Our group meeting our ancestor Lucy in Ethiopia’s National Museum
OK, so you are going to take a trip with a friend. Then she cancels and you have a non refundable investment in the trip. What do you do? You can claim on travel insurance to cover the single supplement. But you are now going solo into a dining room, a walking tour and a theater. You are probably hiding in your room after dark if you are in an unfamiliar city. Yesterday one of our Women’s Travel Group travelers called us with this last minute situation.
Practical tips to deal with this unexpected single vacation follow:
1- Go through the entire itinerary.
Identify worry times like baggage collection on arrival, first bank foray to get foreign currency, and first time in a taxi alone in another country. Be a worry solver: pack lightly and carry important items with you. Dragging heavy luggage slows you down, makes it hard to use the bathrooms, and tires you out. Traveling alone now means you need your wits about you until you find your tour.
Buy some currency at home even if it is expensive. It is such a good feeling to have cash in hand. Bank of America and most large banks can order it for you. Bank of America posts its exchange rates and will ship currency to you promptly. Travelex, the insurance company can also. In many countries a single dollar will suffice as a quick tip. Bring $100 singles.
If your tour does not supply a transfer, find one on line via viator.com or ask your first hotel to assist you. Transfer agents that can give you a cruise line reference might ease your nerves. Here are more tips on finding a transfer.
2- List times that are not busy or times that your tour describes as ‘optional’ ‘free’ or ‘at leisure’. If you think you will need down time, fine. But if you think you want to use the free time to see something, start working. Maybe the site is near your hotel? Some hotel sites will list what is near, but they do not help with what is walkable. Is there a highway between you and the option you choose? Here booking some mini tours can help if your tour operator cannot. Day tours are found on www.viator.com, www.tripadvisor.com, www.toursbylocals.com and many others. We looked at day tours from Lisbon where our group spends Thanksgiving 2017 and there were many many options.
3- Get a map of the first city you visit, and it is probably the country capital and busiest city. Find your hotel and check out its adjacent streets and landmarks. As you drive from the airport to the hotel, you will be able to identify landmarks. Recognizing landmarks will help the transition. And if you taxi is lost or you get lost walking around, you can show what you want on the map. A few screen shots of maps in your phone work wonderfully especially as you can enlarge the print.
Istanbul Group
4- Prepare for dinner solo. Many tours begin with a welcome dinner so this is not an issue. If they do not, get ready for your 1st meal alone. Speak to the concierge at your hotel, ask the person to call the restaurant and tell them you are coming alone. Say that you will need a taxi to get home. Get the name of the person they speak with at the restaurant. When you arrive, you can personally thank that person for their assistance. Admitting to a concierge or maitre d’ that this is your first solo meal never hurts either.
Study the menu before you go, especially if in a foreign language. (google translation is your new best friend). Know what you are going to order and how much it is. Know what the extras are: bread is a cover charge in Europe, ie. or what is sold by its weight. Ask how big the portions are with your hand motions. Order items you are already familiar with, not such new experience food.
Still uncomfortable, ask for a restaurant that has a bar where you can eat. Or eat at the hotel bar or coffee shop the first night. Here is a terrific article with 20 tips to eat alone.
Travel tips from The Women’s Travel Group. We do include transfers, help with baggage, welcome dinners and lots of help. We can take last minute space on a few trips in 2017.
Phyllis@thewomenstravelgroup.com is at 646 309 5607.
Trips are at www.thewomenstravelgroup.com/tours