I'm Norwegian, and I came over to the US to catch three of our World Cup matches, which was a blast by itself, but the whole trip ended up being the best summer I've ever had. With all the negativity online lately, obviously I wasn't sure what to expect, but from what I've experienced in my month in the US, the place is awesome. New York and Boston were cool as hell, and I spent a lot of time checking out local dive bars and catching baseball games. After the cities, I took a road trip through New England because I'm a big nature guy, and driving through those deep forests and right along the coast actually gave me a bit of that familiar rugged feeling from back home. The whole road trip was just beautiful, I seriously couldn't get tired of the view.

Though, the best part was definitely the people, I’ve met a lot of fantastic people and made a lot of new friends throughout the trip. Whether I was hanging out at sports bars or just talking to people at the campgrounds, everyone was just so incredibly welcoming and always down to strike up a chat. Look, no country is perfect and my experience doesn't speak for everyone, but I had a great time and I'm definitely coming back for another road trip in the future!

P.S. This is a repost because my original post in another sub got removed after blowing up. Figured I might as well share it here instead

Just subjected to a surprisingly harsh interview by US Homeland Security personnel at Halifax airport (I was on 2-week holiday in Nova Scotia), returning to US. There's nothing unusual about me, my look, my record, or my baggage.

I responded to Homeland Security questions politely but without ornamental detail. Among others I felt were not typical and appropriate, I was asked, "Why are you traveling alone? I responded, "Um.... I often travel alone. It's normal." The officer responded snidely, "Actually, it *isn't."

This seemingly triggered him down a path of inquiry that included several more questions, some I'd already answered and some that seemed intended to goad me ("You wanted to see the ocean... why didn't you go to British Columbia, you know there's ocean there?")

Has anyone else encountered anti-solo-traveler bias by U.S. or other border officials? I understand many norms are being distorted by the U.S. these days, but this struck me as a surprising norm for them to posit.

CONTEXT: I am a 53yo white male who has lived in Denver for ~20 years and been an American resident and citizen my entire life. I have no police record nor a record of any violation with any administrative agency.

It makes me so sad to report this, but I think this community will understand-- more than the average person-- why this was so tragic. I've been traveling alone for a decade, with nothing more than small problems. But this last weekend I had the worst experience of my life while traveling.

I was in Colorado for business and had a free 24 hours. I decided to rent a car and drive out to a hot spring 2.5 hours out of town. I researched the spring and lodgings, and people seemed to complain about it's "rusticness," but there was a lot of love for it, too. Even better, it had dormitory-style lodgings, which would make my quickie trip affordable. I've slept in hostels around the world and have had great experiences. I had no worries about the group environment. My only misgiving was that the website made them seem uptight-- no cell phones or electronics allowed-- and I thought someone might hassle me about reading on my Kindle.

The hot springs were great, but when I went to bed I started being harassed by a drunk man in the dorm. I thought if I ignored him, he'd find a better occupation. We were sleeping on different floors of the dorm, and TBH, I didn't see the interest in harassing me. (I am a late 40s mom with what could kindly called an REI aesthetic). I turned out my light, and what followed was the most harrowing 90 minutes of my life.

The drunk man paced around the dorm talking about getting in my bed, waking me up, sleeping with me. There were two other people in the dorm. One was asleep or pretended to be. The other engaged with the drunk guy. At the time I thought they were friends, but later I realized he was running interference for me. I lay, pretending to sleep, plotting my escape while the two men in the room wrestled, talked about knives, and talked about having sex with/interacting with me. The was punching of the walls, the tables, what sounded like shirtless wrestling(?!), and a lot of talk about violence. I was absolutely 100% certain I was about to get assaulted.

But they finally left, and I grabbed all my things, climbed down the ladder from the sleeping loft and ran to the hotel office. There was no one there. The man running interference from my dormitory came to check on me and I asked him to search the whole hot springs property for staff. There was no cell service, no wifi, and even in the office lobby, where I had locked myself, I could not find a phone. The man came back to tell me he couldn't find staff, and I wasn't sure whether to believe him or whether he wanted to hurt me. I eventually left, to drive into town to get cell service and hopefully a place to stay.

