Discover The Best Way To Plan For A Vacation By Yourself

In planning a successful vacation by yourself, the first and most important tip to keep in mind is a simple one is to know yourself.
You may consider literally thousands of possibilities for vacations, from tennis camps and museum tours to cruising the Nile River.
Or you may choose to explore a great city on your own.
One of the pitfalls of planning a trip alone is the temptation to choose what you think other single people are doing rather than doing the research to find something suited to your own tastes.
Yes, lots of people go on rafting trips by themselves, but if you hate camping and would be terrified by swirling rapids, it makes little sense to head for a river.
Remember that the greatest advantage to traveling by yourself is the freedom to do exactly what you like best.
The more carefully you analyze what you are hoping for, the more likely you are to find it.
Suppose, for example, that you want to visit the south of France.
Your goals are to see the countryside, get some exercise, meet other people ages 30 to 40, and sample gourmet food.
Many luxury tours could supply the gourmet part of the formula, but they would provide little exercise and probably attract an older crowd.
A biking or hiking trip might fill all of the requirements.
What remains then is to research who offers such trips in this area and contact each with the right questions.
If you have the same destination in mind, but want a less strenuous trip, you might look into a learning vacation, one that stresses cooking, learning a foreign language, architecture, photography or art.
For a younger scene, consider tours geared to those under 35.
When your sights are set on sunshine, beware.
A Caribbean island or the Mexican Riviera can hold perils for single travelers.
Romantic resorts naturally atrract loving couples, and there is nothing more depressing than feeling like an odd man out in a lovers hideaway.
Look for other possibilities instead.
Depending on your tastes, a trip to the Yucatan ruins in Mexico, a tennis camp in Florida, or painting lessons in the Caribbean are warm weather options that should offer companions whose enthusiasms match your own.
Windjammer sailing cruises attract lots of active, sociable people in the Caribbean, or you could check into a sunny spa resort that tends to draw many solo participants, married and single alike.
Researching a trip is easier than ever, since so many programs and resorts now maintain pages on the Internet.
Even if you don't own a computer, you can still use the public libraries which provide internet access.
Should you join a tour or take off on your own? A lot depends on your travel experience and disposition.
Do you dislike regimentation and prefer setting your own pace? Are you content to amuse yourself at home on occasion with solo walks, shopping expeditions, or museum visits? Are you able to talk to strangers? Are you willing to spend time and effort researching and planning your trip? Most of all, are you an optimist, ready to make the most of what you have rather than pining about what is missing? If the answers are yes, don't hesitate to try a trip by yourself; often going solo is the most rewarding way to go.
Lastly, a good way to test the waters is to join a group or a tour, then afterward spend extra time in a city on your own.
Or you might break up a solo city visit with short group tours to nearby attractions, providing a chance for a day or two of companionship.
Just remember, the key to traveling happily on your own is simply to do it in the way that will be most comfortable and enjoyable for you.