Traveling alone can be beautiful or it can be terrifying. It all depends on how you approach life alone, without ties and purely on your own decisions.
Solo Travel: Tips for Exploring Towns on Your Own and not die trying... or get bored.
solo travel
The truth is that travel alone It can open up a huge range of possibilities because you move freely, have a completely flexible routine, and can make new friends and lovers/boyfriends along the way.
It's true that traveling alone isn't for everyone, but it's basically a matter of safety. There are different destinations in this regard, and it also depends on whether you're a man or a woman.
Traveling alone is a journey of learningYou learn from your mistakes, from your silences, from others. While it's not for everyone, it has its advantages. Want to try? But first, pay attention to these Tips for exploring towns on your own.
Let's see first what are the best towns and cities in Asia to travel alone.
Solo travel: Asia
The truth is that in the Asian region the best destinations for solo travel are Japan, South Korea and VietnamVery different countries, but certainly the best for traveling alone.
Japan is a super safe country. At least it still is, even with the mass tourism it's been receiving recently. Compared to the rest of the world, here you can move around easily at any time of day and anywhere. In towns and cities.
Tokyo or Osaka They're the largest cities in the country. I know for sure; I've been there many times and will return next year. You can move around freely at any time of night without fear. The people are friendly, even if you don't speak a word of English, and everything works like a charm.
Nowadays, with the internet working on your mobile phone, you can navigate the transportation system, eat and translate the menu, you don't get lost in the strange network of streets that are Tokyo or Osaka, and you can even, if your interlocutor is patient, have a conversation.
In terms of small towns or cities in Japan to travel alone I think of the cities of Kanazawa, Sendai, Kyoto, Morioka, Kobe, Hiroshima or Naha; and among the towns the truth is that any small town in the Rural Japan It's fantastic. You'll be welcomed.
Japan is followed by South Korea, a small but very modern country. Seoul It is its capital, a vibrant city with many cultural attractions and a great nightlife. Koreans speak more English than Japanese. So here, if you know English, you have the advantage.
My advice is to leave Seoul, take a train, and go far away. To the coast, inland, south, to Busan too. South Korea It has an excellent transportation system, on schedule, clean, efficient, hundreds of places to eat, good shops… It’s great.
Y Vietnam Of course, it's also a good destination for solo travel, but for different reasons. And there are A lot of tourists in Vietnam, with the backpack on the shoulder, so in principle it is super easy to put together temporary groups, the kind you put together for a tourist visit and then dismantle, or make friends in a hostel or have people on hand to answer questions about the trip or listen to advice and experiences.
Cities like Hanoi o Ho Chi Ming They are classic destinations, destinations that impeccably combine history, culture, and gastronomy. But their most remote villages are the most special destinations.
I speak of Bat Trang and its centuries-old ceramic culture, the village of Duong Lam, just 44 kilometers from Hanoi, with its alleys and wooden houses, or Van Phuc, the silk village.
Finally, for the same reasons Vietnam is on the list, we could include Thailand, don't you think?
Solo travel: Europe
If you're European, you'll surely feel at home navigating the cities and towns of this continent. If you're not, the culture is sure to be familiar and won't be that difficult. Still, There are cities and towns in Europe that are friendlier to solo travelers than others..
Among the best countries to travel alone in Europe are Italy, Greece, Spain and Iceland, and among the best cities are classics such as Paris, Rome, Vienna, Mykonos, Florence, Seville, Amsterdam, Porto, Lisbon, Berlin and Copenhagen.
Now, let's talk about towns to visit on your own. In Spain, there are villages and towns that are lovely places, friendly to visitors. Mijas It is a village in Andalusia, between Marbella and Malaga, near mountains, for example. León, Granada, Barcelona o Valencia are also good destinations.
En Czech Republic is presented to us Cesky Krumlov, cheap and charming. In Ireland it is dingle, the beauty of the Emerald Isle, in Italy the island of Burano, a neighbor of Venice and not as visited as it.
En GermanIn the Mosel Valley, there is a small town called Beilstein which is reached by ferry from Cochem. There's a medieval castle and you can rent a car throughout the area. We can also name Rotheburg, the best-preserved medieval village in the country.
And so we could make a looooong list: Haarlem (Netherlands) Rye (UK), Bellagio (Italia) castle combe (England)…
To close today's article, some Very important tips for traveling alone wherever you want. Because we didn't mention it, but while some towns and cities are friendlier to solo travelers than others, you can actually travel anywhere alone.
- Have a travel plan: It helps you stay fairly organized about your route so you can anticipate things and not miss important things.
- Create a budget: Keep in mind how much you want to spend and on what.
- Safety is important: Share your travel plans with someone and stay in touch. At least someone should check in with you from time to time and know your itinerary.
- Travel documents: Have photocopies of your passport and visa on hand, if needed. They're not necessarily valid, but they're helpful.
- Be careful with your luggage: Pack light, whether you have a backpack or a suitcase.