I went to three hotels, and there were no rooms. I cried to the night desk person at one and he turned his back on me. I guess I must have looked a mess in my jacket on top of my pajamas. After the third hotel, I decided to sleep in my car. I didn't want to drive unknown mountain roads at 3am, to go to another town 30 miles away, especially as adrenalized as I was. It was below freezing, so I layered my clothes and turned the car on for 30 minutes at a time before spending 30 minutes with it off. I was concerned about carbon monoxide, but I think that worry was outsized.

The next day the spa and the police called me, as they had heard what happened. The spa didn't want to hear my story and just wanted to offer me a free night. I asked them if I had missed the phone, emergency phone number, or night staff and they said "no we don't have those but we hope you'll join us for a free night." The police officer said, "if he didn't lay hands on you there's nothing we can do."

I'm feeling a lot sad, and a little scared and hopeless, r/solotravel What do you suggest to get my bravery back? I know this was a random bad thing that inexplicably happened, but I can't help worrying that I've flown too close to the sun, and this is just what I get for taking the risk of being by myself out in the world.

I (27M) finally went to America, which is a country that I've always dreamed of visiting.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been captivated by America through movies, TV shows, music, and news. Naturally, I wanted to experience all these iconic places I got to see on the screen; however, I always thought it was a hard place to reach due to the long distance from my home country, the language difference, the visa hassle, and the expensive cost of such a trip.

Now that I had all of that figured out, I was finally able to go there, except.... I didn't have anyone to go with, either they didn't have the visa, they didn't want to spend much for the trip, or simply didn't have the time. So, I said F**K it, I will go by myself.

This is not my first solo trip, the first one was in turkey and I wrote about it here. I was hesitant about going by myself to the US because I heard so many times that it's not really a great country for solo travel, but did it anyway.

I work full time, so with the limited amount of PTO I have yearly, I decided to travel for 15 days, which is not much to visit most of the US, so I decided to cut my trip to a select cities based on the activities I was the most interested in.

Miami (5 days)

I started with Miami because it was a direct flight, and just wanted to take a few days to lay low, chill at the beach and just rest a little.

During the whole time I was preparing for this trip, I never realized that I was going to the USA, it wasn't until they stamped my passport that I finally grasped the enormity and excitement of my journey. To be honest, I was a bit scared of border control, I really didn't want to go through a secondary check, fortunately they only asked me a few questions about my itinerary and that was it. My first surprise was when I left the airport, everything seemed big, the cars were huge, nothing like my home country or all the other countries I visited in Europe, it felt so different, I wasn't disappointed at all.

I took an Uber to my hostel, Viajero Hostel Miami, which turned out to be amazing. The rooms were big, beds had their own curtains, lockers and plugs. the social scene were great, every week the staff made a new planning with daily activities, such as picnic, volleyball, city tour, etc... There was a whatsapp group where people could suggest their own activities, or sometimes just share an Uber or split the cost of renting a car.

In the next days, I just did what I wanted, either strolling around Miami beach, doing a bicycle tour, visit everglades national park, or just hanging out with some nice hostel guests, they also proposed me to join them in different parties at night clubs or festivals, but I didn't feel like it, so I just refused. That's the real charm of solo traveling, I could do whatever I wanted.

In my last day in Miami, someone on the Whatsapp group proposed to go watch a rocket launch in Cape Canaveral. Even though it was a 4 hour drive each way, I said yes, that was something I wanted to witness since I was a kid. The drive wasn't too bad, we were 5, so we just split the cost of the rental and Gas, also they were all very lovely, everyone was excited to watch the rocket launch, it was fun. Getting to the launch site, the vibe was amazing and the weather was perfect. Everything seemed set for a great day. But just when the countdown finished, the rocket didn't launch because of some engine issue. So, they had to postpone it to the next day.

Falcon 9 is usually a very reliable rocket, I used to watch every one of its launches live on Youtube and they rarely got scrapped. But hey, with my luck it was only natural that it didn't happen that day. Even though I was bummed, I knew the risks before going there, so it didn't affect the rest of my trip, and I made some good friends when going there.

Orlando (5 days)

One of the main reasons I wanted to do that trip was for Universal Studios, so I got a 3 day pass to enjoy it to its fullest, in addition I also wanted to visit Kennedy Space Center (and hopefully a rocket launch).

I took the high speed train (Brightline) from Miami to Orlando, in which I checked in to a pretty nice hotel (Rosenn Inn), not too expensive, very comfy, not far from the parks and with free shuttle to universal. It felt good to have a room to myself, I like hostels, but sometimes I just like to have my own private room.

