Solo International Travel Ideas...

[Jonathan]

I'm dreaming of a solo trip this spring outside of our borders. I'm looking for cultural or fun things to do. I'm wide open actually. Where would you go and why? I'd have 9 days.

[ron l edmiston]

-- Canadian Rockies, Quebec City or Lake Como / all of Italy & Italian Alps..

ronnie with a smile

[bigbill]

Start in Rome, stay at a hotel near the US Embassy or Termini which will put you within walking distance of a lot. Book tours each day, I like City Wonders, and branch out for a few days from Rome to see Pompeii, Napoli, and all the surrounding stuff like catacombs outside Rome. See the Vatican and eat Gelato on the Spanish Steps. Take the train to Florence, see all the museums.

When I was stationed in Sardinia, I'd go to Rome about once a month and I never tired of it. Fly into Rome, take the Leonardo Express from the Airport to Termini and go on foot from there.

[maunahaole]

We visited Slovenia last summer. It’s heavier on the fun stuff than the cultural experience, but you get a good euro dose. It would be a great place to take a bike and tour around. Low population density and relatively inexpensive.

[bigbill]

We visited Slovenia last summer. It’s heavier on the fun stuff than the cultural experience, but you get a good euro dose. It would be a great place to take a bike and tour around. Low population density and relatively inexpensive.

Slovenia is a hidden gem. The capital Lubljana is a rail hub to just about anywhere in Eastern Yurp. The food is incredible, like a mix of German and Italian and heavy on the venison. I ate at a restaurant in Koper and had their finest Slovenian red wine, 18 euros. The country is well preserved, it wasn't all wrapped up in the civil wars following the collapse of Yugoslavia.

Another former Yugoslav region is the nation of Montenegro. Tivat and Kotor and beautiful places. The entire Dalmatian Coast if wonderful. Assuming nothing has changed, you have to bus into Montenegro from Croatia. Flying in is really expensive and likely involves a layover in Russia.

[vertical_doug]

You can probably just squeeze in a trek in Bhutan in 9 days. Do it now before it is gone forever.

Angkor Wat + Cambodia + Thailand
I went in the late 90's, It was still not really touristy. I heard from a friend who recently went, it is touristy. Go now .... it will only get worse.

[taz]

New Zealand and rent a moto. Hiking, camping, skiing, surfing. Isolation when you want it, friendly people when you want company.

[hampco]

Corsica is my pick: just weird and not-quite-European enough to be fun, a frisson of danger (if you're French or Corsican), great riding on crappy roads, decent food and beverages, excellent beaches. I know people...

[Daverino]

I’ve been dreaming about a solo trip to Tokyo for a while. Wake up for the early morning fish market, find some cool book stores to peruse, eat yakitori and sushi in small stalls somewhere in the depths of the sprawl, take the train to Kyoto, watch the Shibuya crossing at night.
Solo travel for me should be about maximizing the disorientation factor, and the cultural differences of Japan (while still maintaining enough basic cultural similarities to measure the differences against) put it at the top of my list.

[fastupslowdown]

i say Girona. You have great cycling, a nice city to explore and are easily accessible to Barcelona and Figueres(say salvador dali), French Catalonia and the Pyrenees. The food and sights are awesome. i've had some of my best meals in Girona. -Mike G

[taz]

Corsica is my pick: just weird and not-quite-European enough to be fun, a frisson of danger (if you're French or Corsican), great riding on crappy roads, decent food and beverages, excellent beaches. I know people...

Plus it has that weird little train.

[Jonathan]

New Zealand and rent a moto. Hiking, camping, skiing, surfing. Isolation when you want it, friendly people when you want company.

This sounds nice. Travel to and from time wise is an issue, no?

[Too Tall]

Being a bum in Kuai for an extended period of time. Learn to play the Ukulele, perfect your tan.

[robin3mj]

This sounds nice. Travel to and from time wise is an issue, no?

I wouldn't want fewer than 2 weeks on the ground in NZ, for travel-fatigue reasons and for the fact that the country is so varied that if you're going to make the trip, you'll want to see a lot. That said, I visited NZ solo a while back (for ~6 weeks) and it was an easy/welcoming place to travel on your own.

When would you intend to go?
One trip that might be good: book a flight in/out of Toulouse or Bordeaux, and visit Biarritz, St Jean de Luz, San Sebastian, Bilbao, St Jean pied de Porte, Pau, etc.
Lot of cycling if you so desire, but also top notch beaches, food, and drink.

[Too Tall]

Rent a Harley and tour the Italian Alps.

[dgaddis]

Another option: set up some alerts for *really* cheap airfare, and go where the deals are.

[David Tollefson]

Rent a Ducati and tour the Italian Alps.

fify.

[jerk]

I met a guy on a plane a month or so back who had been to 180 different countries as a tourist and he said the best place in the world according to him, was Nepal.

I've never been- I'd go to northern Italy or Paris or the south of France if I had nine days and wanted culture and food and scenery.

if I just wanted an awesome relaxing time, I'd rent an apartment in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the north side of Tenerife and try out for what I hope the rest of my life is like once I can figure it out.

[taz]

This sounds nice. Travel to and from time wise is an issue, no?

I missed the 9 days limitation. Any Pacific trip is going to eat up two days+ in travel.

Steve's Corsica recommendation is good... I spent a week there and enjoyed it.
Also, consider Croatia and any of the Dalmatian coast. Visited this summer and loved it.

[Matthew Strongin]

if I just wanted an awesome relaxing time, I'd rent an apartment in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the north side of Tenerife and try out for what I hope the rest of my life is like once I can figure it out.

A good friend is there now and speaks very highly of the place. I'd love to check it out.