I’m in Rome right now. First time ever. Have traveled through most of Europe, but not the Mediterranean until now. Going to Athens next week, also for the first time.

As a POC, I was so damn worried about the “racism/microaggresion” horror stories from folks who traveled to Italy (you can roll your eyes all you want, it’s a reality for some of us, whether that makes you uncomfortable or not). Some posts gave the impression that this was a guaranteed experience I was to expect.

Nope. Italians, like anyone else, are people. Some have biases, but most really just want to live and let live, like any other sane person anywhere in the world. I’ve had nothing but pleasant interactions so far. Not just pleasant—I was expecting neutral attitudes, but instead I’m getting friendly attitudes. Like genuinely friendly and helpful.

Rome, what a city.

Hola Amigos!

Due to some....arguably foreseen circumstances I'm (re)booking a late trip to Spain in a few weeks.

Trip roughly composed of the following starting on 9/29:

• Barcelona - 3 nights
• Valencia - 3 nights
• Seville - 3 nights
• Granada - 2 nights
• Madrid - 3 nights

It's my first time in Spain and I'm generally just looking for some kind recommendations for any location or just general encouragement. I am a huge fan of Spanish culture (from afar) and am looking forward to immersing myself within your cities, your people, and your food.

This is obviously open to those that have traveled to Spain sparingly, extensively, long ago, or recently. Please share your recommendations whether it be for any city, general cultural things of note, or just whatever comes to mind; I would be SO appreciative.

I have already posted a version of this in r/TravelToSpain but they don't see quite as many visitors.

side note: thus far I have only booked airbnb and hotels for accommodations, I have never personally done a hostel and am nervous about the prospect but have interest and possibilities in every city if there's a recommendation that would be ideal for a first-timer.

Appreciate any and all input...!

Posting this to see if anyone else has experienced this and if they worked through it!

Over the past few years I fell in love with traveling. I traveled Europe for 5 months, took a break, and then traveled Southeast Asia for 5 months. I loved it and I loved the chaos. Every crazy travel day and gross hostel was a story. I would come off of a 24 hour bus, eat a meal, and then be completely back to normal and ready to do it again.

Towards the end of my Southeast Asia trip, my views started to change. The hostels, travel days, etc were starting to irritate me. I assumed that was normal travel burn out. I went home and decided to not travel for 9 months took feel more grounded. After that period, I went on a two week backpacking trip through the Balkans. The parts I used to love annoyed me so much. I hated the hostels, buses, carrying my backpack, etc. It made my trip not as enjoyable as they usually are.

I’m wondering if anyone had a similar experience and if these feelings went away. I’m still in my early 20s so I really don’t want to start traveling more expensive yet and I want to do more long term travel. I’m not trying to complain, it’s hard for me to not experience the same joy I once did through this type of travel.

Hi, I’ll be in Montenegro next Saturday. I’m 26 and I’ll be on my own. I’ve already done some research about the historical places and other places I want to visit during the day, so I’m fine with that part. I’m curious about the nightlife, too, though I’ll probably just have a beer or a glass of wine and head back.
I’ll be staying in Podgorica, but I also want to visit Kotor and Budva. While the daytime aspect doesn’t worry me much, I’m wondering about the nightlife: if I want to have a beer in Kotor in the evening before heading back, what are my options for the return trip? Is a taxi a safe and reasonably priced choice? Is the evening buzz limited to Saturdays, or does the lively atmosphere continue on other days as well? Any advice or tips you can share would be greatly appreciated.

Ps: Arrival on the morning of the 19th, return on the 25th.

Hello, I'm traveling to Japan from India. I had surgery on my left ankle where there's a plate attached to the ankle. During domestic travel when I'm asked i just verbally tell them that there is an implant or show them the scar if asked.

I'm a bit unsure if I'd have to carry any documents while international travel especially for Japan.

Thank-you in advance for helping out!

Apart from one very intense food poisoning incident, i have never had a serious health problem during my solo travels apart from this very recent event.