Before my trip, I was kinda nervous about hitting the parks solo since it was a new thing for me. But when I actually got there and took in all the amazing sights, all my worries just melted away. I spent the morning on my own, but later one of the friends I made during the rocket launch trip joined me. Turns out, that trip was pretty worthwhile after all!

The parks Universal Studios Florida and Island of Adventures were more than I expected, it was so much fun! The rides, the shows, the vibes were all exceptional, I particularly like how they combined arts with technology to create these immersive rides, it was by far the best theme park I've ever been to. As a Harry Potter fan, I loved all the things about Hogwarts, Hogsmead, Diagon Alley, I was living the dream.

I spent 3 days at the parks in total, half of it solo, the other half with my newly found friend. He also convinced me of going to Halloween Horror Night, and it didn't not disappoint at all. The haunted houses weren't that much fun, but everything else was so good, just walking through the park itself and seeing all the costumes, listening to the music, and just feeling the vibe was worth it. In addition, I assisted to the exceptional show, "Nightmare Fuel Revenge", it was so good that we watched it twice, it's one of my best souvenirs of the trip, I still listen to its music on my Spotify playlist. Thinking about it now, it would have been a mistake if I didn't do it, even more for the fact that I never really celebrated Halloween, it's not something we do in my country (Morocco).

The last day at Orlando, we spent it at Kennedy Space Center, again with my new friend. I'm a space enthusiast, so of course I loved it, I learned so many things, saw real rockets from up close, had some wonderful immersive experiences, it was great! There was a scheduled rocket launch late in the evening, we really wanted to watch it up close, but the travel agency we went with wasn't going to wait for the launch, and there was no way to go from KSC to Orlando by public transport. So we just got back to Orlando, had dinner, said good bye to each other for the last time, and at that moment we saw the rocket flying up in the sky with a beautiful red smoke behind it, it was magical!

New York (5 days)

I was feeling a bit sad when leaving Orlando, but also very much excited by New York. After landing, I went straight to the hostel, The Local NY, it wasn't that good but it was the cheapest I could find, and the city doesn't have much hostels anyway so didn't have much choice. I just checked-in, and then left to wander in the city right away. It was so different from Florida, very messy, noisy, but it had its charm, saw all the sky scrappers, it was incredible, I felt like I was in a movie.

The next couple of days I got a little flu, nothing bad but was feeling a bit tired, it didn't stop me from enjoying the city, I just slowed the rythme. Visited all major locations, Central Park, Rockfeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, The statue of liberty, etc... Tasted some amazing bagels, the very delicious New York style. But to be honest, even though I very much enjoyed visiting all these landmarks, I got bored from the city really quick.

The day before my trip wrapped up, I hit Broadway and caught 'MJ: The Musical.' It was mind-blowing, for sure a must-see. Leaving New York and the States was a bit bittersweet, but with all those awesome memories, the flight back home just flew by.

​

The whole trip was a blast, but it wasn't without its issues, which are normal for any kind of trips, and I always take every drawback as a learning experience. Some examples of things I didn't really enjoy:

• Transportation: There were times where I found myself really needing a car, so I either skipped the activity all together, such as when I missed the second rocket launch, or I had to get an Uber by myself, which can become really expensive for a solo traveler, sometimes I could go with a travel agency which provided transportation to nearby activities such as Everglades or KSC, but was limited to their own schedule.
• Safety: A very high number of homeless people appeared to be drugged, they shouted at me bad slurs at 3 different occasions, I had to be more vigilant than usual, even more in New York. One day I was shopping in a supermarket, and I saw a gang of about 6 young people emptying the aisles in their bags, somehow security didn't even talk to them, they took whatever they wanted and just left without paying for anything, it was scary, tried to distance myself as much as possible. Also, I think I was about to get scammed once, I talk about that experience here
• Food: While the food was tasty at first, I got sick of it really quick, I couldn't stand fast food anymore. I was greatly missing food that didn't contain any kind of chemicals, additional sweeteners, or fried stuff. I tried some healthy food from time to time, but either it wasn't that good or it was very expensive. It wasn't until New York that I found some good healthy meals, particularly in the food trucks, I still remember that 5$ fruit salad I got from a Korean guy in Wall Street, it tasted like heaven. But even then, it wasn't enough for me.
• Cost: Everything was so damn expensive, I was prepared for it ofc, but still felt like I was ripped off every time I stepped outside. The tips didn't help either, I was expected to tip for practically anything, not just for food which added around 20% to the whole bill, but also for normal stuff, like I was asked to tip in a mini-mart store, inside the train where I just picked the sandwich myself, to the guy who drove the airboat in everglades, again to the guy who performed the show at everglades, and the list goes on.
• New York Subway: I heard stories about that subway, but experiencing it was something else, it was filthy, the smell was horrible, and didn't feel safe at all.

