Travel the World By Yourself with Confidence

It always hits me in the spring: that first tickle that turns into a serious itch of wanderlust. You catch a late-night screening of The Quiet Man, and suddenly Ireland is all you can think about. How beautiful is my ancestral home?! Where would I go? Could I still get a ticket with miles? And would I feel comfortable going it alone?

All my significant travel during my single years has been in the company of someone -- daughter, sister, friend, lover. As a single woman, the idea of solo travel has always proven a bit daunting. I don't mind dining alone occasionally, but that's different than taking on an entire country. What if I ran into trouble? Lost my passport? For me, solo travel is the last hurdle in becoming happily single; for that reason, I've decided to tackle it this summer head-on, reading up on the ins and outs of going it gloriously alone. And where there are challenges, I am learning that there are also ample rewards.

Kelly Merritt is the author of The Everything Family Guide to Budget Travel, although, she notes, she has traveled more alone than she has with family, including her husband. "Traveling alone is an aphrodisiac for creativity and fresh perspective," she says. "More and more people are traveling alone because you can meet great new friends -- that's something you usually don't do when you're preoccupied with a travel companion."

Gray Cargill, 45, launched the popular website SoloFriendly.com after learning the joys of solo travel. As she writes in her blog, "Aside from the obvious benefits of being able to do whatever you want whenever you want without having to worry about the wishes (or annoying habits!) of a companion, solo travel helps to develop self-reliance and self-confidence."

And Susanna Zaraysky, author of Travel Happy, Budget Low: Over 200 Money Saving Tips to See the World, says, "I enjoy traveling alone because I can go at my own pace and not have to explain to someone when I simply want to enjoy il dolce far niente -- the sweetness of doing nothing."

It's easier today than ever before for singles to travel solo. Smart businesses that recognize a potential cash cow when they see it are enticing travelers to use their services by being more...welcoming? Luxury travel bookers Abercrombie & Kent report that in 2010, solo travelers made up 10 percent of their bookings, which spread across seven continents. In turn, A&K is waiving the single supplement or reducing it by as much as 75 percent on journeys to destinations most requested by solo travelers, from African safaris to cultural discovery programs in Europe.

The cruise industry is also rolling out the red carpet for singles these days. Unmarried folks who want to meet other singles in a safe environment would do well to try a cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line, for one, debuted a new ship last year called Epic that has the first single studio rooms for customers traveling solo -- and guests don't pay the single supplement fee.

For those whose taste in vacation runs to the more adventurous (trekking an Argentine glacier, anyone?), Adventure Life Authentic Travel has developed a series of adventure tours to Central/South America specifically for those going it alone -- and they, too, have waived single supplements.

My friend Gail is an avid biker who has pedaled in several different countries. BikeHike Adventures, in an effort to bring in more people like Gail, is also doing away with the single supplement fee, and they go one step further by matching singles of the same gender for biking fun.

So the tourist industry is waiting for me with open arms. That's nice to know, but what about the ins and outs of solo travel once I'm on the continent? For that, I sought advice from some experts.

Tips for Solo Travelers

On Dining: Zaraysky offers these savvy ideas about dining alone: "If you're uncomfortable with the idea, consider farmers markets and outdoor festivals, which have picnic tables where people sit and eat. Family-run restaurants and cafes with outside seating are inviting to solo travelers. Eating at the bar of the restaurant is also a good place to meet other people and chat with the bar staff."

Cynthia Clampitt, who took a six-month, 20,000-mile journey around Australia and wrote about it Waltzing Australia, suggests that when you dine alone, always have a book to read or a journal to write in to avoid that self-conscious feeling. She also notes the importance of learning at least a few phrases of the local language and recommends the website TravLang for help.

On Safety: Clampitt notes that the U.S. State Department has a great site where you can get up-to-the-minute news about a location you might be visiting. "You can also register, if you're going solo, so that if some international incident occurs, the U.S. Embassy in that country knows you're there so you're not really alone," she says.

As for traveling single and being single, Clampitt says if you're looking for fun on the trip, dress accordingly. "Skirts for women and nice slacks for guys in urban settings will lead to your being judged as a safer person to approach, which in turn can lead to people offering assistance or even inviting you to join them for dinner. I've made lots of friends while traveling just by looking a bit more European/cosmopolitan, as opposed
to looking like I'm about to wash the car. Although you want to look well-bred, not well-off! Leave the bling at home."

Travel expert and blogger Nicole Hockin also suggests these safety measures: "Before your trip, make arrangements to regularly contact someone you trust. Give your contact a copy of your schedule, especially contact numbers for hotels. Also, make sure you leave that person bank and credit card information."

I've learned in my own limited solo travel that bed-and-breakfasts offer more security than a big hotel. And there's something nice about communing with fellow tourists over breakfast that gets your day of exploration off to a nice start.

Here are 9 helpful resources for solo travelers:

1. JourneyWoman is a great online source of travel info for women. They have a section on solo travel with great tips.

2. For those interested in Paris (and who isn't?), Paris by Design works with women traveling on their own to Paris to set up lodging, tours and inside information.

3. Hospitality Club members worldwide host travelers in their homes or show them around town.

4. If you're a little shy about solo travel and want to find a travel partner, try the TravelersMeet or Lonely Planet sites. Post where you are going and what kind of traveler you are.

5. Matthew Kepnes runs the travel website Nomadic Matt, which focuses on long-term, budget and solo travel.

6. Lauren Birmingham Pocatello, founder of Cooking Vacations, created Renaissance women-only programs for the independent female traveler who wants the freedom to travel solo yet appreciates the comfort of a female travel group.

7. Rachel Trager is the co-founder of Pink Pangea, which is a community site for women travelers who share about their experiences abroad.

8. The MeetOnCruise website is a way to meet people before your cruise. Users can post a public message to others on their cruise or send personal messages. Most of their members are active cruisers in their 40s to 60s.

9. Boomer women traveling alone can get good advice on the My Itchy Feet blog.

Speaking of itchy feet, I've got 'em! I also have my ticket to Ireland and am feeling edified that I can do this alone and have a glorious time. As Clampitt notes: "Remind yourself that you do just fine on your own at home, and you're well on your way to successfully going solo out into the world."