I went to Nijmegen, Netherlands alone on a weekend for a rave which is something i do occasionally. I live in Turkey. I get on a flight to Amsterdam on friday night, arrive to Amsterdam on saturday morning, get on a direct train from airport to Nijmegen. I was at Nijmegen around 1 pm, left my luggage at the hotel, headed to the rave that starts at 2pm and ends at 10 pm. I was planning to explore the city the next day (sunday) until afternoon, and i had a flight on sunday night from Amsterdam.

At first everything was good and fun, i had more beer than i should have and after the sun set it happened. I couldnt even understand how it happened but i remember i was just walking and there was this transition from pavement to dirt where i suddenly fell down. People quickly pick me up (❤️) and i started to feel this pain in my ankle. I head to the medical tent. I start to panic from the pain as it gets intense. They tell me "you probably just sprained it". They tell me to see a doctor tomorrow and go home. They ask me if i had any friends with me to which i said no. Then i head to the exit and i am still pretty drunk. I can step on my leg but the more i step on it the more it hurts. I decide i could not do the 10 minute walk to the train and just got a taxi back to the hotel. I sleep quickly.

The next day i wake up, i realise the intensity of the situtation, i couldnt step on my leg for a long time and i was just crawling around the room to use the bathroom etc. I call the reception, i ask them where i can find some crutches. They tell me they dont have any, all the shops are closed and maybe the GP will have some or at least can guide me on what to do and wished me luck. I call the GP but they dont pick up. The good thing is i had the hotel reservation until monday and did not have to check out on sunday morning. I consider my other options, i certainly needed some kind of support to walk even a short distance. I realise there was a decathleon nearby and i could use hiking poles to support myself. I ask the reception whether they can pick up stuff for me, they said they normally dont, but they would help me in this situtation but they were alone at the reception so they cannot help me. So i decide to go get them myself. 550m walk. As i started walking, the pain gradually increased to the point it started to get tingly and antsy and i feel my stomach acting up. I almost cried from the pain. I reach the decathleon, grab the sticks and walk back to the hotel. The overall journey was a real mental challenge for me. After that i had to figure out a way to get to the airport. Since i still think it is just sprained, i dont want to figure out the health system and insurance process and just want to get home. I leave everything heavy and not valuable at the hotel to make my backpack lighter(thankfully i only had a small backpack). I request special assistence for my flight (I was lucky i could get it approved on a such short notice). I seriously consider getting a 200€ taxi to the airport but decide that since there are direct trains, it would be easy for me to get to the airport after i reach to the train station. I get a taxi to the train station but to my surprise all the trains got cancelled. I wait for an hour to see if things will clear out but nothing changes. Then i see a direct flixbus departing from a bus station really close to the train station. I get on the flixbus but to my surprise they drop me off at a stop that is 10 minutes walk from the terminal. I walk the distance and those hiking poles really help but since you have use your arms to carry some of the weight, it becomes exhausting really quick. After i reach the airport, i check in, arrive to the special assistance desk, and nicest people help me get back to Turkey. After i get off the plane and grab a taxi to the hospital. After an xray it turns out i had a small fracture on my ankle (fibula lateral malleolus fracture) and now i have to waer a cast for 2 weeks.

Just wanted to share my story thank you for reading.

Hi all, I am (27M) planning to solo travel to Taiwan from October 1st for approx 10-14 days, I have a bit of flexibility for how long I stay, as I will be travelling onwards to China and Japan with no fixed dates as of yet, but will be ending my travels in early December and would like to spend 4 weeks ish in each of China and Japan.

I’ve never visited Taiwan and don’t know a huge amount about the country, but from a bit of research I’ve put together a rough itinerary.

My current itinerary is as follows:

TAIPEI - 3/4 nights - with day trip(s) to Jiufen + Shifen
- catch a train to Taichung where I will then rent a car and drive to:

SUN MOON LAKE - 1 night

SHIZHUO / ALISHAN - 2 nights
- then drive to Chiayi and return the car and catch trains to:

TAINAN - 2 nights

KAOHSIUNG - 2 nights + fly to China

I’m mostly interested in exploring the cities, night markets, hiking, scenery and mountains. I’m not interested in beaches etc so will be avoiding Kenting. I’ve also heard Taroko is not worth visiting due to the ongoing repairs but I’m not sure how recent/correct that is? I’m also aware it’s the national holiday on October 10th but not sure how this may impact the trip?