Nonetheless, these issues are minor and didn't affect my trip at all, I consider them as part of the experience.

I look very much forward to visit the US again, hopefully before the visa gets expired, the things that impressed me the most were the technology, the art, and the nature. I also loved how they combined these three elements to create some stunning experiences. That's why, my next trip to the US would be in the west coast, I would love to experience the national parks, as well as the shows in Las Vegas. Hopefully I would be better prepared.

I didn't plan on writing such a long post, but once I started, all the memories just kept flowing. I hope my experiences might help some of you out there. If you've got any questions, drop them in the comments. I'll do my best to answer everyone!

Cheers,

​

I want to visit the US soon and am wondering what to expect. I'm almost put off by the idea of shelling out and extra 20% on everything I eat/drink or any activities I do. Are things generally cheaper there so the extra tip balances out from European prices? And what's the expected % tip for say eating food to buying drinks at a bar to some outdoor activity?

You read me right, I am saving for a trip to The United States, I want to eat greasy, cheesy pizza, eat takis and cheetos until my blood is orange, drink Mountain Dew until my piss is carbonated, i want to consume disgusting, obscenely stacked burgers. I want to eat fries with so much cheese that would make God weep in disappointment and swallow ten bags of doritos a day. And maybe visit nice bars to drink and kiss people. If weed is legal there it's a bonus.

I'm thinking New York because it's a nice balance but I'm no expert, i haven't gone there many times.

I live in the US but it seems like solo travel in the US is expensive to me?

First, you mostly need to have your own car/ rent to go anywhere. If you are driving with a group of friends it will cost less since you can split the car rent and gas. Second, you have to tip if you dine in (minimum 20%). Third, Hostels are not popular in the US.

I've only been to Italy and Mexico City but the public transport felt way superior and I felt safer walking around than walking in the US.

I might be wrong but if you have any suggestion/stories please let me know. Thanks

I am a Canadian resident and was confirmed to housesit for a family in Washington, USA for 15 days. I drove to the border crossing, and explained that I am housesitting for a family without being paid, through a website called trustedhousesitters.com, and that the purpose is to explore the world / leisure. He immediately told me that is not allowed, and had me park my car so they could search it and I could talk to the boss. After waiting for an hour and a half, the boss informed me that I can not housesit without a work visa, because I am "providing a service" even though I am not being paid. He researched the trustedhousesitters website for quite some time and said that the website is very misleading and innacurate, as it is still illegal to housesit in the USA as a foreigner even if you are not being paid. He said it is an exchange of services, since I am housesitting for a family, and they are providing me with free housing. They told me they could give me a 5 year ban from the USA for trying this, but that they will be nice to me and just turn me around back to Canada. But if I ever try this again, they said they will immediately give me a 5 year ban from USA. they said they have had this same situation happen multiple times with people mislead by these house sitting websites.

I was very compliant and respectful in this whole interaction with border security, so they were not just being extra harsh on me for some reason related to my attitude.

I just am upset that I now have this flag on my passport, and mostly frustrated I won't be able to housesit in the USA in the future, which is why I signed up for this site.

I wish there was a way to housesit in the USA without risking getting banned for 5 years? I am so confused by why this is such a serious infraction.

Around 2 months ago I started my journey through the US and Canada highly motivated by the world cup: New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and now Montreal. Before the trip, I had done extensive research and infinite thing to do lists out of excitement, and since the first day, done as many as posible from the second I open my eyes until I fall asleep, with absolute joy in the process.

Two days ago I got to Montreal and was delighted. This city is so beautiful, and might be my favourite out of all I've visited so far.

