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Travelling alone

GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands ModeratorPosts: 10,331 mod
in Countries and Travel
How many of you have experience of travelling alone, and do you have any tips for how to pass the time? It is something that I may need to do at some point in the near future, and I admit that I am a little bit wary of the idea!

Comments

  • Practical_SeverardPractical_Severard Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭
    > @GemmaRowlands said:
    > How many of you have experience of travelling alone, and do you have any tips for how to pass the time? It is something that I may need to do at some point in the near future, and I admit that I am a little bit wary of the idea!

    Well, if you mean a transcontinental flight I would suggest taking a tablet full of movies with you. Though when I was flying for 11 hours the air company provided one in the back seat. A book or, better, an e-reader may be an alternative if you like to read. Serious literature doesn't go well with me in this situation, at least for a long time.

    I have the experience of travelling for three days on the train without partners/relatives. But people usually get acquainted with their co-travellers in this situation and spend some of the time talking, at least where such trips have a place.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    Practical_Severard said:

    > @GemmaRowlands said:

    > How many of you have experience of travelling alone, and do you have any tips for how to pass the time? It is something that I may need to do at some point in the near future, and I admit that I am a little bit wary of the idea!



    Well, if you mean a transcontinental flight I would suggest taking a tablet full of movies with you. Though when I was flying for 11 hours the air company provided one in the back seat. A book or, better, an e-reader may be an alternative if you like to read. Serious literature doesn't go well with me in this situation, at least for a long time.



    I have the experience of travelling for three days on the train without partners/relatives. But people usually get acquainted with their co-travellers in this situation and spend some of the time talking, at least where such trips have a place.

    I mean taking an entire trip on your own rather than just the journey. I am very nervous when flying so I do need as many distractions as possible for that part!
  • Practical_SeverardPractical_Severard Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭
    > @GemmaRowlands said:
    > I mean taking an entire trip on your own rather than just the journey.

    That's a not very funny trip I might guess. If it's a pleasure one, could you join a group of travellers? Such as my DD joined a beginners' surfing group once. Everyone was young, boys and girls, so it was a fun for her.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    Practical_Severard said:

    > @GemmaRowlands said:

    > I mean taking an entire trip on your own rather than just the journey.



    That's a not very funny trip I might guess. If it's a pleasure one, could you join a group of travellers? Such as my DD joined a beginners' surfing group once. Everyone was young, boys and girls, so it was a fun for her.

    It's more of a business trip, but the meetings are all spread out, so I will need to try and find things that I can do in the middle of everything else.
  • Practical_SeverardPractical_Severard Posts: 2,705 ✭✭✭✭
    > @GemmaRowlands said:
    > > @GemmaRowlands said:s a fun for her.
    >
    > It's more of a business trip, but the meetings are all spread out, so I will need to try and find things that I can do in the middle of everything else.

    In this case you could research the places you'll be visiting and plan some activities for the idle gaps. Blogging about them is additional means to keep yourself busy too.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    Practical_Severard said:

    > @GemmaRowlands said:

    > > @GemmaRowlands said:s a fun for her.

    >

    > It's more of a business trip, but the meetings are all spread out, so I will need to try and find things that I can do in the middle of everything else.



    In this case you could research the places you'll be visiting and plan some activities for the idle gaps. Blogging about them is additional means to keep yourself busy too.

    Yes, I might do that. I do enjoy writing about things, and it would let my family at home keep up to date about my experiences.
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    @GemmaRowlands travelling alone can be by far the best way to travel. As @Practical_Severard suggests, it is almost certain you won't be alone for long. If you're travelling on a bus or train, then looking out of the window is fascinating. In the evening, if you're in a hotel somewhere, I tend to do much like I would at home - watch a movie, read or maybe go out for a meal.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    mheredge said:

    @GemmaRowlands travelling alone can be by far the best way to travel. As @Practical_Severard suggests, it is almost certain you won't be alone for long. If you're travelling on a bus or train, then looking out of the window is fascinating. In the evening, if you're in a hotel somewhere, I tend to do much like I would at home - watch a movie, read or maybe go out for a meal.