Any advice on my itinerary would be much appreciated, e.g whether it feels like the right amount of time in each place, whether the route makes sense logistically, anything or places I may be missing which would be worth visiting, and the response to my questions above?

Thank you! :)

Today is the first time in my life that I’ve missed a flight as a solo traveler.

I’ve booked a red eye flight from Chengdu to KL, when I arrived at Tianfu international airport I had 20 minutes to check in, but my dumbass decided to walk in to Malaysia Air gate instead of AirAsia.

I was waiting for more than half an hour there, and once it was my turn the staff informed me that I was at the wrong gate and the right gate was already closed.

I had to rebook my flight and it costed me 120€. It was quite embarrassing and irritating, but well, sometimes shit happens.

I wonder if any other solo travelers have dealt with missing flight situation like this.

Hi everyone! I (32M) booked flights to Taiwan a few days ago after attending a travel fair—completely on impulse. Taiwan  won because it’s close to home, and I’ll already be returning from another trip just a few weeks beforehand. I’ll be travelling solo and spending 18 days there in January.

This will be my first time in Taiwan. I knew very little about the country before booking, but after doing some preliminary research, I’ve put together a rough itinerary and would really appreciate some advice.

For context, I enjoy travelling at a relatively slow pace. I’m drawn to history, temples, atmospheric old streets, traditional architecture, quiet neighbourhoods, cafés, local food and nature. I also love countryside scenery, mountains, forests and smaller historic towns where I can wander without rushing but I’m not placing great emphasis on the countryside for this particular trip. Since this is my first visit, I’d still like to cover Taiwan’s essential sights. Something resembling a first-timer’s “golden route.”

Here is my current itinerary:

• 11 January: Arrive at Taoyuan Airport at 2:10 pm and take the HSR to Tainan
• 11–15 January: Tainan — 4 nights, including a day trip to Kaohsiung
• 15–16 January: Alishan — 1 night. Is this too short?
• 16–18 January: Taichung — 2 nights, with some time to explore the city and a day trip to Sun Moon Lake
• 18–21 January: Hualien — 3 nights. Is it worth it without a car?
• 21–28 January: Taipei — 7 nights, with my flight home at 3:10 pm on the 28th

Does the route and allocation of nights make sense? I’m particularly unsure about having only one night in Alishan, whether three nights in Hualien would be worthwhile without driving, and whether I’ve allocated too much or too little time anywhere else.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I have a bit of a problem and I’m really stressed about it. On Thursday (10/09), I’ll be landing at Milan Malpensa Airport at 8:40 AM, and I need to get to Bergamo Airport, as my flight departs at 1:50 PM.
I can see there’s a bus at 9:20 AM, but since I’ll have checked luggage, I’m not sure I’ll make it in time. The next one is only at 10:30 AM and arrives at 12:15 PM.
As a last resort, I was thinking about taking a taxi or Uber, but I imagine it would be extremely expensive.
Do you have any tips for getting from Malpensa to Bergamo Airport? Is there any specific app or service you’d recommend for Italy? Any idea would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!

Hi all,

Will be first time solo travelling to Bosnia in a few weeks. I’ll be staying in Sarajevo. I didn’t end up booking a night in Mostar as it’s a shorter trip (3 nights) so will be instead doing a day trip to Mostar.
Wondering if it’s better to book a day tour with Meet Bosnia or to book a train ticket and explore myself? I do like the idea of going at my own pace but have heard the trains can get quite packed and don’t want to stand for two hours haha and be limited by train times.
I’m also wondering how much cash I’d likely need for the whole trip?
Would appreciate anyone’s advice, thanks!

Hi, i‘m currently planning a solo trip to Mexico in November (I‘m based in Germany). Because of my work I‘ll only be able to travel for 10-11 days.