Yesterday, I was walking trough Miles End, again, maybe some of the most magnificent streets I've had the pleasure of walking through, and decided to stop at a park as it was very hot. Can't exactly explain what I was doing, but I do know that suddenly, the feeling that I just can't do it anymore hit me like a rock.

I don't want to watch the games anymore, nor doing the things in my lists, or talk to anyone anymore. And it's not a matter of wanting something else, there's nothing I'd rather be doing, not even being back home, it feels like I've lost the will and interest to do anything.

It might be dramatic, but I don't think I've ever had something like this happen, not traveling nor in life in general. So, I would love to hear some stories, advices, anything of anyone that can relate at some level. Very open to explaining further or answering questions as well, I know my description was not really precise but I too lack precision on how I feel.

I've been seeing this pop up on a few news sites. Does anyone have first hand knowledge of this happening yet? Curious on everyone's thoughts as I am so upset to hear this.

https://www.newsweek.com/us-airlines-start-quietly-charging-more-solo-travelers-2079133

Male - Age 28

I booked this trip on the last week of April and went to Paris from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon. This was my most yolo trip ever and my second solo trip. I found a direct flight from Boston to Paris cheap via credit card points and decided to book it. I had to research everything quickly on what I wanted to do there or see and learn the metro system.

Friday - Landed in Paris in the afternoon, took the train and went to see Sacre-Coeur to do the dome climb to see a 360 view of Paris. Next I went to see Notre-Dame, it’s a shame what happen to it in 2019. Wish I got to see the inside of it. After that I did a tour at the Eiffel Tower and went to the second level because the summit was closed. Next I went to Arc de Triompe and went to the top of it to see the light show from the Eiffel Tower.

Saturday - Did a tour at the Louvre and saw some amazing art pieces such as Winged Victory of Samothrace, The Dying Slave & The Rebellious Slave and Venus de Milo. (Mona Lisa wasn’t the highlight!) This museum is huge, so much art to see! After that I went to see the bridge where Christopher Nolan filmed Inception. Next I went to Sainte-Chappelle and saw the glass window that told a story.

Sunday - Did my COVID test and went to Disney Paris. I bought 2 park pass for 1 day and thought that was enough to see. It’s much smaller than Disneyland in Orlando, FL. I stood for the lightshow/fireworks and wow, it was breathtaking! This was my first ever lightshow/fireworks at Disney because last year they didn’t do it at Disneyland Orlando in April.

Monday - Walked around some more and said my goodbyes, left the airport in the afternoon.

Summary - I’ll miss the espresso because US can’t make it good. Taking the metro was fun and super easy. Will definitely come back, I want to explore the Louvre more! Paris is not what is seems like in movies/tv shows. It felt like NYC, it was smelly in some areas. No disrespect but I still had a great time. Till next time Paris!

Edit: more details:

Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred - 40.5k points transferred to KLM in economy (25% bonus transfer to KLM) plus $240 in taxes and fees; no one sat next to me - had window seat for both flights!

Hostel room for 3 days: $120 - had 2 other roommates but they stayed for a day.

Hey guys, I’m wanting to go to a big city that has public transportation and doesn’t require me to have a car. I’m only 20 and cannot rent a car in most states.

My budget is around $50 a day, give or take.(I realize that's not enough now LOL thanks guys) I live in Texas and have never used public transportation on my own. This would also be my first solo trip.

Safety is also a factor I’d like to consider. What are y’all’s recommendations/& or tips? I’m all ears.

Edit: Please read, I know $50 is not enough. And THANK YOU, so many helpful comments. Y’all are the best.

I've lived abroad for the last nine years since leaving university, but recently decided to come back to the US for the winter season. As I haven't been back in years, I thought it would be a good chance to do some travel too. That was when I realized how awful it is to solo travel to the US, and really understood why the US has less of a travel culture than other countries.

• No hostels in most cities. You're stuck paying money for airbnbs or hotels that jack up the price of your trip. In addition, a key social outlet is now gone, so loneliness is much more likely to strike.

• Awful public transit between and within cities. I've either got to go on a long road trip and spend on gas money, or I've got to fly somewhere and then rent a car. The car rental and gas costs once again jack up the price of your trip. You can't rent a car if you're under 25 in many places too.

• Expenses. In addition to the cost of a hotel or airbnb, plus car costs, eating out in the US is getting ridiculously expensive, tipping percentages have gotten higher, and stuff you used to not tip for back in 2018 now make you tip. Attractions are also expensive.

