform. Been retired since 2003. Like you, I am always alert as to where I am, and who is around me. I always felt comfortable traveling alone, even though I am a female, because of the security training I had all those years.
A long or stressful vacation is a good way to test your potential future mate. Lost luggage, missed connections, blistered feet, and other stresses can bring out their real personality, and you might be quite surprised that the really great guy/gal you met isn’t so great after the mask comes off.
Traveling alone is a luxury for some of us - but it's probably not for everyone. I'm late 50s, widowed, and I think I like traveling alone now more than I like traveling with people (that was not the case when I was young).
I can be up and out touring at the crack of dawn and in bed by 8pm...eat what I want or not at all...spend HOURS in a museum, do totally random things all day long without having to ask, "So what would YOU like to do?"
I love exploring and photography so having the freedom to enjoy that to the fullest is valuable (and I can happily afford the extra expense of not sharing a hotel room!).
I live in a big American city so I feel safer in most other places than I do at home. Headed to the Holy Land soon...can't wait!
Having taken all of my trips exclusively with the family, it can get a bit frustrating as my interests are different than anyone else’s.
When we were in London, for example, I really wanted to go to the Churchill Museum and the Imperial War Museum, but I just couldn’t fit it in with all the other things the others wanted to do. And I’m not comfortable enough with just going off and doing things on my own, if they are there.
I had this way of making my ex cry on too many of our vacations. Like clockwork. Being holed up 24/7 had the effect of pointing out what a jerk I supposedly was. I’m sure there’s some truth to it but while now in my 60’s the guided bus tours are more fun-everything taken care of except the problem of having to get up to catch the tour bus. A good mixture of families and couples. I’m also into flying into towns for 2-3 days where the SF Giants/49ers just happen to be playing. That way I’m not gone for too long. Life is good.
Me too. I’m female (the screen name comes from a magazine I had on my desk at the time FR demanded a screen name) and I think it’s a matter of staying aware. My daughter is a police detective in a Western city, btw, and she never sits with her back to the door in a restaurant... but I don’t take it that far!
The only thing I will say is that I would never consider traveling alone in a Muslim country. So while I think it might be fun to see the pyramids or some other sites, they’re not on my list because of their location.
Forgot to mention another benefit: It’s easier to get laid traveling solo. How many of these solo females leave their diaphragms at home?
I went to Europe twice alone.
Once to London,which I had visited 3 other times.and once to Dublin,which was new to me.
It was before the internet(for me) and I did my homework before I went to Dublin—knew exactly where to stay,where to go, and where to avoid. Had a great time.
.
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I would have loved to have gone to Egypt, and the Holy Land at one time, but any dreams I ever had of going, flew out the window once things got bad over there. I would never take the chance now. You can't even go to London anymore without having to worry about being attacked by muzzies.
By the way, my screen name came from the black Civil War infantry unit I focused my historical research on.
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