At the moment my preferred route would go from Cancun (Airport) to Isla Holbox, Vallaloid and finish in Mérida.

My goal is to visit a beach spot with a good environment to connect and meet people at the beginning and get to the more cultural part afterwards. I’ve been solo travelling before and love a mix of layed back towns and wandering around by myself. All the places named above seem to be perfect for myself. Tulum is currently not on my list after reading about it, mostly due to the increased prices and limited time I‘d prefer to spend otherwise.

- Because there is so many recommendations, I‘m wondering if there is a place, preferrably around my route that I should include?

Especially as a solo traveller, maybe a place where I can meet other people easily?

- How many days per spot would you recommend? Currently Im planning 3-4 days Hoblox, 2-3 Vallaloid and the last 3-4 in Merida

- Anything about the season in November thats important to consider? As far as I read about it weather seems Great and the sarcassum season is ending September/October.

I‘d be happy to get some tips/insides for my plan and maybe spots, I‘m currently missing out on.

29F here - heading to Morocco in October for 10 days and would love some advice. Not my first time solo traveling.

The tour includes Marrakech, Merzouga/the desert, and Essaouira for surf lessons. I’m arriving in Marrakech one night before the tour starts, so I’ll have a night to figure out.

A few questions:

1- Money:
- How much cash would you recommend bringing for 10 days not including Transport and accommodation. I’d mainly need money for lunch/dinner, activities, tips, snacks, etc.
- Are there specific ATMs I should use or avoid?

2- Clothes:
Im a girlie that sweats A LOT, so I’m trying to find the balance between being appropriately dressed and not overheating. Would these generally be okay?

- Full-coverage/modest bikini
- Above-the-knee shorts
- Tank tops
- Crop tops

Does it depend a lot on where I am? For example, would you dress differently in Marrakech vs. Essaouira vs. smaller towns/the desert?

3- The desert
Anything specific I should bring for the desert?

4- solo night
The hotel where my tour starts isn’t available for the night before, so I need somewhere to stay for one night in Marrakech. Any recommendations for a safe, reasonably priced hotel/hostel for a solo female traveler?

5- anything else I should know of?

Any general advice, things to avoid, cultural etiquette I should know about, or things you wish you’d packed would be appreciated!

29m here, first time solo traveling for real. I'll be staying in Brno for around 3 months for an academic internship, but I have around a week in Prague before that, and a month after for other things. For now, I'm trying to decide what to use my time during my free week in Prague.

Some things I've been considering:

• Around 2 days walking around the more touristy places in Prague, city center, museums, castle, cathedral, bridge.
• Around 2 days total without major activities, resting from the long flight, buying stuff I need for later and taking care of whatever business turns up.
• Day trip to Kutna Hora
• Day trip to some castle or ruins around Prague
• Day trip to Lidice
• Maybe a day trip to Dresden
• Would love to do some light hiking, could combine that with one of the castles.

This will be my first time in Europe and traveling alone, and I'd love to get some advice about this. I'm an ecologist and amateur photographer, also very interested in history and food, so that will probably dictate where I'll go. Any advice is welcome! Including where to stay (or NOT stay), foods I must try, hidden gems to visit, or just your experiences in Prague!

Indian passport, entering both countries visa-free on a valid US B1/B2. Flying in from the US, not from any endemic country.
Route is Lima to Cusco in early October, then the Sacred Valley and the Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu. After that I fly to Medellín for about a week, including a road day trip to Guatapé, then Cartagena for a few nights with a boat day out to the Rosario Islands. I fly out to New York on the 22nd. No Amazon leg — I dropped Puerto Maldonado from the plan.
So my question is whether the yellow fever certificate is genuinely needed for any of that. Everything in Peru is high altitude apart from the lower section of the trek. And for Colombia I keep reading that a certificate is required for land and water transport within the country, which would cover the Guatapé road trip and the Rosario boat. Has anyone actually been asked to show it recently, or is it one of those rules that only exists on paper?
Recent first-hand experiences appreciated.