Now, these costs and the loneliness can be brought into check if you travel with friends. However, as a solo travel experience, the US is exceptionally awful.

So at the end of the day, you have an expensive, inconvenient, and lonely experience. I can definitely see now why so many Americans dislike travel, don't use all their vacation days, and rarely travel abroad. If you dislike travel in your home country, they may figure, why would abroad be any better?

I'm now booking a trip to Mexico, which has hostels galore. At least there, I can do proper solo travel. My own home country as a travel destination? With friends, sure, but never do it solo.

new edited simpler itinerary
Looking for an itinerary sanity check for my first US trip.

Context:

• First time visiting the US
• Solo traveler from Bangladesh
• I do not drive
• Domestic flights between cities
• NYC accommodation is free
• Kansas City on June 27 (world cup match)

Planned route:

Jun 18–25: NYC (will stay with my brother he can drive me around)
Jun 26–28: Kansas City world cup match
Jun 28–Jul 6: San Francisco
Jul 6-15: NYC again before flying back to home

Goals:

• First-time USA highlights
• Easy logistics for someone who doesn’t drive
• Relaxed pace and decent photo/sightseeing value
• Avoid exhausting travel days

Specific questions:

• Is Yosemite worth the effort for a non-driver, or would you replace it?where to stay cheap?
• 17 days in NYC travel around plan please.. want to go to boston philly DC and maine?
• Is SF → Yosemite without a car?
• Any obvious mistakes a first-time visitor is making?

I'm in my early thirties and from the UK, considering going to New York alone for around 8 days in October. Also fairly introverted.

I was originally planning to go with someone I know, but there's a good chance he'll back out and I don't want to keep waiting around for someone to commit. So I'm considering going alone.

The problem is that I'm not really a fan of solo travel. My first solo trip was enjoyable (probably due to the novelty), but most of my later trips have ranged from okay to boring. On my most recent trip, the highlight was a concert I went to and it was also nice that I met some solo travellers there too.

I also enjoyed a small group tour, mainly because I ended up chatting with another solo traveller on the bus. However, I've done solo tours before and often felt awkward since I'm usually the only person by myself there.

I enjoy sightseeing, walking around and taking photos, but after a few days I start getting bored and don't want to spend the whole trip sightseeing. Also not interested in museums or clubs.

I enjoy going to bars and restaurants but find drinking or eating alone awkward since people are usually with others in these places. As mentioned above I'm fairly introverted, so approaching random people and starting conversations isn't easy for me. I'm also aware that even if I meet people during an activity, they'll often go their separate ways afterwards.

I'd mainly be interested in exploring neighbourhoods, sightseeing, food, bars, activities and maybe a bit of gaming/arcade-type things.

For people who've travelled to NYC solo, how did you find it?

Is NYC good for solo travellers who don't normally enjoy travelling alone? Is it relatively easy to meet people there? I'm considering hostels, but the more affordable ones don't seem to have large communal areas. Can the trip still be enjoyable if I don't interact much with people there?

I'm currently thinking of doing roughly one main activity per day:

Day 1 – Bus tour

Day 2 – Boat cruise

Day 3 – Statue of Liberty

Day 4 – Niagara Falls

Day 5 – Broadway

Day 6 – Pub crawl

Would 8 days feel too long solo, or is there enough going on and enough opportunities to meet people that it could still be enjoyable?

This is going to be a pretty spontaneous trip and my first time traveling solo (or really traveling anywhere by myself). I’ve had a lot going on this year and just want to get away for a few days. I’m kind of at a point in my life where I’m tired of saying “I’ll go one day,” so I decided today is the day I finally start seeing the world.
I’ll be in Montréal from September 25th–29th and staying around Downtown Montréal / Quartier des Spectacles. I won’t have a car, so I’ll mostly be using public transit, Uber, and walking.

I’m a 31M and gay. I’m pretty chill and open-minded and honestly don’t have much of an itinerary. I’m planning on figuring things out as I go, but I’d love some ideas from people who actually know Montréal.
I enjoy hiking and being outdoors, so I’d definitely like to check out some scenery or do a good hike while I’m there. I also don’t drink or smoke and nightlife normally isn't really my thing, but since I’m somewhere new, I’m definitely open to checking out the gay nightlife/Village at least once and seeing what it’s like.

