A friend of mine is going on a bike tour next year (Italian countryside) and she's traveling on her own. Have you (would you) travel to another country on your own?

Ill most likley be spending at least a week alone in Japan in about a year. Im looking forward to it.

I would do it however I would be very careful on where I traveled to and who I spoke with letting them in on my story. I would also make sure that the US Embassy knew when I was entering the country and when I was going to leave. Checking in before I get there to let them know I am coming and checking in when I get there to let them know I am there and again checking out with them when I leave.
Why is this important?
Well if your friend is attractive at all and between the ages of 15 and 25 she could become the target of human trafficking. I am not a paranoid person…..It’s just the Luck simply favors the prepared. If she is prepared then I am sure she will have a kick ass time and create memories and friendships that will last a very long time.

I haven’t, but I would.

I have and I would again. It’s perhaps a bit more dangerous for a woman than a man, but travelling alone in Italy is no more dangerous than travelling alone in Pennsylvania.

I totally have and I would again!

It’s a different experience than traveling with a friend, in that you’re forced to interact more with what’s around you. No crutch to lean on, kind of makes you step out of your comfort zone, ask questions, talk to people, etc. It also makes for great introspection and you can learn about yourself.

I feel pretty comfortable traveling in and around Europe, so if it were there, I’d go for it in a heartbeat. I went to France my senior year as an exchange student and lived there for 10 months. I hated it, but it was less that I was alone than it was I generally dislike French people. We have some real fundamental disagreements on a lot of things, not to mention they did not treat me very nicely.

I also went to Amsterdam by myself and stayed for 2 weeks. Holland is my favorite place on Earth, so this was heaven for me. Being alone, I ended up meeting and hanging out with some really cool people. Two very, very pleasantly memorable mushroom trips with separate sets of people. And, being alone, I could do whatever I chose for the day and didn’t have to worry about a companion not wanting to, or wanting to do something I didn’t care to, etc.

I spent a month backpacking around northern Europe. I rarely had reservations and made most of it up on the fly, stayed in hostels, traveled by public transit. I never had anything stolen (though I took basic precautions) and I had a great time. I could do what I want when I wanted. There were times when I was lost or nervous about finding a place to sleep, but I always found people who could help, and I only spoke the language in England and Germany. I have a friend who is the poster child for this kind of travel. He spent nine months in India, several in Thailand, traveled from Wales all the way overland to Korea. He had a lot of adventures, and got into some situations most wouldn’t want to be in, but he basically did this by making his own life about as difficult as possible on purpose, and still he had fun (after his fashion) and was at least safe from serious personal injury.

Plan well enough to allow you to be spontaneous, don’t do anything stupid, and you can have a great time this way. Crime may happen, but if you take the right precautions your risk is no greater in Europe than going downtown wherever you happen to live.

I am a twenty-year-old female, and I just spent a semester in Europe. Once there, I did a few trips to other countries on my own, and I actually loved it. The best part was talking to strangers. Everyone at airports have in common that they’re traveling, so I did not find it difficult to strike up conversation. This got me a lot—a ride into the city from the airport, tips on what to do and see places, and company for meals, a ride to the ER on a Greek island when I broke my arm (oops), etc. I followed my mom’s advice and mostly stuck with older women. I also met a lot of great young people staying at youth hostels, and sightsaw with them. Things happen (I had a total of six pickpocketing/mugging attempts, two successful, in my five months abroad), but I was smart about not staying out late on my own and not carrying a lot of money on me.

It’s easier to blend in in a foreign culture on your own, and for that I thought people were nicer to me than they would be to a group of loud American college students. I also tried to speak Spanish instead of English (I was studying in Spain) first in every country to again avoid averse reactions to Americans.

So my advice is to be outgoing and friendly. Other people are likely looking for temporary travel companions, or willing to pick up a lone soul for a meal or museum. Have fun!

Also, I found people in Italy to be extremely helpful and friendly, give them a smile and try to speak Italian a little, and you’ll get great hospitality. Even though I was there during the second half of the Bush administration when Americans were supposed to be looked down on in Europe, I had no such experience. Don’t expect them to do anything on time or in a hurry, especially trains. 1st rule of train travel in Italy: the only train that will be on time is the one you are late for.

Another thing to comfort your friend, since she’ll be biking: European health care is amazing. I broke my arm and paid eight euros for an x-ray, but nothing more. I flew home in three flights (and lots of transportation between) with my cast, and strangers were SO helpful. They helped me with my luggage, seatbelts, putting on my jacket, everything. So in the case of an injury, it’ll be okay!

I also got free gelato with my broken arm at a gelateria behind the Trevi fountain in Rome.

Really the only concern is being alone in open countryside on a bicycle, and this can be a concern anywhere. It’s certainly safer to have a companion in case of breakdowns, accidents, potential crime, etc. but for the third time, it’s no different than in Vermont. Maybe better. Italy has a bicycle culture, pull up to a gas station on your bike and they’ll fill the tires for you in a flash, finding parts and expertise for repair is likely to be easier than in the U.S.