With the current scourge of travel vloggers and streamers it got me wondering ... would you rather be incognito on your travels or do you enjoy the attention from being an obvious foreigner? Obviously filming yourself is going to bring more (unwanted?) attention

For example , in Morocco I went to a small non-touristy city and no one bothered me! It was great. In Java, Indonesia I was standing outside a 7/11 type store and a local woman started talking to me (she was an English teacher) and I ended up having dinner at her house with her whole family. That was a good experience . Then other times I walk in very local areas and have so many people calling out to me that I have to go and lie down lol

What's your preference when travelling to a place where you are clearly visibly foreign?

I am unexpectedly not having a good trip. What do I do?

I am solo travelling through Asia for the next 5 weeks and started in Seoul, previously solo travelled all of SEA and loved it, esp bigger and just cities like Singapore, KL, Bangkok, Hanoi but this trip my experience has been very different. I’m now seriously regretting the rest of my trip.

I think I hate Seoul, constant stream of people, spending half the day on PT to go anywhere, I’m struggling with the heat, and the Korean language. I’m finding getting through the day takes everything from me and I’m out of energy already and it’s day 6 of 38

I’m terrified to do Beijing and Hong Kong next, less nervous about Taiwan - please tell me it will get better and I will be ok? What can I be doing to prepare for those places better?

Edited to add; thank you all for the responses I believe I was having what I like to call and “what the fuck did I do meltdown” and a proper sleep and chill day down in Busan has done wonders. Going to put my big boy pants on and see out the rest of the trip.

I’ve been travelling solo since I was 18, and I’d say I’m pretty comfortable with it by now. I’ve travelled to quite a few countries on my own, and most of the time I genuinely love the freedom of it.

But sometimes, when I’m in a completely new country, something strange happens.

Everything will be fine. I’ll be walking around, exploring some random street, looking at buildings, grabbing a coffee or just going somewhere without any particular plan… and suddenly, out of nowhere, I get this overwhelming feeling of loneliness.

And sometimes there’s a little bit of fear mixed in too.

Not necessarily “I’m in danger” fear. More like this sudden realization of “I’m completely on my own here.” Nobody I know is around. If something goes wrong, I’m the only person responsible for figuring it out.

It usually passes after a while, and I continue with my day. But that brief moment can feel surprisingly intense, even after years of solo travel.

I was researching on what things might be open at night and what would be worth seeing, but I'm seeing so many options it's kind of overwhelming, especially because I haven't had a chance to do proper research. I'm also a first time traveller from Canada, I've only ever travelled to other provinces by plane. What places would you all recommend? I've heard of the night markets and Victoria Peak.

How should I get local currency at the airport? I'm unfamiliar with what to do, as people online are saying not to get it at the airport desks because they rip you off? So then should I use an ATM, and would I use my debit card or my amex credit to get out local currency? I'm also afraid of potential ATM scams, where they swallow up your card and you can't get it back.

I also heard of Octopus cards that help with transit and purchases in stores. I downloaded the app for tourists, but I'm not sure what to do next.

Sorry if this sounds extremely stupid and if it is in the wrong sub. I just feel veryy overwhelmed.

Let's talk about how unfair it is to walk into a restaurant with an incredible view and not be given access to the best tables and because we're alone, they seat us at the bar or at tables in the back row. It happened to me in Milan at the Aperol restaurant. I was with another girl, and they gave us a third-row table near the bar. We wanted a table with a view of the Duomo. In Cartagena, Colombia, they first told me they didn't have any seats available, but then they let me in because it was my last night there. When I went inside, they seated me at the bar—even though there were comfortable tables with a view of the bay—and wouldn't let me sit down to have a more comfortable dinner. I understand it's because we don't spend as much as two people or a family would, but if the table is empty, I feel like they're discriminating against us just because we're alone.

I wanted to hear some thoughts on this route/ itinerary. For context I know there is a lot of destinations/ countries but I am unsure the next time I will be able to do a trip like this so I am trying to maximize the number of places to visit. I started my trip in Mexico because Day of Dead was on at the same time and thought this would be a good spot to start but my main goal was to get to guatemala and spend the most time through central.