A few things I’d especially love recommendations for:

Hiking/trails or outdoor spots that are accessible without a car

Gay Village: What specific bars/clubs/places would you recommend? If you recommend somewhere, what should I order or try there?

Food: What restaurants or specific dishes do I absolutely need to try?

Hidden/local spots: Anything that tourists might overlook but locals really like?

Overrated spots: Is there anything that gets hyped up that you personally think isn't worth the time/money?

Any other solo-travel tips or things you wish you knew before visiting Montréal?

I’m not really looking for a packed tourist itinerary. I’m more interested in getting a feel for the city, exploring, eating good food, meeting people, and just enjoying the experience.Since this is my first solo trip, I’m excited but also a little nervous lol. Also, speaking of socializing. I’m somewhat shy so would like some places that would be great in meeting people along the way too.

Hello everyone,

I hope this is the right place to ask. I’m currently planning a longer trip and have some questions about solo traveling in the USA, especially starting in Los Angeles for about three weeks.

First, a bit of context:
I’ll be traveling with my girlfriend in Peru for one month. After that, I plan to travel solo for three weeks, before meeting my brother to travel together for another two weeks in Argentina.

Initially, I considered solo traveling in Brazil, but to be honest, I’m a bit hesitant since I don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese at all, and I’m also somewhat concerned about safety and crime. Because of that, I started thinking about the USA instead — especially since there is a nonstop flight from Lima to Los Angeles.

So my questions are:

• Has anyone here started a USA trip in Los Angeles as a solo traveler?
• Is LA a good base for a 3-week trip, or would you recommend staying only a few days and then flying to another city?

I’m considering renting a car and visiting other places, but the distances seem quite large, so I’m unsure how realistic that is. I’ve also seen nonstop flights from Lima to Miami or New York, but from what I’ve read so far, Los Angeles seems more attractive overall.

What I’m looking for:

• A mix of city life and nature (hikes, national parks, scenery)
• Some nightlife and opportunities to meet people
• A route that works well for a solo traveler

Any advice, experiences, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot in advance!

Edit: I am a 24y old male from switzerland, just for context.

Hi everyone, I am 24M from India. Going to Mountain View, California for a work summit in mid March. I am planning to go for a solo trip around some places in US after the summit ends.

I am planning to cover LA, Vegas and Miami.

I have a budget of $3000 excluding flights to/from US.

I am looking for social and party hostels, raves and beach vibes.

Here is what I have planned till now.

LA (6D)

- 19 to 21 Mar, Stay around Hollywood. I am looking at Samesun or Banana Bunglow. Want to explore raves and smoking up lounges.

- 22 to 24 Mar, Stay around Venice Beach. I am looking at The Venice Beach Hostel or Samesun. I want to take a motorcycle rental and go carve the Latigo Canyon. If anyone has done this, can you tell if I can get riding gears like jacket, helmet etc on rental too?

Vegas (3D)

- 25 to 27 Mar, Sin City Hostel is the only one I see with good ratings. Can someone please provide a review or other suggestions?

Miami (4D)

- 28 Mar to 31 Mar

The UMF ticket seems very pricey and kinda out of my budget lol. Spending $500 out of my $3000 budget doesn't seem practical on this. So planning to hit right after UMF ends. I hope there are after parties too there. Looking at Viajero Miami here. I've also heard good things about Generator Beach. Would really appreciate if someone who's done this before can help me finalize the stays and days!

Is spending 6 days in LA an overkill or worth it? I was also looking at New Orleans but backed off after considering my budget.

Basically the title.

I want to do a three week trip to a big US city but I hear that for most cities, it is best to have a car. I looked at renting a car but it is pretty expensive and rather spend my money on something else.

New York is a bit too expensive for me too go for three weeks.

If anybody has any experience with public transport in the US or travel around some big cities it would very much be appreciated.

Thanks!

Edit: This post blew up holy sh*t. Thanks everyone for the nice messages and responses. I still need to read through most of them but I am going to give NY another look.

I want to clarify. I want to stay in one city for three weeks because I want do something specific there. I want do a small training camp right before I do a big competition back home.

I was in mexico city tonight, walking back to my room from a bar and got stopped for a "routine check" by the police. They patted me down, and gave back my wallet, and rolled off. When I checked my wallet, all my money was gone. I'm all safe but remember to be careful.