Decades ago, I did a big European bike trip with a friend, which included a month in Italy. We never had problems, but our original intention had been to go as far south as Naples, but whenever people inquired about our itinerary and we mentioned Naples, they invariably made the universal Italian gestures for “watch out” and “theft”. We stopped at Rome. Just sayin’.

I haven’t, and I wouldn’t.

Traveling alone in a foreign nation is dangerous. If something happens to you, no one will be there to help you.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic Is that sarcasm?

@gussnarp No. What happens if you’re the victim of foul play and no one knows you’re missing?

@The_Compassionate_Heretic What happens if you’re the victim of foul play and no one knows you’re missing in your home country? Travelling alone carries some risk anywhere and it is no different in Europe from in the U.S. It’s always a good idea to let people know your itinerary, or to expect you to check in. All you need is a mobile phone and a twitter account and you can have several people expecting your tweets at given times.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic – That’s just plain alarmist. In this day and age, it’s super easy to keep in touch on a daily basis.

Went to Singapore on my own, first time traveling alone and first time out of the US. In many ways it makes things more interesting. You are forced to interact with the native people more and in a more direct manner. It’s a good experience.

Besides I have been to Italy, and Italian people are very friendly, at least in Rome they are.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic If you are afraid of something happening to you, you shouldnt leave your house. Something bad can happen in your own hometown. Take some chances and have some fun.

I have done it several times, and some were better than others, depending on the country, means of transport and my own mood.

Your friend is in no real danger in Italy, as long as she drives carefully and not too fast. But it will probably cost her more than she thinks and I have no idea whether she’ll like it or not. It would not be my first choice, unless she really knows where she’s going and what she plans to do. It’s a country with many nice specific places to go to, but not the sort of country you’d like to just get lost in and discover as you go along. I’d rather pick somewhere like Hungary or the Czech Republic for that sort of thing. Or Slovenia maybe.

@Jack79 – I disagree, but obviously this is a matter of opinion. My mom lives in Italy (in the Cinque Terre). I’ve had occasion to visit Florence, Genoa, Pisa, Sarzana, Milan, Orvieto, and Assisi, as well as many more smaller places, lesser-known cities, and the countryside. The cities and world-famous destinations are full of tourists year-round and this affects the quality of one’s visit. It means higher prices, scarcer availability of great restaurants, long lines, scenic pictures with random people in them, etc.

I personally think it’s worth dealing with the tourists to see the things at these destinations, at least once in your life. However, the smaller, less-touristy places are where the heart of Italy lies.

For example, we took a drive down from the Cinque Terre so my then-girlfriend could make a pilgrimage to Assisi for her devoutly Catholic mother. We took the autostrada down and stayed with friends in an amazing villa about 20 minutes outside of Orvieto. On the day of our pilgrimage, we rented a car in Orvieto and drove to Assisi. It was a great drive and a great trip and both of us loved seeing the towns and villages we’d never heard of, but which obviously had loads of history. Pretty much any village, town, or city you go to will have some piece of history, whether it be a castle, towers, mills, churches, monasteries, bridges (there is a still-functional Roman bridge about 30 minutes from my mom’s in the country), Roman aqueducts, you name it.

Then, on our way back home to the Cinque Terre, we decided to see the countryside and took the non-autostrada route (my brain is a bit foggy, can’t remember what they call it). We ended up having one of the absolute best meals I have had in Italy over the 12 or so years I’ve been going there. On the autostrada, we’d have eaten crappy food in the Autogrill (a very crowded and lower quality version of Sheetz).

Not to mention, the scenery was amazing and worth the bit of extra time it took us to get home. Sticking to the cities, you miss quite a lot. I think of all the unique opportunities and experiences I’ve had there and most of them occurred off the beaten path. :)

@MissAnthrope Your mom lives in the Cinque Terre? How freaking cool is that?! I always wonder what exactly people do for a living there though, other than serve the tourist trade.

I concur 100% with @MissAnthrope, Italy is a great place to wander around and get lost in. I mentioned Lucca in another thread recently, tell you friend to make sure she goes there. I spent 6 weeks there, usually just wandering around town and trying out playgrounds with my son. On weekends we would jump on the train and go exploring: Cinque Terre, Pisa, Florence, the Garfagnana. All within a short distance.

@gussnarp – It is pretty cool. During the summers, she and her husband run a private boat tour company with homemade delights using the wonderful Italian produce and fresh ingredients (you can Google “Angelo’s Boat Tours” if you’re curious). Her husband was previously a fisherman, as was his father, grand-father, great-grandfather, etc. for untold generations. Back before Angelo had a heart attack, they made their money from fish.. he’d fish all night and drive around in the wee hours selling them at various markets and what was left, they sold in the family fish shop. Most residents do make their money off the tourists, either by renting rooms or working at restaurants or shops.