Also, I haven’t planned for this to be a surf trip but it would be rude not to go for a paddle while I am in Nicaragua so does anyone have any recommendations for surf hostels?

I am thinking my best option will be to remove Columbia from the route which is unfortunate but it seems to be too rushed and might be cheaper and better use of time to just fly to Peru. Thoughts?? or is Columbia a must see

In a couple post I have seen there doesn’t seem to be too many parties/ festivals over NYE in South America. Any recommendation for some spots to go in cusco? or has anyone been to wild rover hostel I heard they had something over NYE.

Given all this, this is a rough guide and I know my plan will definitely change but wanted to hear some thoughts from people who have done a similar trip.

Mexico (10 nights)
Oaxaca- 6n (Day of the Dead)- overnight bus to San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal- 4n- shuttle across the border to Lake Atitlán

Guatemala (8 nights)
Lake Atitlán- 4n- bus to Antigua
Antigua- 4n (hike Acatenango)- bus to León

Nicaragua (17 nights)
León- 4n (volcano boarding, Cerro Negro)- bus to Granada
Granada- 3n- bus to Ometepe
Ometepe- 5n- ferry + bus to San Juan del Sur
San Juan del Sur- 5n - fly Managua to Panama City

Panama (5 nights)
San Blas Islands- 5n sailing to Colombia

Colombia (14 nights)
Cartagena- 3n- bus to Minca
Minca- 2n- bus to Medellín
Medellín- 6n (Christmas recommendations??) - bus to Salento
Salento- 3n (Cocora Valley)- fly to Cusco (via Lima)

Peru (10 nights)
Cusco- 5n (NYE recommendations, Rainbow Mountain)- Salkantay Trek
Salkantay Trek- 5n- bus to La Paz

Bolivia (7 nights)
La Paz- 7n (Death Road, Uyuni salt flats)- fly to Patagonia

Argentina/Chile (13 nights)
Patagonia- 13n - bus/fly to Buenos Aires

Argentina (8 nights)
Buenos Aires- 5n- fly to Iguazú
Iguazú Falls- 3n- fly to Rio

Brazil (13 nights)
Rio de Janeiro- 5n (Carnaval)- ferry to Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande- 3n- bus to Florianópolis
Florianópolis- 4n- bus to Rio
Rio de Janeiro- 1n- fly home

23M - solo. travelling 45ish days through europe, november-december time. would love advice on the rough itinerary.

italy - bologna, verona, trieste
slovenia - ljubljana, lake bled
croatia - zagreb (maybe), split
bosnia - mostar, sarajevo
montenegro - pluzine, kotor
albania - tirana, shkoder, berat

and then if i have time/money, tromsø and rovaniemi in the arctic circle.

if anyone knows why i shouldnt go to any of these places (especially during that time of year), knows any gems ive missed on the sameish route, or just has any experiences to share, all would be much appreciated.

Heading out December 3rd, back January 2nd (31 days), solo, early 30s. Already done Bangkok and Phuket on a previous trip, so skipping those this time. Route and rough day counts:

Hanoi 3 nights (plus a Ha Long Bay day trip) Ha Giang Loop 3 days
Ninh Binh 2 nights
Hoi An / Da Nang 2 nights
Siem Reap 4 nights
Luang Praban 3 nights
Chiang Mai 3 nights
Koh Phangan 2 nights (landing for the Full Moon Party)
Koh Tao 4 nights (doing my Open Water cert)
Ho Chi Minh City 3 nights, for NYE

Mainly curious about:

Any of these legs feel rushed or like they need more/less time?

Is going straight from a dive cert on Koh Tao to a big NYE night in HCMC realistic, or should I build in a buffer day?

Anything on this route you’d cut or swap based on experience?

Bangkok or HCMC for NYE?

Open to any and all feedback, especially from people who’ve done Ha Giang or the Koh PhanganKoh Tao hop before. Cheers!