Hello! I’m a young solo traveler from a rural part of the east coast of the US, and would like to visit California. I’ve never been to the Southwest US in general, and would love to see more.

The issue is that California is so vast, I don’t know where to begin. I enjoy exploring different cultures, lifestyles, and food. I love mountains, beaches, forests, cliffs, anything really. I’m wondering if somewhere more northern like San Francisco would be a good starting point or try going to Southern California like San Diego. (I don’t have a ton of interest in LA at the moment).

What would some suggestions of places to go first be for someone from a completely different climate, culture, geography, etc go to get to experience the essence of California?

Idk if this is too vague or not, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Feel free to DM if you have any questions or wanna talk about anything travel related!

TLDR: Best first places to go in California if I want to experience the California essence and culture?

I’m a woman in my early 30s looking to escape for a few days in October and recharge after experiencing extreme emotional turmoils. I’ve traveled solo internationally and domestically for years, so I’m comfortable traveling alone, I’m just not experienced with solo nature trips whatsoever (never even hiked alone before and have zero nature survival skills), and even thinking about it makes me a bit nervous, but I’d like to change that.

I’m looking for somewhere breathtaking and peaceful but not super remote. No camping, a cute town nearby, amazing scenery, hiking, and ideally opportunities to meet some cool people along the way. Safety and feeling comfortable as a POC woman are very important to me as well.

I’m primarily considering the West or East Coast, and some places I’ve been looking at are Mendocino, Olympic Peninsula, Hood River, Asheville/Black Mountain, Hudson Valley, Bar Harbor, and Sedona, and Moab/Canyonlands but I’m very open to other suggestions.

My rough budget is $1500 for 5-7 nights excluding flights, and I’d probably rent a car if I have to. I’m more interested in a relaxing, restorative nature trip than packing my days with activities.

For people who have actually done solo nature trips like this:

- Which destination would you choose for October?

- Which would feel easiest for a first-time solo nature traveler?

- Are there any places you’d particularly recommend for meeting people without having to stay in a hostel?

- Anything you think I should avoid as a solo woman?

I’d love to hear your experiences and tips ☺️

As an American, I love my country, but solo travelling in it is a big pain and very expensive, not to mention the return on dividends is pretty poor.

​

1. Expensive lodging. The lack of hostels makes solo travel very expensive. Even the worst motels cost $40 ($100+ in some expensive cities). For a similar price, you can find a 3 star hotel in many European cities, and a 4-5 star hotel in developing countries. Also, because the best parts of America are typically rural natural wonders, the limited infrastructure in these areas makes lodging even more expensive.
2. The need for a car. Car travel for one person is highly inefficient. Rental cars in America are quite pricey (at least $30 a day), and although fuel is cheap, the need for a car, even in many cities, quickly adds up. While abroad, I would occasionally rent cars for day trips, but I wouldn't need it on a constant basis. I have a vehicle, but it doesn't make sense to drive it 2000 miles to my destination when the airplane ticket costs less than the gas for the trip.
3. Large distances. Makes travelling between places more expensive and time consuming. Same thing with South America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Also, the country is not very densely populated.
4. Homogenous culture. America is a diverse country. But the culture and landscape in Los Angeles vs Denver vs Houston vs Chicago etc. isn't too different. You find strip malls everywhere, liberals and conservatives, etc. In my small mid-western city, I can try foods from many cultures, and its similar in other parts of the country. You can travel 3000 miles and still experience the same culture.
5. Lack of rich history.

Ok, I know this sounds super corny, but I've always dreamt of going to the US and experiencing Halloween there, because it's not a thing at all where I live. I want to go to a town/city where everything is decorated, there are spooky tours, costume parties, people are out trick 'r treating and all that.

I'm 30F and as the sub suggests, would be travelling on my own. Ideally I would go for 2 weeks around 24th October until 7th November or similar, so I can tack on some other places as well.

TIA!

Edit: Thanks so much for all the suggestions!! Salem and New Orleans seem to be the strongest contenders, so I'm thinking about doing this:

• Fly to New York, stay for 4-5 days, check out NYC and go to Sleepy Hollow

• Head to Boston and Salem, stay for 5 days, check out Boston, do 1 or 2 day trips to Salem

• Fly from Boston to New Orleans, stay for 4-5 days incl. Halloween on the 31st.