    I do enjoy looking out of the window, and it's even better if you're in a place you've never been to before, as everything is new.
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    You don't get such a good chance to look out of the window if you are travelling with someone @GemmaRowlands. Though as a child I used to love gazing out of the window when I travelled in the train to visit my grandparents in Paris. Somehow the highspeed trains aren't quite so much fun as the scenery passes by too fast.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    mheredge said:

    You don't get such a good chance to look out of the window if you are travelling with someone @GemmaRowlands. Though as a child I used to love gazing out of the window when I travelled in the train to visit my grandparents in Paris. Somehow the highspeed trains aren't quite so much fun as the scenery passes by too fast.

    That's true, but whenever I'm travelling with someone else they always seem to end up falling asleep, so I stare out of the window a lot anyway!
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    @GemmaRowlands I think I talk too much, so most of the time my travel companions don't get much of a chance to fall asleep!
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    mheredge said:

    @GemmaRowlands I think I talk too much, so most of the time my travel companions don't get much of a chance to fall asleep!

    You sound like the ideal person to travel with then, as there is nothing worse than a long, boring, silent journey!
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    Hahaha! I am one of those dreadful people who loves to chat with anyone who is ready to chat back with me @GemmaRowlands!

    Obviously if they have a book or something to occupy themselves, this is a signal that they want to be left alone, but I think most people are happy to talk when they have nothing else to do. I have made a lot of friends from people I was sitting next to on long (even short) plane and bus rides.

    This is another reason I prefer to travel alone, because when you are with someone, then you tend not to make so much effort to talk to other people.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    mheredge said:

    Hahaha! I am one of those dreadful people who loves to chat with anyone who is ready to chat back with me @GemmaRowlands!

    Obviously if they have a book or something to occupy themselves, this is a signal that they want to be left alone, but I think most people are happy to talk when they have nothing else to do. I have made a lot of friends from people I was sitting next to on long (even short) plane and bus rides.

    This is another reason I prefer to travel alone, because when you are with someone, then you tend not to make so much effort to talk to other people.

    It's a good way to make friends though, and I think it is great that you have friends from all over the world just because you talk to them while travelling.
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    I love travelling @GemmaRowlands but I had booking tickets! I have booked my overnight train from Penzance to Paddington that takes 7 hours and gets me to Paddington at 5am. I should easily make it to Heathrow by 6am and should have nearly two hours before my gate closes for my flight back to France. However, I am now worried that if British Rail behaves in its normal, inefficient way, (wrong type of leaves on the lines or something), I might find myself missing my flight. I also need to keep my eyes skinned for any train timetable changes from January, as I saw on the news that they will be changes. I find it incredible that travel in many of the poorest countries in the world is no longer as fraught with problems as it can be here in Britain!
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    mheredge said:

    I love travelling @GemmaRowlands but I had booking tickets! I have booked my overnight train from Penzance to Paddington that takes 7 hours and gets me to Paddington at 5am. I should easily make it to Heathrow by 6am and should have nearly two hours before my gate closes for my flight back to France. However, I am now worried that if British Rail behaves in its normal, inefficient way, (wrong type of leaves on the lines or something), I might find myself missing my flight. I also need to keep my eyes skinned for any train timetable changes from January, as I saw on the news that they will be changes. I find it incredible that travel in many of the poorest countries in the world is no longer as fraught with problems as it can be here in Britain!

    Yes it is always concerning when you're worried about missing a connection, if it was me I would make sure that there were a few back-up options, but we shouldn't have to do that!
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    I will be travelling some long distances in the coming week or so but as I'm going by bus, I can't really say I will be alone!
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    On Friday I will be travelling with a friend for a few days, which I'm looking forward to. After that however, I'll be off again for a couple of weeks exploring the far west of Nepal on my own.
  • GemmaRowlandsGemmaRowlands Moderator Posts: 10,331 mod
    I have taken the bull by the horns and I have made plans to travel alone for the first time ever. I will be going to Scotland in the summer and I am looking forward to it.
  • mheredgemheredge Posts: 44,441 ✭✭✭✭
    Well done you @GemmaRowlands! I'm sure that you will enjoy it and it will definitely boost your confidence. I look forward to hearing about your adventures. You'll have a lot of fun, I'm sure.
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